authors doing their own book promo aren't any icky, they're just on a budget
the cost of sending advance copies out to be reviewed & the cost of hiring popular Bookstagrammers or Booktokers to talk up a book can run into real money
in any case, the author or promoter has seconds to sell a book before i scroll away-- give me the trope, hook, & book title!!!
sell me a good book, then i'll care about your name