And I do mean BUSINESS, in the truest sense of that word. To be a successful writer, it isn’t enough just to write a book. One needs to be a a businessman. Among other things, that means writing scripts for book trailers.

I didn't know book trailers existed until last year, when I was redoing my website and my new web designer suggested that readers needed a preview of my book that had visuals and was narrated by me. So I made a multimedia trailer for Family Tree (view here), and I just did it again for my new book, The Secret Between Us (view here). My web guru, Steve Bennett, and his team handle the visuals, but the audio script is the first step in the process, and guess who writes that? Yours truly.

It’s been a learning experience. When I did the script for the Family Tree trailer, I wrote a description of the book and whittled it down to the allotted minute-and-a-half. Steve helped me edit it, then he took it and added visuals. And we did have a challenge at times. I mean, my books are about concepts and emotions. But how do you find a visual for trust? Or doubt? Or prejudice? Or fear?

I approached it differently the second time around. This time, I thought about visuals first. The Secret Between Us opens with an automobile accident (click here to read Chapter 1), so rather than launching the multimedia trailer with emotional issues, I went with the accident. Let me tell you, it’s much easier finding visuals for rain, windshield wipers, squealing brakes, ambulances, and police cars, than it is for a backfiring lie!

Live and learn.