Well, you know marketing seems to come down to the authors in these cases. The publishers may help (Kevin and Susannah at AK Peters have been amazing), but you have to do the legwork. I worked hard to get reviews up on Slashdot and other places, and I'm sure we'll need to do the same for VG. I really don't think that'll ever change, since no one will ever be gunning as hard as the authors.

That said, advertising definitely helps, especially when it gets the word to people who are all about this stuff but simply haven't heard of it. I frequently find stuff (such as the Toucan Pirates) that I bought immediately upon discovering it. However, that was hard to do--I ended up at Amazon doing a search for pirate music and stumbled upon it. I can't imagine how I'd ever learn about it if it hadn't been for that random event. Definitely wouldn't have seen it advertised anywhere, and probably wouldn't have paid much attention if I did see a flashing box somewhere or a print ad (though a radio spot may have worked).

I think our HUGE advantage here at AA is that we're "classy," to quote Rob. We treat our readers with a high level of respect, expecting them to "get it" without the need for a bunch of silliness, ADD-type crap. I think readers appreciate being treated like intelligent adults, even (or perhaps especially!) if the topic is games. THe mistake i've seen time and time again is people who think that just because it's about games, then you have to reduce the intellect, dumb it down, make it silly (or crude), etc. Bull shit! There are plenty enough people out there who enjoy smart, in-depth stuff. Indeed, as a professor I've often been amazed at how smart and knowledgeable the typical student can be; that is, once you've assured him or her that it's "okay" to be intelligent and speak in a rational way. They appreciate being treated with respect! They *gasp* can handle a challenge!

Anyway, enough ranting...!