Self Promotion is a phrase that you don't hear often unless you are new to the acting business and even then, people tend to think that it isn't professional to send out your own headshots and your own resume, and to provide for your own career advancement.

Many actors and actresses seem to think self promotion is a string of bad words, at the very least tacky and hard to handle yet every single one of them at one point or another has done it, and those who are smart, continue to do so.

Your agent, if you have one, has more than just you in his string of talents which are seeking that one big break, or that one chance to shine. He or she can't do it all and if you're smart you won't ask them to.

Promoting yourself begins with getting an agent.
The hardest audition you're ever going to have to give, is the one that leads to all the other auditions he or she will find for you. We're speaking of course, about the audition for your talent agent. If that's not self promotion, we don't know what it is, and you'd better be good at it.

Promoting yourself means taking your photos and your resume and sending it out to anyone who is accepting new talent in their fold. Granted, not all of them are, and it pays to do your homework before you send them all out.

Sending out dozens of resumes and photos that are going to end up in the trash because the agent is not accepting new talent isn't going to be free, and it's also a waste, not only of your resources, but also of your time.

Find out who's looking for new talent and then get out there and promote yourself.Send out resumes, and headshots, to anyone who will listen.

If you already have an agent, send them out to Casting directors in your area, who are selecting talents for commercials, for extras or for anything else you might like to try your hand at.

Don't leave it at that... Follow up the sending a few weeks later with a postcard, or an update to your resume that makes it seem as if you are serious about both working and promoting your own career. Those kinds of people are the people that talent agents and casting directors are looking for.

Don't sit on your hands.. Get out there and make sure that people notice you and your background.
Self promotion not only isn't wrong, its good business.