What is the best definition of tone in a text trailer? Tone is a technique that grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read a book. Tone is a short video or slide presentation that provides an overview of a book’s story. Tone is a way of showing emotion or attitude about a piece of writing through word and detail choices. Tone is a restatement of the ideas in a text that focuses on the central points and is told in one’s own words.