I think a great video can be made by simply talking into the camera or being interviewed by someone. Keep in mind that a book trailer and a crowdfunding promo video are two different things; the first can be used for the second, but the structure and content will be different.

The best advice I can give for a crowdfunding video is that the video should give people a reason to find enough confidence in you AND enough interest in your book to convince them to pre-order.

So, to build confidence in you:

Seem relatable to your target audience. You want to reach nerds, be nerdy, etc.

If you want them to think your book is funny, be funny in your video.

Don’t waste their time; short videos are essential.

Be neither arrogant nor self-deprecating. Don’t talk about what you haven’t accomplished or ways you’ve failed or doubts you have. Focus on your goals and give people the impression that you have every intention of reaching them.

Don’t talk about what you’ll do if your campaign fails. Stay in the mindset that you’ll succeed. 

To build confidence in your book:

Tell them why your book is unique and/or exactly what they’re looking for.

Be interested in your own work.

Make comparisons to well-known properties to help them understand what they’re getting into.

No doubts or wishy-washiness about the quality of your book. If you’re not totally confident in your book, why should anyone else give it a chance?

Figure out a really good hook and use it!

And beyond all that, I recommend you watch a ton of crowdfunding videos first. Figure out what you like, what bores you after 10 seconds, and what convinces you to throw your hard-earned cash at a stranger. It will really help.

You can also do a book trailer, which isn’t really about you, the author, at all. Kyle’s approach of reading a chapter is also a great angle to take.

Overall, lots of books have reached funding without having a promo video; I think they help, but only if they’re actually good. Good luck!

I was always told by teachers that I was a good writer with a lot of "potential." This was true from grade school through university. The problem is it made me lazy - I always assumed I could just "be" a writer whenever I decided to. Then I sat down to write my first novel, and probably started 20 different stories without getting past a chapter or two. No one was reading them, I wasn’t part of a writer’s circle, I just assumed if I could finish one it would be automatically published because of all that "potential" everyone talked about. It was an arrogant attitude, and I didn’t finish my first novel until last year. I realized in the middle of that project that all the potential in the world is nothing without the grit and hard work needed to actually put it all on paper, edit ruthlessly, and then self-promote in the face of continuing rejection. You also need a project and a message you really care about, and that other people would care about too. Acquisition editors and agents don’t care about potential. Potential sucks. 

Speaking of self-promotion, I’m happy with my novel Watchfires Against The Lord, but it required so much more than potential to get it done. If anyone reads this and wants to trade recommendations or reviews, DM me and you’ll make a new friend. I love to read and I’m really enjoying the community of kindred spirits here at Inkshares. 

I cannot second this enough. One on one outreach is magic. And not just to family and friends you’re regularly in touch with, but anybody you’ve ever had a positive interaction with. If you message it right and make that message personal, they’ll appreciate your reaching out more than you realize. And you’ll be continually surprised who immediately buys after getting your message.

Demand generation - Creating content to entice readers. For example, I probably wrote like a hundred tweets, but through experimentation, I found that this one had the most bang for the buck. This was hard work, doing constant analysis of what was generating interest and conversion. 

Content creation - Constantly think of stuff to entice new readers and keep old readers coming back. I had weekly videos, pictures, etc.

Good old fashioned hustling - At least 20 hours a week was dedicated to outreach. Emails, texts, snaps, DMs, there are always people somewhere in your network that have still not pre-ordered your book.

Anyway. You don’t have to do what I do, but be principled about managing your time. It’s crucial to effective campaign running.