How much "Me" is too much "Me?"

It's hard to know when you've gone too far on publicizing yourself on the Internet.

Especially if you're an Internet autistic like I am.  I simply can't tell.

I try to be restrained, you know -- really I do -- and if I talk about Tuskers a bunch it's because I like the book a lot and think people will enjoy it.

I also have the nice problem of two new books coming out about a month apart from each other.  The Dead Spend No Gold is my baby too, and I think a very worthy successor to Led to the Slaughter.  I don't like having to choose between the two books which to mention, but I'm afraid of hawking both of them at the same time.  But it's like trying to choose between two children which one to push forward.

But sometimes I get sick of myself, and I have to assume others are pretty sick of me too.

However, no one will read the books if I don't publicize them.  Simple as that.  Just putting them online doesn't do any good.  My Cyber Flash book is proof of that. Basically hardly anyone has read my cyberpunk Hobbit book.  (And yet, I can't feel rejected if no one reads something, because it can't be based on the actual book, can it?)  I put this book out myself with no fanfare whatsoever.

Led to the Slaughter has sold better than my other books by far, because I decided that choosing one book and promoting it was better than trying to promote all my books.  I felt pushing the Vampire Evolution Trilogy at the same time was too much.

And I figured that if people liked Led to the Slaughter enough, they'd go ahead and buy the trilogy too. 

I'm not so sure that's true anymore.  I think for that to happen, the name Duncan McGeary has to become a brand, and I don't think that's happened...yet....

I had planned to take a two week break from mentioning any of my books, but Ragnarok Publications and Angelic Knight Press are keeping up the promotional efforts and I feel like I need to share those.  Books of the Dead Press has managed to place my books on some sites that have larger followings.

I'll be getting some author's copies of Tuskers a week before the book comes out on Amazon (in just a few more days!), and I'll be excited to see them, to touch them.  I have a feeling they are going to look magnificent.

So here's the thing I don't know.  I can't know.  From experience at the store I know that people saying they like something doesn't mean they'll buy it.

So the true test will be -- Tuskers goes on sale, and people buy it because of the idea and the cover.

And that is totally beyond my control.

Maybe a Wild Pig Apocalypse will be irresistable.  A refreshing change.

Or maybe people will shrug and turn away.

For the life of me, I can't tell.

So I approach it like I do my business.  There is the sky blue possibility -- which rarely happens.  There is the total dud possibility -- which happens more often that I like.  And there is the middle possibility -- neither as good or as bad as the other two possibilities. 

That's what happens most times -- almost all times.  The middle ground.

I've done my best.  I've written the best books I can, took the time to make them right, tried to time them right, placed them with some up-and-coming publishers, gotten very lucky with some beautiful covers.  And I've done my best to get word out -- within my skill and comfort zone.

So whatever happens, I've made the effort.