Are videos your only product?
Author videos are just one of the tools we offer, but they are an important one, second only to national television appearances as the most powerful pathway for discovering new books.

Are they really free? What's the catch?
Yes, we really do film for free, edit to 2 minutes for free and, upon approval, release the 2-minute video online for free. Since we need money to pay our people and our bills, we sell sponsorships to fund basic touring. We keep costs down using student film crews and editing interns.

Why do you have a store if it's free?
Some people need and want something more than a 2-minute web video. They want us to turn the video into a DVD, or push the video around the net, or pitch talk show producers for them.

What Is Your Mission, Anyway?
We Are On a Mission to Film Every Author on Earth.

Why?
"Everyone is talented, original, and has something important to say." We want to hear them say it. We want to capture them on film if we can before they leave the planet.

How are you going to film every author on Earth?
"Bird by bird."

How did AuthorViews get started?
AuthorViews was started as an offshoot of online book publicity firm, Patron Saint Productions. The first videos were filmed on Saturday, January 24, 2004, at a studio in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina disrupted our operations in 2005, forcing us to pretty much stay on the road all the time. AuthorViews was incorporated in Washington State on January 1, 2006.

How many people view the videos?
We're not sure. We don't know how many people download them from iTunes or subscribe to our iTunes podcast. We don't know how many people view them at Google Video. YouTube tells you how many times a video has been accessed, but then you have to wonder what that number means. We know that some of our videos have been viewed over 100,000 times in a single day. This has happened on several occasions when authors blogged about their videos on high traffic blogs.

How can I use my video ?
Download it. Link to it. Blog about it. Put it on your web site. Put it on a disk. Put it on your iPod. Point to it when you're booking speaking engagements or events. Bookstores can download them and install them to promote author readings. Publishers can add them to their online catalogs. Writers groups can put member videos on their web sites. These videos are copyright-free -- anyone can use them any way they want anytime, anywhere.

Are they really copyright free?
Yes, they really are. AuthorViews releases all 2-minute videos copyright-free. Copyright slows things down. Web sites must have permission from copyright holders to legally install videos; that can stop a video from spreading quickly. These videos aren't meant to be documentaries. They capture a moment related to a book. They're designed to move far fast. That's easier when they're copyright free.

Isn't video the enemy of reading?
Reading a book and watching a video are very different experiences. Video communicates much more quickly than text. We are using video to draw people to books because video is an efficient way to communicate the value of a book. That's why an author appearance on national television drives book sales: you can tell in a moment whether you want this author's book. Online video is a new entryway into reading. It will soon become the dominant method for discovering books. We're trying to do video the right way: professional lighting and sound, interesting content, very brief, not too commercial.

How are AuthorViews videos different?
First, they're designed for small screens. You won't see any panoramic shots -- just close-ups. Secondly, the videos are made to be shown on a page that has basic info about the book. Instead of asking authors, “What is your book about?” we ask, “What does this book mean to you personally?” Our goal is to establish an emotional bond with readers. We also try to communicate the physical beauty of bound books. Authors are asked, "What does your book feel like?" The web is two-dimensional and a major impediment to sales is that you can’t actually touch the book. We ask authors to touch it for you: to comment on production values such as quality paper stock, sewn binding, deckled edges, interior color, oversized dimensions. We often ask unusual questions designed to catch authors off guard -- to make them laugh or make them mad. When the author lights up, that’s the cut we build the video around.

How do I schedule an AuthorViews video?
Send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or telephone AuthorViews at (504) 342-4806 to get on the list.