Pimping: A New Way of Life?

Genre writers in 2011 are expected to pimp their written wares 24/7 and everywhere they find. They soon develop a tough hide, or they'd better. Some are better at doing it than others. Some like doing it more than others.

If I had to pick one task I like the least RE: writing, I'd say promoting my publishned novels. For starters, the time I spend eats up the time I could be writing. Take this blog, for instance. Right now I'm feeling guilty for not revising my WIP (work-in-progress). It's okay as long as I can strike a happy balance (writing v. shilling).

But there's the rub. How much do you toot your horn before you become a pest? What if readers (i.e., customers) get sick of you and decide to ignore you? I hear the "building the buzz" slogan all the time. Consider the flip side. Building a negative buzz is what troubles me. Wearing out your welcome is easy to do. It is. Trust me.

Right now I'm doing a lots of promo for my new book, Lake Charles. I happen to believe it's the best novel I've written to date. Of course I do. But can I persuade new readers to take a chance and try me out? Do I mention the professional reviews? Do I mention the author blurbs? Do I mention the five-star reviews on Amazon?

Beats me.

Ed Lynskey
@edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles