A book trailer reaches the widest audience when you distribute it across multiple platforms rather than posting it in one place and hoping for the best. The highest-value placements for self-published authors are Amazon Author Central, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Goodreads, Pinterest, your author website, and your email newsletter; each platform serves a different purpose in the discovery funnel, and most accept native video uploads directly.
- Why YouTube Should Be Your Trailer’s Home Base
- How Do You Add a Book Trailer to Amazon and Goodreads?
- Where Do Book Trailers Perform Best on Social Media?
- Can Pinterest Drive Long-Term Traffic From a Book Trailer?
- How to Use Your Author Website and Email Newsletter
- What Format Does Each Platform Require?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why YouTube Should Be Your Trailer’s Home Base
YouTube is the natural starting point because it functions as both a hosting platform and a search engine. Uploading your trailer to YouTube gives you a shareable URL that works on virtually every other platform, from Goodreads to email newsletters to Facebook posts.
YouTube supports landscape video (16:9 aspect ratio) at up to 4K resolution, and there is no maximum video length for verified accounts. For book trailers specifically, keeping the runtime between 30 and 60 seconds tends to hold viewer attention without overstaying the welcome. If you have already produced your trailer in the correct resolution and export settings, YouTube will accept the file without re-encoding issues.
The first five seconds matter most. YouTube’s own analytics show that viewers decide whether to keep watching almost immediately, so open with your strongest visual or emotional hook rather than a title card or logo.
How Do You Add a Book Trailer to Amazon and Goodreads?
Amazon Author Central and Goodreads both allow you to upload video directly to your author profile, and both platforms place trailers where readers are already making purchase decisions.
On Amazon Author Central, you can upload up to eight videos to your author page. Accepted formats include MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, MOV, and MPG. Files must be under 500 MB and shorter than 10 minutes, with a minimum resolution of 1280×720 (720p); Amazon recommends 1080p. Processing can take up to 24 hours, and Amazon will email you when the video is ready. Note that you cannot embed a YouTube link directly; you must upload the original video file through your Author Central account.
Goodreads takes a different approach. To add a trailer to your Goodreads author profile, you provide a YouTube URL rather than uploading a file. The video appears in the sidebar of your author page and also on the individual book page. When uploading, you can categorize the video as a trailer, interview, reading, speech, or other, and select which of your books it relates to.
Because readers on both platforms are actively browsing books, these placements reach people who are already in a buying mindset; that context is difficult to replicate on general social media.
Where Do Book Trailers Perform Best on Social Media?
TikTok and Instagram Reels are currently the highest-reach social platforms for short-form book video. BookTok in particular has become one of the most active organic discovery channels for books, and a well-made trailer fits naturally into the content people are already scrolling.
Both platforms favour vertical video (9:16 aspect ratio, 1080×1920 pixels) in MP4 or MOV format. The ideal length is 15 to 30 seconds; TikTok’s own guidance suggests 21 to 34 seconds as the range that produces the best completion rates. If your trailer was originally produced in landscape format, you will need a vertical re-edit; most book trailer specs now include both landscape and vertical deliverables for exactly this reason.
Facebook supports native video uploads on your author page, your personal profile, and within relevant Facebook Groups. Unlike TikTok and Instagram, Facebook performs well with both landscape and vertical formats. The platform’s algorithm tends to favour native uploads over YouTube links, so uploading the video file directly rather than sharing a link will typically produce better reach.
Can Pinterest Drive Long-Term Traffic From a Book Trailer?
Pinterest operates as a visual search engine rather than a social feed, which gives it a unique advantage: pins can continue driving traffic for three to six months or longer, while posts on Instagram or TikTok typically peak within 48 hours.
Video pins on Pinterest use a 2:3 aspect ratio (1000×1500 pixels) and autoplay silently in the feed. However, Pinterest’s strongest book marketing results often come from static image pins with keyword-rich descriptions rather than video pins. A practical approach is to create a visually striking pin image using a frame from your trailer, overlay the book title, and write a description packed with the search terms your target readers would use. Link the pin directly to a landing page or your book’s retailer page.
For authors who do upload video pins, keeping them under 15 seconds and designing them to be understandable without audio is essential; most Pinterest browsing happens with sound off.
How to Use Your Author Website and Email Newsletter
Your author website is the one platform you fully control, and embedding your trailer on the homepage or a dedicated book page ensures every visitor sees it. The simplest approach is to embed the YouTube player using an iframe; this avoids hosting large video files on your own server and gives you YouTube’s adaptive streaming for different connection speeds.
Email newsletters are one of the most underused placements for book trailers. Most email clients do not support inline video playback, but you can include a thumbnail image from your trailer with a play button overlay, linked to the YouTube or landing page URL. This “click to watch” approach consistently generates high click-through rates because subscribers already have a relationship with you and are predisposed to engage.
If you have built a reader magnet funnel, placing the trailer on the same landing page as your sign-up form serves double duty: visitors who are not ready to buy may still subscribe, and the trailer reinforces the value of the book they will eventually receive.
What Format Does Each Platform Require?
One of the practical challenges of distributing a book trailer widely is that different platforms have different format requirements. Producing two versions of your trailer (one landscape, one vertical) covers nearly every placement.
Amazon Author Central requires an MP4 or MOV file at a minimum of 720p, under 500 MB and under 10 minutes. YouTube accepts virtually any format but performs best at 1080p in 16:9. TikTok and Instagram Reels both require 1080×1920 vertical video in MP4 or MOV. Goodreads does not host video files directly; it embeds via YouTube URL. Pinterest video pins should be 1000×1500 at 2:3 ratio. Facebook accepts both landscape and vertical native uploads in MP4.
If you are working with a trailer producer, ask for deliverables in both 16:9 landscape and 9:16 vertical from the start. Re-cropping a landscape trailer into vertical format after the fact often cuts off important visual information. Understanding the different types of book trailers can also help you plan which formats will work best for your content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to upload my book trailer separately to each platform?
Yes. Each platform requires either a direct file upload or a URL submission. Amazon Author Central and Facebook require you to upload the actual video file. Goodreads accepts a YouTube URL. TikTok and Instagram require native uploads through their apps. There is no single upload that distributes everywhere automatically.
Can I use the same trailer file for TikTok and Amazon?
Not without reformatting. Amazon uses landscape video (16:9) while TikTok uses vertical (9:16). You will need two versions of your trailer. Ask your producer for both formats, or use a video editor to re-crop the footage.
How long does it take for a trailer to appear on Amazon after uploading?
Amazon states that video processing can take up to 24 hours. You will receive an email notification when the video has been processed and is ready for review on your author page.
Does Goodreads support direct video uploads?
No. Goodreads requires a YouTube URL to display video on your author profile. Upload your trailer to YouTube first, then add the YouTube link through the videos section of your Goodreads author dashboard.
Which platform gives a book trailer the longest shelf life?
Pinterest and YouTube both offer long-term discoverability. Pinterest pins can surface in search results for three to six months or longer. YouTube videos are indexed by Google and can appear in search results indefinitely. By contrast, posts on TikTok and Instagram typically peak within one to two days.
