Most book marketing
today is done by authors, not by publishers. Releasing a new book this month? So are 62,000 other authors. Statistics say an average of 750k new books come out in the U.S. every year.
Algorithms favor short form, interesting content with a distinct voice. Your book oozes with this! Together, let's find 30 -60 seconds of your manuscript that will make a great visual scene. You've already written the book, so your part is done.
AMPLIFY YOUR STORY
ORDINARY MAGIC
By Gregory Walton - Penguin Random House
Do we have more power to improve our lives than we realize? What is spiraling up and down? Find out all about it in the book.
AMPLIFY YOUR STORY
DEFY
By Dr. Sunita Sah - Penguin Random House
Sometimes, a little defiance is exactly what's needed to make a difference. Staying silent can feel like the safest choice, but what do we lose by always being 'good'? Not speaking up when we see something wrong can have deeper consequences than we realize.
It was a pure pleasure to work with Sunita on this Glimpse of her book that's coming out this month.
A well rounded marketing strategy must include video. Digital video consumption is exceeding traditional TV viewing.
THE 5 TYPES OF WEALTH
By Sahil Bloom - Penguin Random House
In late 2022, Sahil asked this question to a dozen 80 and 90-year-olds. The responses changed his life (and may change yours).
This visualization shares a small snippet of what he heard. It is the wisdom we all need to hear.
Reach new audiences.
BEAST OF THE NORTH WOODS
By Annelise Ryan - Penguin Random House
When a local fisherman is mauled to death, it seems like the only possible cause is a mythical creature in the latest puzzling entry in this USA Today bestselling series.
This Glimpse initially had a narrator but it turned out to be much more intriguing with just the right suspenseful score. Jan 28, 2025 release.
A Glimpse video gives people a taste of your book and leaves them wanting to know more.
THE LADY
IN GLASS
By Anne Bishop - Releases Feb 11, 2025 - PRH
A magical collection of stories new and old spanning across all of Anne Bishop’s most beloved fantasy worlds.
Here, together for the first time, the shorter works of New York Times bestselling fantasy author Anne Bishop are included in one dazzling volume.
Authors spend years writing a book. Years trying to get published. You deserve some unique marketing.
MICHAEL
GRAZIANO
Michael is a professor of neuroscience at Princeton University and I worked with him for 2 weeks to boil down his theory of consciousness into a slim 4 minute Glimpse video. It's still in production but I wanted to stop and show what a rough build looks like and how the process is done. Final coming soon!
Publisher - Oxford University Press
Promoting a book with a narrative video will stop scrollers in their tracks.
SUPER FLY
By Jonathan Balcombe - Penguin Books
I also got to know Jonathan very well last year while working on one of his new books. But in Super Fly, he reintroduces us to familiar foes like the fruit fly and mosquito, and gives us the chance to meet their lesser-known cousins like the Petroleum Fly (the only animal in the world that breeds in crude oil).
Only 2% of the average publisher's revenue goes toward marketing their books.
MAXINE GETS A JOB
Maxine Gets a Job - Illustrated by Susan Batori, written by Alexandra Garyn and Bryan Reisberg. Pub: PRH 5/7/24 This was another reel-building video I did for the Adjacent Greats series. The LinkedIn post netted over 1k likes and 50k views. Hand drawn, frame by frame animation.
Publisher - Penguin
Give people a piece of your book through creative marketing.
OF MICE AND MEN
By John Steinbeck - Penguin Classics
Cover design by The Heads of State. AD Paul Buckley. Motion by me for the first in my Adjacent Greats series. Hand drawn, frame by frame animation.
Publishers look for early indicators (social proof) to decide where marketing dollars get allocated.
HAPPY AF
By Beth Romero - She Writes Press
As a portfolio piece for Adjacent Greats, this Glimpse animation is 24fps, hand drawn. The book (originally published 11/14/23) is pure joy. It's a comprehensive roadmap for happiness, drawing heavily from neuroscience, positive psychology, and behavioral science.
BookTok = traffic!
LUIGI THE SPIDER WHO WANTED TO BE A KITTEN
By Michelle Knudsen - Candlewick
Illustrator Kevin Hawkes. Book design Ann Stott.
My last animation in the Adjacent Greats series. Published 3/5/2024.
Give potential readers a piece of your book through creative marketing.
SEQUOIA
Brand I.D. of Sequoia Children's Publishing (self promotional piece for Glimpse) This animation is also 24fps, hand drawn in ToonBoom, painted in Photoshop, and edited in Final Cut Pro.
You set the price (limited time offer)
HOW IT WORKS
1- Pick a scene.
Most of the time, lifting a passage straight from your book works great. But if you have other ideas for the video we'll chat about it on a call.
2- Rough Sketches.
I'll sketch out all the images and build a quick look of the video to get an idea of how it's shaping up. This step is a good time to give notes and add any ideas you may have.
3- Final Video.
We'll both look at the final version, and have another opportunity to add any bells & whistles. In other words I'll make sure you love it and it reflects the spirit of your writing.
4- Share to the world.
Besides the obvious platforms, I'll suggest a few off-the-beaten-path communities to maximize the reach.
5- Price.
And now what you've been waiting for! How much Tom? Well, you're in for a treat. Since this is a brand new offering of mine, I want to let the market decide the value of these videos. So, once the video is done you simply pay what you think it's worth. Sound fair enough? I'm sure this offer/structure won't last long so climb aboard and let's make something great!
SUBSTACK
PROCESS
I write about handmade book marketing over on Substack here. There’s case studies, brainstorms, book business insights and more.
