Pushy, annoying first time authors. What is a reader to do?

We've been active on goodreads for quite some time now. It's a great outlet for readers wanting to connect with other readers about their tastes in books. But it has also proved an even greater outlet to first time writers hoping to get their work in the hands of potential readers.

My question is, how much promotion is too much?


In a few months, my sister and I will be published authors. With the freedom of independent publishing, it gives any potential author the freedom to write the story they choose, and not to fit a particular series that has already changed the course of the Young Adult genre(*cough* Twilight).

However, upon becoming connected with more first time authors, we're seeing a strong pattern. I won't name names, but particular authors add you, and attempt to shove their already published book down your throat, with no introduction. No prior relationship, no contact outside of promoting their own book, and it just makes you wonder. How much promotion is too much?

I understand that outside of loving to write, we want to make money for our work. We want to "live the dream" of seeing profit for doing something we love to do. But some authors go such a wrong way with it, and social networking has made it much easier to pester the reader.

I will admit. My sister and I were readers first. We've always had a penchant for writing, but reading has always brought out the love for it, and wanting to write what I dont already see a lot in mainstream books.

What annoys me is when(specifically first time authors)constantly brag about their work being the first of it's kind, as if there is a first of it's kind anything. You have to admit, there are probably only 7 original types of stories out there. It's an author or writer's job to pick one, and shape it into their own story and give a different way of looking at that story. Look at the story Hamlet. How many stories do you know that are similar to that story arc? A young man being betrayed by someone close to him? That young man coming back to restore his honor? Come on, that's The Lion King all day! And almost every story about love that ends tragically is derived from "Romeo & Juliet". But it's the way you make it different, that changes a reader's mind about that story.

In this modern age of social networking(even for books) I will say a lot of what has recently turned me onto certain new authors(or authors I wasn't aware of) is their etiquette, and their ability to connect with their reader. Several authors I've connected with include :

Thomas K. Krug III

Tricia Drammeh

Nulli Para Ora

Troy CLE

G.R. Yeates(whom already has been a good friend of mine for almost 3 years)

Vicky Savage

Christina Channelle

Jamie Marchant

Ksenia Anske 

Aya Ling

And all of them have either reached out to me, or were very engaging once I reached out to them. A lot of when you want to reach an audience SHOULD be how you interact with your audience. I mean, they are who you want buying your book. I've attempted to connect with even local authors in my state, and I understand people are busy. But it seems they're never to busy to promote their book!

As much as I want to promote our first novel, I realize no one knows us. Readers don't owe an author anything. We are trying to build relationships to build an audience first,in the process of editing our book. If friends are made in the process, I believe it would be much easier to suggest a book an author published than to promote like crazy because your book has been already released and you're just fussy it's not selling. :p

I've already either purchased, or began reading books e-gifted to me from authors who've reached out to me. Sometimes it pays to just be courteous.