Gettin' Flashy: Can Videos Sell More Books?

Ah, advertising. Trying to grab eyeballs. Create an impulse. Make a sale.

Book trailers. 30-sec video clips. GIFs. Animated ads. Do they sell more books than a static, flat ad? Are they worth the money? The time to create?

Guys, hehehe, ~slaps knee~, let's have a reality check. If sales and marketing divisions knew without a doubt what kind of advertising would guarantee a sale, there'd be a revolution in the industry. 85% of S&M (yes, yes, snigger if you want) is spaghetti against the wall. When an ad has a conversion rate of greater than 10%, it's considered a rousing success. A good campaign is somewhere around 5%, the average is 2%.

The holy grail of advertising is a viral campaign in which the company doesn't have to do much. A Taste Maker has fallen in love with the product and given it legs. If they can't get a Taste Maker, get a teenager (lookin' at you, Fidget Spinners). They're the second most influential group. Women are the group with the greatest purchasing power. You place your ads where they'll be seen by influencers and purchasers. 'Dems da broad strokes of S&M that haven't changed in decades.

So, what's that have to do with trailers, clips, and GIFs?

Disclaimer: I don't work for a publisher or an advertising agency. I do not work for an ad farm or a research firm. I do not have actual stats on campaigns. I do have amazing Google-fu and experience trying to get people to buy stuff they don't know they need.

Let's start with book trailers. You don't make them for the audience you wish you had. They're not a sales tool. You make them as a reward for the readers you already have. At best, they're a retention tool. Usually, book trailers are done because the author simply likes having them.

But what if I'm advertising on YouTube and I want a pre-roll or in-play video ad? Then you probably are spending too much on your advertising budget. ~cough~ In all seriousness though, you have 10-seconds to grab the attention of your viewer, by 15-seconds you've lost 2/3rds of them. 30-seconds is your max time allowed for the ad. My gut says the ROI isn't there for an author. You're selling a book, not a Marvel movie. YouTube isn't where you'll find your audience. If you're committed to a video longer than 60 seconds, you're likely better served by having your own channel and directing existing readers there--again, for the fun of it, not the sale.

Viral Video Clips (15-30 seconds):  Here's the thing, videos take time to render on the page. On mobile apps, they can be turned off, aka, never seen. They're usually prioritized to render last. By then, the consumer's already clicked away or they're reading the content of the page and your video will piss them off when it finally plays because it's now a distraction and it's probably stolen focus (e.g. claimed the cursor's control from scroll bar).

However, if you have fans who send clips to you of your book in the wild, of their reviews, of cosplaying your characters, etc., my friends, that is AWESOME. Promote that stuff on your website (after getting the reader's permission).  Do not make them into ads.

Flash(y) Ads/HTML5 Animated/Rich Media: When the tech behind Flash ads was new to market, it was something hungry advertisers and hungrier ad sales teams pushed. To the point that consumers are now as blind to them as static ads. If you have your heart set on a rich media ad and some cash to burn, limit the play to 6 seconds. More than 9 seconds and your Click-Through-Rate (CTR) tanks. 6 is the sweet spot.

6-second ads, aren't those Vine video clips? Folks, Twitter killed Vine. It didn't replace it as the best tech, the company Twitter bought Vine then killed it. Pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Yes, there are other providers out there. Yes, of course, the tech is still used. If it could have been successfully monetized, it wouldn't have slunk off to the shadows.

GIFs: As a file format for advertising, GIFs aren't typically supported. It's most likely you're thinking of using gifs on your website or on your social media accounts. On sites that support the playback, it's not the time that's limited, it's the file size. It's technically possible to make a 3-min gif. Use GIFs as you would any status update on your social media --to engage with your followers. If you deploy these as cheap/free sales opportunities, you might as well be screaming BUY MY BOOK at your audience. That's how you lose followers.

There is nothing wrong with static ads. Vendors have all kinds of limitations on text versus image and what kinds of images are not acceptable, but there is an industry standard for visual and file size. One ad can go in a lot of places and across a lot of platforms. For now, static ads are still the best bang for your buck.

A better option for your time with minimal money: Build your newsletter subscriber list. Send free short stories to your subscribers quarterly.

The best option for your time and money: Write the Next Book.

Um. YEah

Everything that Jeffe said, except about awards.

I have never tried a video. I just spam the internet from time to time with links.

Have a great week,

James A. Moore

Because we all like the occasional discount: ALIEN: SEA OF SORROWS is available on the Kindle right now for $1.99

PR you can get the entire ALIEN: TRILOGY by Tim Lebbon, Christopher Golden and yours truly for @5.97

Each story is a standalone but it's a pretty darned cool price and oif you read them all, there are connections and threads of other things throughout.

Book Trailers and Animated Ads - Do They Work?

Lonen's War is on sale for .99₵! If you haven't read it - or if you've been bugging your friends to give it a try ;-) - this is the perfect time to grab a copy.

I'm doing this in part to celebrate my good news: THE PAGES OF THE MIND and THE EDGE OF THE BLADE are both finalists in the fantasy category of the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal (FFP) PRISM Award! It's always a thrill to be a finalist, but with two books in there, I have my fingers crossed that maybe I'll get one of these:

Only with, yanno, MY name and book on it! A girl can dream.

Marketing: Book Trailers, Vine Vids, and Gifs: Can/Would/Could Animated Ads Work For You?

So... I'm just so not a marketing person. I could probably get good at it if I could get over the idea that a lot of it is manipulation. I have issues with manipulative behavior of all types, and I pretty much loathe advertising tricksiness. I learned a long time ago that the purpose of most advertising is to convince us we have a problem, so they can then sell us the solution. Thus the whole "do you have ring around the collar?" sort of commercial, where you come away wondering, "do I???" And they want you to buy the stuff to make it disappear. 

Marketers like to created fear and worry, so that we purchase their product to make it go away. This fear and worry we didn't have until they created it.

There's this whole divide between showing people that something is available - like, just for example - me leading this post off with pimping that .99₵ sale. I need to mention it, as there's no point in having a sale if I don't tell anyone about it. But I'm not going to be one of those who tries to create fear - SALE ENDS SOON, BUY IT NOW OR YOU'LL MISS OUT! - or worry, by implying that you're the only one who hasn't read it or by telling you about the bills I need to pay. Nor do I want to bombard people.

To me, the flashy, blinky stuff falls in the category of bombardment. Animation catches the eye, so advertisers like it. In the Big Competition for Attention, video stuff does well. 

I like doing Facebook Live stuff, because it's fun and I feel genuine just talking about random stuff. Gifs can be amusing and I use them sometimes, but not for marketing. Book trailers... I know Veronica Scott loves them and she'll almost certainly talk about why. I don't care for them myself. I've never bought a book from a book trailer. They can be fun treats for fans, but otherwise ... meh.

But, you know, I don't much care for video anything. I get annoyed every time I click on a news article link and it turns out to be a video I have to watch instead of something I can read.

I dunno - as readers, are there animated ads you like? 

Could be I'm just old and cranky. ;-)

The Ego and Other Tales

When I saw our topic for this week - how to keep the ego in check - the first thing that came to my mind was the Id Monster from "Forbidden Planet." Now the Id works with the Ego and the Superego according to Freud. Close enough for me!

When you first suspect your ego might be getting a bit oversize...

When you know you're in Condition Red...

Examine the situation...is it you? Was it the Krell?

Friends and colleagues will help you keep it real....

A Happy Ever After ending will ensue....

And the Universe will be in good balance again.

(See also the previous posts this week wherein my fellow SFF7 members offered good advice as always!)

Ego Calling, Line Two

Once upon a time, a book sold. It was the author's first. The reviews were good, but then, the book was declared a finalist in two categories in a nationally recognized contest. That's when things got weird.

The author's agent started saying things like, "You're brilliant."
Readers and other writers started treating the writer as if she were suddenly an expert in the art of peering into the future of publishing. There were interviews and generally just attention that this writer simply wasn't accustomed to. Then the editor echoed the agent's words. "You're brilliant."

Terror sent the author racing to the hotel room and the phone for a call to Mom - to someone who could speak sense and point out that the writer hadn't changed. She was still herself. The flattering attention, while startling, was part and parcel of the profession. So it was up to the author to find her ground before her ego started feeding off of the attention like some kind of emotional vampire. The author need not have worried. The attention didn't last. It couldn't.

But the author did come up with some resolutions to keep the ego on an ultra short leash, should it ever again be needed:

1. Clean the cat boxes. Nothing keeps you from imagining you're hot shit than scooping some other critter's poop. If there are no pets, do the dishes. Scrub your toilet. Anything less than glamourous that reminds you that you aren't exempt from being human.
2. Ground. You keep your feet on the ground by returning to the places where you're rooted - the places where you are most purely you. For some that's within the family. For others, it's a retreat in the woods/desert/mountains/by the sea. It can also be that group of friends who laugh and gently puncture you when ego starts inflating.
3. Ask the agents/editors/whoever to rephrase the praise. No saying 'you're brilliant.' Want to say 'brilliant?' Fine. Say the writing is brilliant. It's a fine line, but it's praise for the work, not for the person.
4. Work. Keep your eyes on the next story. And the next. And instruct the crit group(s) or beta readers to slap the crap out of you should you imagine you're too important to be edited.
5. Be of service. This is especially useful at conferences when the spotlight might feel a little unrelenting. Go cart boxes for other authors. Volunteer to help set up a room or clean up a room. Stuff reader bags. Whatever the conference needs done. It helps to be reminded that this is for the readers. Not for the author.

Not that you can't have some fun. Drinks in the bar are absolutely within reason. Just make sure that if other people are buying you drinks that you buy for someone else. Spread the good will.

Ego Check

The topic this week from the SFF Seven is "How do you keep your ego in check?"

And I'm just thinking-- pretty much by being a midlist fantasy writer.  Frankly, I can't imagine anyone getting too big of a head doing this work.  

More to the point, you have to get in the absolute top levels of this industry to even be in danger of getting a big head.  Unless you were already the type of person for whom any level of success would inflate your ego.  To an extent, that's some Dunning-Kruger territory.  

Look, I don't want to give the sense that I'm not thrilled, absolutely thrilled that this is my life, and that I'm incredibly fortunate that my hard work has paid off as well as it has, that I get to tell the story of Maradaine and all the champions within that magical city.  That I get to keep telling it.  It's amazing.

But aside from a few brief moments, rarely does anything in this business actually charge your ego up.  It's far more of a Keep Your Chin Up So They Don't Grind You Down sort of industry.

I still love it, though.  I love the work.  Time to get back to it.   

How Do I Keep Humble?

Wrapped in foil, not clingwrap. It's all about reheating.  Wut? I'm talking about...

Pie. 

Literal  Pie.

Humble Pie, ladies and gents, can be a wonderful thing. Yes, it's essentially leftovers wrapped in dough. The term is derived from the French word for scraps, "nomble," which suffered Misheard Lyrics Syndrome and became " 'omble," which got prettied up to be "humble." Hard "h."

Traditionally, Humble Pie is a savory, meaty pie. Give the beef, lamb, or duck versions a try. They can be really good depending on who's in the kitchen and what veggies and fruit are thrown into the mix. Word to the wise, don't ask what cuts of meat are in the pie. It's usually made from the viscera. I know, anything involving the word "viscera" brings to mind that scene from Braveheart. ~crosses legs~  Focus on the awesome aroma of the pie.

My favorite is the Humble Fruit Pie. I'll bust out a flaky crust (store-bought, 'cause I'm lazy) and fill that sucker with fruit that might be a bit damaged, bruised, mutated, or nearing its end-date (food that embodies your emo is awesome, right?) Emo fruit is often available at a discount at your local farmer's market if you ask the vendor if he has baking fruit. They don't tend to put the less-than-pretties on display, but they do tend to bring 'em. A sale is a sale. What's the difference between Humble Fruit Pie and Regular Fruit Pie? No idea. Possibly the tears you shed while exulting in its glory?

Want to try your hand at Humble Pie?  Here's King Arthur's Flour recipe: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/humble-pie-recipe, see if your pie comes out as pretty as their picture.

The Ego That Walked Like A Man

Naturally, Jeffe is right.

Listen, everyone has an ego. I'll even go so far as to say it's a necessity in the writing business. To paraphrase Harlan Ellison ( I think it was in the foreword to his DANGEROUS VISIONS anthology, volume one) Every writer has to have an ego. First to presume that anyone would want to read what the writer has written and then to presume that anyone would want to pay for the privilege. Again, paraphrasing, but you know what? He's right. That's a damned big leap.

Still, we all have that dream, don't we?

A little ego is a good thing. Like a little anger. In the right doses both can motivate a person to do better. Get angry enough at whatever ever you decide is annoying you and it can be a driving force, You remember to get up and dust yourself off on those days that just plain suck the will to live away. Of course you're going to keep trying, if only to prove to the naysayers that you can get it done. That is anger focused into motivation.

Ego tells you you're getting it right, especially on those days when you feel in your soul that you are getting it wrong. Fake it until you make it. Ego can be a balm to soothe a crushed self confidence. But just as easily it can become bloated and tell you that you are something special. Never listen to that voice. Instead listen to the voice that reminds you to take out the trash, that reminds you that you are so damned lucky that anyone every believed in you or that anyone, ever has taken the time to by and read your books.

Ultimately, that's the voice that matters. You wrote a story? Awesome! People like it? Amazing! You got published and paid? How very, very lucky you are. Is talent a part of it? of course. Are drive and determination significant? Hell yes, and you better believe it.

Practice, hard work, honing your skills constantly and remembering that this is the life you chose. Those are all part of it. Celebrate your victories, but don't let them fill you with the belief that you and you alone are responsible for all that has happened in a positive light, not when it comers to your career.

I can tell you, and with a certain amount of truth in the statement, that I have busted my butt to get where I am. I can also tell you with that same element of truth that some people have had a harder time and others have had an easier time getting to the same point. None of that makes a lick of difference at the end of the day. I write damned near every day. I've done it for a quarter of a century and sooner or later determination and the law of averages says I'll sell something to someone. Trial and error and a lot of patience have led to a modicum of wisdom. I have no doubt that luck has played a part as well.

Lucky. Damned lucky. Somewhere along the way a few editors looked at my stuff and saw potential enough to take a chance.  Somewhere along the way a few readers decided I didn't suck and they bought more than one story.  Some of them even buy most if not all of my stuff. I can never thank them enough. I am grateful.

My ego? I keep it locked away for the bad days when I look at he screen and the words refuse to show themselves because I've let self doubt get out of its cage again.

When self doubt is once again penned, I lock ego away, too. getting cocky means thinking my work is perfect, and that an editor's possible wisdom is a waste. I'd rather listen to the advice and consider it carefully than brush it away. I'd rathe, at the end of the day, remember how lucky I am than think for even a moment that I am deserving of every bit of praise.

Ego is a tool to use, not a crown to wear.

James A. Moore

Look at this one and look at the names attached, I am LUCKY. I am BLESSED. I have NO IDEA how I managed to get my name in this particular hat.