Ask Scott Sigler. He offered his first novel, Earthcore, as a free, serialized podcast on iTunes and his personal site. By the time he’d released his second and third novels, he had 30,000 listeners and publishers lining up to take his books.

Sigler, 38, likens his distribution method to that of public broadcasting, adding that giving away content pays off even if fewer than 10 percent of the samplers ultimately make a pledge.

To me, this is very exciting. Not only can you have a hand in pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps, it’s a remarkable chance to connect with your readers. Once I was involved with a highly successful, albeit niche, video game and I can tell you: we didn’t get rich, but there was a tremendous amount of satisfaction meeting our rabidly devoted fans.

Check it out.

(apparently, bookninja!)