A practical guide to getting started with video — even if the idea of being on camera makes you want to hide behind your book cover
Video is no longer optional for authors who want to stand out on LinkedIn. Whether you've been putting it off for months, or years, the good news is that getting started is easier than you think, and the payoff is worth it.
This guide covers why video matters for authors, the types of videos worth creating, the format and length that actually perform, and where to post so your videos keep working for you long after you hit publish. Whether you're completely comfortable on camera or dread the idea, there's a path in here for you.
Why Video Belongs in Your LinkedIn Strategy
The numbers make a compelling case on their own. LinkedIn is now used by 70% of marketers for video, trailing only YouTube. LinkedIn itself has been leaning hard into the format, which makes it one of the more effective places an author can show up on camera.
But the real reason to use video isn't the algorithm. Video builds the know, like, and trust factor faster than any other content format. When readers see you on video, they get to know you. They get to like you. And over time, they come to trust you. That trust turns into sales, because by the time someone finally picks up your book, they already feel like they know you.
The Types of Videos Worth Creating
Book-focused videos are the natural starting point: reading a passage, sharing why you wrote the book, or filming an unboxing when your copies arrive. Unboxing videos consistently perform well because they feel real and unscripted. If you have a pet, let them steal the scene, animals are engagement gold.
Testimonial and review videos let someone else do the talking for you. If a reader posts a video review of your book, repost it on your own profile. Written reviews can also be turned into a video montage set to photos and music.
Behind-the-scenes footage of writing, editing, or recording your audiobook works well too. People like seeing how the process actually comes together.
Guest appearances on podcasts or live shows count as video content as well, and they double as proof to future hosts that you're a comfortable, engaging guest.
And if you want to have some fun with it, take a page from author Janine Coombes, who filmed a mock Zoom call for her book launch and worked her new book into the shot again and again, holding it, fanning herself with it, leaning on a stack of copies. It was playful, entirely on-brand, and it didn't look anything like traditional marketing. That's the real lesson here: the best book videos don't look like marketing.
Getting the Format Right
Vertical video is the clear winner across platforms right now, LinkedIn included. Shorter is almost always better, aim for 90 seconds or less, and stick to one idea per video. If you have seven tips to share, make seven short videos instead of one long one. You can film all seven in a single sitting and space them out over time.
Don't stop at the talking head. Add captions (always), use on-screen text to call out your key points, and consider simple B-roll to keep things visually interesting.
No Camera? No Problem
If being on camera is a hard no, you still have options. AI-generated video tools can build fun, branded videos from a text prompt with no camera required (LinkedIn is fine with this as long as it's labeled appropriately). B-roll, everyday footage of your desk, your commute, your dog, can sit under a voiceover instead of your face. And tools like Opus Clip use AI to chop long-form video into short clips, complete with a virality score to flag your most engaging moments, which takes a lot of the manual editing pain out of repurposing.
One more thing worth remembering: your first video will be your worst video, and that's completely fine. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
Where to Post Beyond Your Feed
Your feed is the obvious place to post, but it's not the only one. Your featured section is prime real estate for a “why I wrote this book” video or a media appearance, often the first thing a potential reader or podcast host will see on your profile. Your experience section can carry video too; give your author role its own entry instead of letting it get buried under your day job. Your newsletter is a great home for landscape video, since it breaks up text and keeps readers engaged. And a short, personal video sent as a direct message, asking someone if they'd like an advance copy of your book, feels a lot warmer than a mass message ever could.
Small Upgrades That Make Videos Pop
A strong thumbnail (three words or less, your face, a bold visual) does more work than most people expect. Captions are non-negotiable, since a lot of viewers watch without sound. And simple on-screen text or picture-in-picture effects, easy to add with a free tool like CapCut, keep viewers watching longer.
Gillian's Framework: The Five-Step LinkedIn Video Starter Plan
If everything above feels like a lot at once, here's how to actually get moving.
Step 1: Pick one video type:
Don't try book-focused, behind-the-scenes, and testimonial videos all in the same week. Choose whichever feels most natural and start there.
Step 2: Shoot vertical, keep it short:
Ninety seconds or less, one idea per video. Film several in a single sitting so you have a backlog ready to go.
Step 3: Caption everything:
Use LinkedIn's auto-captions as a floor, and consider hardcoding open captions for a more polished, on-brand look.
Step 4: Post it in more than one place:
Your feed, your featured section, your experience section, your newsletter, each spot works a little differently, and together they compound.
Step 5: Repurpose relentlessly:
Reuse vertical video from Instagram or TikTok as is, reformat landscape footage into vertical clips, and film a few different hooks for the same footage so you get built-in variety without extra production time.
Real Examples Behind This Guide
These ideas didn't come out of thin air. During a LinkedIn for Authors Live Masterclass with video marketing expert Annette Richmond, several examples came up that are worth remembering on their own.
- Janine Coombes' book launch video: a mock Zoom call where she casually worked her new book into every moment of the shot, first holding it, then fanning herself with it, then leaning on a stack of copies. Tongue-in-cheek, on-brand, and genuinely fun to watch.
- A ten-year-old first attempt: one of the very first videos made for this kind of content dates back a decade, tripod that wouldn't cooperate and all. It wasn't good. It also didn't need to be. The point was to keep going.
- Opus Clip's virality score: a tool that chops long-form video into short clips and scores each one for engagement potential, taking a lot of the guesswork out of deciding what to post next.
In Practice
Video builds the know, like, and trust factor faster than any other content format.
Your first video will be your worst video, and that's perfectly fine. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
The best book videos don't look like marketing.
Want to learn more? Watch the LinkedIn Live replay
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About Gillian Whitney
Gillian Whitney is a business book coach and the host of Easy Peasy Books: From Author to Authority. She helps professionals write and publish books that build credibility, attract the right clients, and establish lasting expertise. Learn more at easypeasybooks.com