Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!gatech!uflorida!haven!decuac!jetson!john
From: john@jetson.UPMA.MD.US (John Owens)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Marketing software
Summary: try shareware
Message-ID: <123@jetson.UPMA.MD.US>
Date: 24 Aug 88 14:18:40 GMT
References: <3128@sdsu.UUCP>
Organization: SMART HOUSE Limited Partnership
Lines: 24

In article <3128@sdsu.UUCP>, roetzhei@sdsu.UUCP (William Roetzheim) writes:
> Isn't it possible to bootstrap myself.  By this I mean,
> get some free publicity, sell some software, use the procedes to pay for
> some more publicity to sell more software to . . .?

You could try the shareware approach; it's certainly been successful
enough for ARC and PK to have a lawsuit over it!

Put versions of your software in appropriate public places (BBSes,
national BBS-like systems, etc.)  Make it obvious when the program is
run that this is an unregistered copy, and to get a "real" copy,
guaranteed to be the newest version, plus a wonderful-looking typeset
manual (it is typeset, or at least nicely laser-printer in
proportional fonts, isn't it), send $xx (or even $xxx) to you.

You could also take the similar approach of posting limited-capability
"demo" versions to the same places, but this is more often frowned on,
and tends to generate a negative public image.

Good luck!
-- 
John Owens		john@jetson.UPMA.MD.US
SMART HOUSE L.P.	uunet!jetson!john		(old uucp)
+1 301 249 6000		john%jetson.uucp@uunet.uu.net	(old internet)