In a recent Bottom Line newsletter from Jane Friedman, she shared a discussion she had with Cindy Gunderson, a audiobook narrator and author of over 40 books. The topic of the piece was on direct sales, but one of the standout bits of information was that Cindy has 15 TikTok accounts. 15!
Some of her TikTok accounts are under pen names, while others are focused on content types (e.g. Christmas Romance). Jane reports, “She uses TikTok to build community and sales funnels for her books on Shopify and KU.” Cindy also uploads full audiobooks on YouTube.
Jane also writes:
“Gunderson also told me that any author not using video today is getting left behind, and I wish she were wrong, but it’s increasingly difficult to find a successful indie novelist these days—someone who started out in the last five years—who is not making use of TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube.”
All this to say, video is now a crucial element in marketing yourself and your books, especially as a romance author. Video marketing gives authors a chance to make connections faster and more personally than text or images alone. A well-crafted video can showcase your voice, personality, and passion for storytelling in just a few seconds.
The challenge of course is it takes time to plan and film video. And if you’re camera-shy, you have to find alternative ways to use video.
Below are several practical ways romance authors can use video to grow their visibility, deepen reader relationships, and sell more books.
Low-Effort Video Ideas (Perfect for Camera-Shy Authors)
If being on camera makes you nervous, start small. You can create powerful videos without showing your face.
- Book aesthetic videos: Combine images, text, and music to evoke the tone or emotion of your story. Think of it as a mood board in motion.
- Quote reels: Pull romantic, funny, or spicy quotes from your books and pair them with background music or stock visuals.
- Behind-the-scenes slideshows: Readers love to see your writing setup, coffee mugs, notebooks, and daily routine.
- Countdowns or reveals: Announce upcoming releases, cover reveals, or preorder dates using simple text animations.
- Narration only: Record your voice reading a teaser or short excerpt while showing images or clips related to your story.
Here is a quote video I did from a scene in Drawn to Her.
Mid-Level Video Ideas (Build Author-Reader Connection)
Once you’re more comfortable, it’s time to show up in your videos. Romance readers are drawn to authors who feel genuine and relatable.
- Reader Q&A: Answer questions about your books, your writing process, or your characters.
- Mini-vlogs: Film snippets of your writing life—morning coffee, writing sprints, book signings, or brainstorming sessions.
- Storytime videos: Share funny, emotional, or inspiring moments from your writing journey.
- Reaction videos: React to reader comments, reviews, or fan theories about your books.
- Character introductions: Talk about your main characters as if you’re introducing them to potential matches, describing their quirks, fears, and romantic hopes.
Here’s a video I did when I was first told to get on TikTok that illustrates my ineptitude of TikTok.
Note that some of these can be done without your face and just using your voice. For example, I’ve done factoid videos about some of my books, using slides and my voice.
High-Engagement Video Ideas (Grow Your Readership and Sales)
When you’re ready to take video marketing further, focus on high-impact content that attracts new readers and drives sales.
- Book trailers: Short cinematic teasers that capture your story’s mood, conflict, and tone. You can make them affordably using stock video and royalty-free music.
- Trend participation: Use trending sounds or video formats on TikTok or Instagram and adapt them to fit your romance tropes.
- Behind-the-scenes at events: Record highlights from signings, author panels, or release-day celebrations.
- Collaborations: Team up with other authors for interviews, anthology announcements, or themed challenges.
- Serialized storytelling: Create a short video series that reveals one line or moment from your book at a time, building anticipation.
Here’s the video I made for Moonlight and Margaritas highlighting each story in the book.
These videos not only entertain but also encourage viewers to explore your backlist or preorder your next release.
Using Video for Email and Website Marketing
Video doesn’t have to be limited to social media. Adding video to your newsletter or website can improve engagement and help new readers connect faster.
- Include video teasers in your email newsletter to boost click-through rates.
- Add a short welcome video on your website introducing yourself and your books.
- Embed trailers or aesthetic videos on your book pages to give readers a cinematic feel for each story. I have a video that uses a few lines from the book Deadly Valentine on my email signup page.
Even short videos make your content feel more personal and can keep visitors on your site longer.
Tech and Tools Made Easy
You don’t need professional equipment to make quality videos. Most modern smartphones have excellent cameras, and free or low-cost apps make editing simple. You can get video content creator kits that work with your phone. These kits include wireless mics, lights, tracking tripods and more.
The biggest challenge in creating video is the time it takes to create them. The good news is that there are many tools that can make creating and editing faster and easier.
I’ve recently been using FlexClip, which offers text-to-video creation from scripts, blog posts, and even your book’s sales page, as well as tons of templates, video editing, audio editing, captioning, translation, voiceover, text to audio, and more.
Here is a quick video I made from Drawn to Her’s Amazon page. FlexClip created the opening and ending book cover sections, and the text captions, which could be AI voiced, but I chose not to do that. I added the video of rural south and the couple from FlexClip library of videos, and changed the music using music from its music library. It took me less than 10 minutes.
Here’s another I made from a blog post I did on my author website on second chance romance. I used stock video and music from within the FlexClip library.
A book-oriented video creation option is AuthorScale, which will take your entire book, assess for pivotal scenes, and create videos for TikTok, although you can use elsewhere, such as for Reels or Shorts. AuthorScale generates the text, which you can edit, and then you can either add images from their stock library or have AI-generated images. Here’s the video created for It’s About Damn Time the reader magnet for Tenter & Tempting Tales.
Where to Share Your Videos
Each platform has strengths, so choose one or two where your audience is most active.
- TikTok and Instagram Reels are great for discoverability and trends especially for romance authors.
- YouTube Shorts provide lasting visibility for evergreen content.
- Facebook is ideal for reader group engagement and event promotion.
- Pinterest Idea Pins can drive traffic to your website or BookFunnel links.
A manageable schedule might include one 15- to 30-second video each week. Consistency matters more than frequency, although if you can post more frequently, you’ll have faster results.
Start Small, Stay Consistent
Video marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Pick one simple idea, such as a book aesthetic reel or Q&A, and try it this week. Readers aren’t looking for perfection. In fact, they prefer authenticity over highly stylized videos.
If you want, share your video in the Write with Harte Facebook group for feedback or encouragement.
Video Ideas by Goal
| Goal | Example Video | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Build awareness | Tropes or aesthetic video | TikTok |
| Nurture fans | Author Q&A | |
| Drive sales | Book trailer | YouTube Shorts |
| Build community | Collab or duet | Reels or TikTok |
| Boost conversions | Welcome video on website | Website |
Video marketing is one of the most effective ways for romance authors to grow an audience and build reader connection that drives sales. The key is to start small and experiment to determine what brings you the best results.
If you need more information and tips about video, especially TikTok, I found Kate Hall’s TikTok for Authors helpful. Note, I don’t always follow through by creating video, but her tutorials and tips are good.
Do you have a video marketing tips? Let us know in the comments below.
