I've been restraining myself through the whole thread, but I have to finally say that I'm puzzled as to why you're self-publishing.
Because, like @jannert 's opus, it has genre-assignment issues and I don't want it put in a box. And because I published a good deal of an earlier version of it on my writer's blog a couple years ago. It's changed a lot since then, but it's not the kind of thing a publisher would want to deal with.
Why do I have to be disagreeing to pontificate on this point? What I really mean is that there's The Truth and many different versions of the truth. It would be truthful for me to present my work as dingy, depressing and unpleasant. But that's not going to sell. Of course it's not. And my work isn't just that either. It's got deep lows to generate big highs and set up contrast to touching meaningful character moments. That's what I'm going to sell it on. The weird, troubled characters with a unique point of view. Both of these are true (and frankly quite fair) descriptions but to a dratted normal who doesn't find the idea of 'depressing' to be attractive (sometimes I find it hard to relate to people who don't listen to Leonard Cohen) the first description sounds like a death march, the latter sounds (hopefully) intriguing or failing that at least something that worth giving a chance to. We absolutely need to be honest about our work. It's the strength of the work that'll sell it in the end and lying just sets up false expectations and dashed hopes is not a recipe for enjoyment as most of my exs can tell you. But equally putting the focus on that complex tax accountancy scene alone isn't the right move either. That doesn't accurately represent your work either.
Above I said Well, joy. Speaking of critiques, my beta reader is getting to the point in the novel where the plot is getting into some controversial themes. It's not the first time these motifs have been introduced, but my BR is getting cold feet. She's telling me I should cut these situations out, that people will be turned off. And I'm telling her, no, they're central to the story and have to stay. We'll see if she has the guts to keep going. If not, it'll help me define my audience. No one else has had trouble with the themes in question, so she may not be my targeted reader.
