Video can be a great way to stand out in a crowded book market. In today's show, Michael La Ronn explains how to use YouTube effectively.

I've been posting YouTube videos since 2009, but I learned a lot from this interview and am switching up my channel in the coming month. You can check out the videos at YouTube.com/thecreativepenn

In the intro, I talk about my experience and some lessons learned from the Smarter Artist Summit in Austin, Texas. I mention Society6.com for merchandise, the Sell More Books Show episode where I heckled Jim Kukral, The One Thing book by Gary Keller, the Indie Author Fringe live online summit this week (amazing lineup!), and an update on Destroyer of Worlds (available for pre-order)

This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors.

Michael La Ronn is a bestselling science fiction and fantasy author and he's also a YouTuber at the Author Level Up channel.

You can listen above or on iTunes or Stitcher or watch the video here, read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.

Why YouTube is important for entrepreneurs, including the information one can glean about viewers.

YouTube as a social media platform.

Tips on making the most of a YouTube channel, including plug-ins.

How and why fiction authors can use YouTube.

Why authenticity matters in video.

Tips on creating better quality videos, including tips on background, on-camera clothes and makeup.

Suggestions for tools and apps to help you make good videos.

On book trailers and video Facebook ads.

The purpose behind video for both fiction and non-fiction authors.

The optimum length for videos and effective calls to action.

Structuring videos and why video is a very different format than audio.

On monetizing YouTube videos; what works and what doesn't.

You can find Michael at www.MichaelLaRonn.com and www.AuthorLevelUp.com.

Here's Michael’s Video Setup
Lighting Kit by LimoStudio (Lights and backdrops). The backdrop is a bit short so you may want to invest in longer one with a sleeve. You can also upgrade the bulbs to get brighter light.

ProCamera+ iPhone app

RODE SmartLav+ Lavalier Microphone

Blue Yeti Podcasting Microphone

Screenflow (editing software for OS X)

Camtasia (editing software for Windows)

TubeBuddy YouTube Keyword Tool

SocialBlade YouTube Analytics

Transcript of interview with Michael La Ronn
Joanna: Hi, everyone. I'm Joanna Penn from thecreativepenn.com, and today I'm here with Michael La Ronn. Hi, Michael.

Michael: Hi, Joanna.

Joanna: It's lovely to have you on the show. Just a little introduction, Michael is a best-selling science fiction and fantasy author, and he's also a YouTuber at the Author Level Up channel, which is awesome.
Michael, just start by telling us a bit more about you and your writing background.
Michael: Sure. Well, first off, thanks for having me on the show. It's amazing to be here. I've been a listener of your show every week for four years, so it's awesome to be here.

Joanna: It's great to have you.

Michael: I've always been a writer. It's kind of a cliché answer, but my writing career, as I know it, actually started in 2012. My wife and I were out for a nice dinner, and I fell ill that night with what I thought was food poisoning, and I went to the hospital. It turns out I was there for a month, and while I was there, the doctors found a really rare infection that actually was killing people. In retrospect, I actually could have died.

When you're in a hospital bed, when you are staring at the wall and on painkillers for an entire month, you really start to rethink your life.

I swore at that moment on that hospital bed that I would become a writer,...