.png "Logo-500x500-px---Custom-dimensions---Custom-dimensions-6-.png")
How to Make a Viral Book Trailer (Even If You Hate Being on Camera)
Author: By Michael Evans 27/8/2025
Let’s be real for a second.
The number one way new readers will discover your books in 2025?
It’s not bookstores. Not Amazon SEO. Not paid ads.
It’s video.
I don’t say that as a gimmick. I say it because readers spend more time watching videos than doing almost anything else, and short-form video is the default communication mode of the internet.
Scroll through TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube and you’ll find your next favorite book. Or music. Or maybe even a podcast about three friends sitting in a garage eating pickles. But that’s beside the point.
The point is: readers are no longer just reading.
They’re watching.
And if your stories aren’t showing up in their feeds, someone else’s will.
What a Book Trailer Actually Is
Forget the old-school idea of a cinematic 3-minute trailer that costs $2,000 and plays once on YouTube before disappearing into the void.
That’s not what we’re talking about here.
A book trailer in 2025 is a short, addictive video that hooks your ideal reader and gets them curious enough to click. It’s a scroll-stopping, story-teasing, vibe-packed video that gives someone a taste of your world.
And now, thanks to AI, you can make one in under an hour, without ever stepping in front of a camera.
I know this because I’ve lived both sides of this.
I published 12 books in high school, got burned out on ads, launched a vlog in college and built a YouTube channel to 9,000 subs, risked my life for clickbait (don’t recommend), and eventually ended up working on the strategy team at MrBeast. Today I run Creatorwood, a platform that turns your book into a movie or show using AI. But this isn’t about me.
This is about your readers.
And how to reach them through video without a Hollywood budget.
The 3-Step Playbook to Making Viral Book Trailers
You don’t need to know how to film. You don’t need to know how to edit. You don’t even need to understand AI.
But you do need a strategy.
Here’s the three-part framework I teach inside the Make Viral Book Trailers course:
1. Ideation: Build a Content Matrix
Before you open an AI tool, you need to know what kind of video will actually work.
That starts with your Content Matrix a cheat code that combines:
Book Angles (what’s emotionally gripping, visual, or uniquely “you” about your story)
Hook Formats (what’s already going viral in your genre)
From there, you mix and match to create a viral idea that’s rooted in your book’s DNA and proven social behavior.
No guessing. Just remixing, testing, and tapping into what already works.
2. Scripting: Use AI to Write Your Trailer
Once you’ve got your idea, it’s time to turn it into a script.
That means breaking your 30–60 second trailer into 3–5 short shots. Each one includes:
What happens on screen (visuals)
Any text on screen
Background music or sound effects
Optional dialogue
Inside the Make Viral Book Trailers course (just $49), I give you the exact script template I use (and 50+ proven hook ideas you can swipe).
3. Production: AI Makes It Real
Now comes the fun part.
You can use tools like:
Creatorwood (our all-in-one platform that handles scripting, shot generation, and editing)
Kling or Veo (for cinematic, high-quality AI video)
CapCut or Descript (for editing, text overlays, and post-production)
You upload your prompts, let the AI render your scenes, and then stitch everything together in the editor.
If you’re using Creatorwood, it’s literally plug-and-play; we handle ingesting your book, generating the scenes and every shot into a cohesive storyboard, and even routing your shots to the best models based on budget and quality.
Then you publish. Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts. Maybe even a paid ad on Amazon or Meta if the trailer crushes.
Want to Try This?
If you want to go step-by-step with templates, tools, and swipe files, the Make Viral Book Trailers course is under $50 and takes less than an hour to complete. You’ll walk away with:
A working Content Matrix for your book
Trailer scripts (made with AI)
A finished video trailer you can post TODAY
Check it out here.
Or if you’re ready to go beyond trailers and turn your book into a full-on movie or show, you can learn more about Creatorwood and our AI-powered movie machine right here.
Your story deserves to be seen.
Let’s make that happen… one scroll-stopping trailer at a time.
Michael
Are You Looking for Professionals to Join Your Book Launch Team?
Our Book Launch Service is your personal mission control — guiding you through a four-week, hands-on journey designed to skyrocket your book to the top of its category. With expert coaching, tailored marketing strategies, and done-for-you services like Amazon ads, influencer outreach, and newsletter promotions, we do the heavy lifting while training you in essential promotional skills. You’ll walk away with results and repeatable knowledge for future launches. This isn’t just a service — it’s a partnership in your publishing success.
Nicky Blewitt
Author and Book Marketer
Do you need to find the right professionals for your book launch team?
The Book Marketer has a unique Book Launch Service where we join your team, help plan your book marketing strategy and take care of all the tricky parts of the process. We teach you every step of the way so you can repeat the process on your own for your next book. Find out more here.
Nicky Blewitt
Author and Book Marketer
TL;DR
Readers discover books through video now, not bookstores or ads. With AI, authors can create short, viral book trailers in under an hour—no filming skills required—using a simple 3-step framework: ideation, scripting, and production.
AI Summary:
In 2025, video has become the #1 way readers discover books, surpassing bookstores, Amazon SEO, and ads. Modern book trailers aren’t expensive, cinematic promos—they’re short, viral-ready videos designed to grab attention on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Thanks to AI tools, authors can now create professional trailers in under an hour without cameras, editing skills, or big budgets.
Michael Evans (author, YouTuber, and former MrBeast strategist) shares a 3-step playbook:
Ideation (Content Matrix): Match your book’s unique angles with viral hook formats.
Scripting: Break your trailer into 3–5 quick, engaging shots using AI-assisted templates.
Production: Use AI platforms like Creatorwood, Kling, or Veo to render scenes, then edit with tools like CapCut or Descript.
The result: scroll-stopping trailers that boost visibility, drive curiosity, and help authors grow their readership.
The Book Marketer helps authors launch and market their books with tailored services including influencer outreach, book promotion campaigns, and marketing strategy. We connect authors with targeted audiences through expert research, curated influencer lists, and hands-on campaign management—maximising visibility, building credibility, and driving book sales across major online platforms.
Join Our Newsletter And
Get Our Free
Book Marketing Resources!
.jpg "Logo-500x500-px-8-.jpg")