Most trailer problems are not about the footage. They are small misses: a hook that arrives late, text too small for a phone, no clear next step. This list covers them in the order a viewer meets them.
The first three seconds
A viewer decides almost at once whether to keep watching. Check the opening before anything else.
- The first shot shows the world or the situation, not a logo.
- The hook is clear without reading the book.
- Nothing in the opening needs sound to make sense.
The middle
The middle builds the question. It should add stakes, not plot.
- Each shot adds something new.
- No more than one character name to remember.
- The ending and the twist are not shown.
- The pace has at least one held beat.
Sound and text
Many people watch without sound, and phones are small.
- On-screen lines are large enough to read on a phone.
- Text stays away from the edges where platforms cover it.
- Captions match the speech and the beat.
The ending
The last seconds decide what the viewer does next.
- The title and the author name are on screen long enough to read.
- There is one action: a link to buy, to read an extract or to sign up.
- The cover is shown clearly.
Formats and delivery
One trailer rarely fits every place it will be shown.
- A full version for your site and book page.
- A vertical version for Reels, TikTok and Shorts.
- A square or portrait cut if you will run ads.
- Each file plays at the right size on the platform you chose.
Common misses
Do
- Watch it on a phone, not only on a monitor.
- Ask someone who has not read the book what it is about.
- Keep one version for each place you will post.
Avoid
- Telling the story in order.
- Repeating the title three times.
- Posting the same horizontal file everywhere.