Cringing at self promotion

So I sent out a whole bunch of emails (you've all been sent as bcc's, don't worry!) providing a link to this new blog. I've been told by the dealer forum at TIAS that having a blog will help direct traffic to the Time Travelers store; but, um, who's gonna read my blog?? So I screwed up the courage - again - and sent out the email invitations to those selected individuals from my address books whom I hoped wouldn't delete the message without at least scanning it at first.

And then, I also wrote a short press release for the TIAS front page. Turns out I can submit two of these per week with a new item each time. Yeah, I think I can do that. The item I submitted was approved within about an hour, and POOF! it appeared on the front page, just like that. So easy!

What exactly is the hard part about self promotion, though, is the sense that perhaps I've just plunked a little pebble into a giant ocean; and that it (my email) will go unnoticed, unread, and directly into a whole of people's junk mail box. And that my email is NOT just a notice about my blog, or about the store, but it's an enormous sign tattooed on my virtual forehead that says, "love me." Please, love me. And that really is it, at its essence. What you thought you got was an email telling you about this blog and the store; what you really got was a love letter. Huh? And not only Huh? but also Ick! I don't think I wanted to know that!

You gotta love that self inquiry process, What's the story, and what is it really about?