Monetizing a free script

I developed a free article script ( http://www.articletrader.com/articlems/ ), and it is proving somewhat popular with a few hundred installations already.

Now I am wondering if there is some way to generate a bit of income from this. I do not want to charge for the script, but there must be some way to get some value back.

Currently I am using the default installation and skin to help promote my article distribution service (the script users are automatically part of my affiliate program).
Is there anything else that can be done? I was thinking maybe add some sort of advertising network between the sites (that way you can advertise on say 50 article sites at once, the revenue devided between the sites somehow, although this might not really be worthwhile)

Any ideas?
thanks.

 

Use a similar technique like www.boonex.com. Keep the script free but develop addons/customisations etc that you sell. Also offer a membership system where members will get premium support from you.

 

Or, like freepowerboards.com you can maybe put an ad or two on the script. And maybe make it so they have to pay to remove the ad?

 

why not use the pay for footer link removal and additional support and installation

 

Link removal fee is already in place.

What I'd suggest as an ArticleMS user is that you can make some cheap templates using open source designs and sell them. I tried making one sometime ago and succeeded

 

I think what Dejavu is trying to find out is how can he make money without charging the users directly and it would be through advertising.I think your headed in the right direction "that way you can advertise on say 50 article sites at once"

 

Yeah that is pretty much what I am after.
To put it another way: potentially hundreds of people install the script, most without really modifying it a great deal.
So I have quite a few people running the default code of the script, and I am just wondering if there is not some innovative way to make use of that fact.

 

*Paid support
*Advertising on your support forum and main website
*Since u have footer links in place, so probably you will get PR soon. So you can sell links onthe website.
*Paid addons and customizations.

Thats all IMO...

 

* Include some of your other websites in the footer links as default, sell links on those websites after PR update.

* Charge advertisers top dollar to place their links in every script download for a range of time. (Eg. Purchase sponsorship package for the next 6 months, 1 year, 2 years etc.)