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!
@Darcy Conroy It’s totally valid to have concerns, and while the company is in this chrysalis stage it’s natural to wonder about all the changes, particularly if you came in during the midst of it. Many of the current stable of writers are just as trepidatious as you are. No one likes changes, and we’re still waiting to see what everything looks like in the end. I honestly don’t anticipate the royalties dropping below 35% simply because at that point (as some have mentioned you’re getting much less than that since it’s a split of net profits) it just doesn’t make sense to stick with Inkshares. Adam mentioned in his email that they wanted to make sure their writers were still making double what they could at an old school publisher, and I think anything below 35% would put that in jeopardy.
My personal experience with the site is a little less brilliant than @Mike Mongo or @JF Dubeau . I have failed two campaigns and completed two, once of which was an anthology that won the last contest. The book that I succeeded with on my own only hit Quill funding (that 250 mark), but I did get the honor of being selected as a Sword & Laser collection book. I am more tied in with the writer community than the "excellent services" that Mike and JF have experience with. My little book is still in the editing phase, so I will probably land in the new version of Quill, whatever that will look like. But I’m sticking around for the authors I’ve met, and all I’ve learned from them. I have faith in what they are building here at Inkshares, but I am not so tied in that if the deal stops being good that I’ll still stay. Crowdfunding is rough business for introverts, and if I’m going to push past my social anxiety, it’s gotta be worth it.