free for how long?

[themaskmaker.livejournal.com]

Hey, those of you who have been doing this successfully (based on what you perceive as success, natch) for a while:

How long did you give away your stuff for free, and how many readers/viewers did you need to accumulate before the scale tipped toward funding?

I'm getting the feeling that, in this venue, "free and intriguing" is an important first step. Am I right?