It might seem counter-productive to give away something you’ve spent your time and money creating, if your goal is to make money. But savvy marketers know that sampling is one of the most effective ways to expand customer awareness and generate purchases. That means giving away something you’ve produced. Vendors of food and cosmetics use this tactic very effectively. Smart authors and publishers are doing it too. A little taste builds up an appetite. When someone accepts your offer, a relationship has been established.

At Book Expo America this past May, free books were offered like lollipops. Often, but not always, giveaways were linked with author appearances and book signings. I returned home, my suitcase bulging with books I was eager to read, written by authors I hadn’t heard of. As part of the community that builds a buzz for book sales, I may recommend the books and authors through my Book●ed blog.

Are you an author who is not going to industry conventions? Working on a budget that doesn’t allow massive giveaways? There are many other ways to promote a book and entice readers to buy it:

Hold a contest. Through bloggers and other social media, offer your books as prizes in exchange for positive media coverage to targeted audiences. For example, a copy of Searching for My Father, Tyrone Power was given to a popular classic movie blogger to use as a prize in a May 2014 contest, the month of Tyrone Power’s 100th birthday. In return, the book got an enthusiastic write-up that was share with that blog’s readers and all the other bloggers in an association of classic movie bloggers.

Donate a book as a charity raffle prize. If your book theme relates to a charity’s cause, or if you personally support the cause, donate an autographed book as a fundraising raffle prize in exchange for an ad or other promotional plug at the charity event.

Donate a book to your local library. Tie the donation to the offer of a free talk about your book and a book signing/sale at the library.

Offer excerpts from your book. Do public readings where your book would be available for sale and autographing. Consider reputable places (print or online) where an excerpt could be reproduced with attribution to you and your book.

Use Social Media Distribution. Services such as BookGrabbr charge nominal fees to provide social media marketing promotions using free excerpts or the entire text from your book. See my June 21, 2015 blog post “How to Grab an Audience” for more information.

If you believe you created something worth having, give it away wisely and let it speak to its own value. Use the law of reciprocity: those to whom you give will feel an obligation to return the favor as a way of expressing their thanks. Everyone wins.