Your art should start, by being given away for free.

Maybe you write on a website like I do.

Or, maybe you give away screen prints of your paintings.

Or give away copies of your book to 200 important people.

The point is that free helps.

Makes me think: What else can I give away for free?

I may soon try to give away a few books in exchange for email address sign-ups.

When we say, “Hey, check this out,” we’re really asking for a lot from people. Especially when we are first-time creators. Why should anyone do you this favor? Why should they trust you? Why take the risk? Hugh Howey, author of the wildly popular Wool series and one of the first big successes in the self-publishing era, has said that it’s essential for debut authors to give away at least some of their material, even if only temporarily. “They’ve gotta do something to get an audience,” he’s said. “Free and cheap helps.” So does making the entire process as easy and seamless as possible. The more you reduce the cost of consumption, the more people will be likely to try your product. Which means price, distribution, and other variables are not only essential business decisions, they are essential marketing decisions.

-Ryan Holiday, Perennial Seller