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Archived Author Help > Providing Amazon affiliate links to own book

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message 1: by Ai (last edited Jan 02, 2016 01:37AM) (new)

Shiina Ai (shiina_ai) | 30 comments Hi all, it's Ai again and this time, I may have a few dumb questions. Please forgive me as this is simply my own idea and I have not started my own affiliate tenure with Amazon, although I do have an affiliate account.

1) Is it possible to post the Amazon affiliate item that links straight to your own books on Amazon?
2) Is it possible to make two incomes from this technique? (Books sales and Affiliate link)
3) Is it breaking any Amazon rules?

I ask because while I have read about Amazon cracking down on people who link to free books and getting money from it. I haven't heard of them cracking down on affiliates who make double income from selling their books and providing affiliate links to their own books at the same time. I thought it would be a great way to create exposure while making money in the process.

Please inform me if I posted this in the wrong section. Also, please don't scold me, it's just an idea. I just thought it's the most logical thing to do, and if it's logical, then someone must've done it before. The only reason why anyone wouldn't do it would be because it violate Amazon rules.

Would like to hear from people in the know. Thanks in advance.


message 2: by Alp (new)

Alp Mortal As far as I know, it is not against any Amazon rules to publish the affiliate link to your own product.

Alp


message 3: by Martin (new)

Martin Wilsey | 447 comments Yes you can do it.

Amazon encourages it.

Double dip!


message 4: by Bernard (new)

Bernard Glover | 31 comments Alp wrote: "As far as I know, it is not against any Amazon rules to publish the affiliate link to your own product.

Alp"


How does one do this?


message 5: by Ai (new)

Shiina Ai (shiina_ai) | 30 comments Martin wrote: "Yes you can do it.

Amazon encourages it.

Double dip!"


You know, you're absolutely right. Amazon even suggested it themselves. I haven't received any hits on my affiliate link yet, but I guess it's just a matter of time. It start at 4% commission and will increase to 6% after enough purchases have been made through the link.

@Bernard Simply register for affiliate, search your own book and click 'Get Link' and you're set to go.


message 6: by Wisteria (new)

Wisteria Kitsune (wisteriakitsune) Thanks for asking the dumb questions, Ai-chan, and everyone for answering them. It's a big help to me.


message 7: by [deleted user] (new)

Great group. This thread spurred me to get off the stick and add an Amazon affiliate link to my webpage. Nice looking little widget, with the book covers and the link. I'm hoping I can do this with Smashwords as well.


message 8: by Riley, Viking Extraordinaire (new)

Riley Amos Westbrook (sonshinegreene) | 1521 comments Mod
I don't just use it for my own books, I use it for the books I review. It doesn't cost the author a penny, and it helps generate traffic to my site. I have yet to have a purchase through my links...and it does add an extra step to posting reviews, but I also figure it's not going to hurt anything.


message 9: by [deleted user] (new)

Good idea about the book review link; I hadn't thought about that. I went ahead and added a banner linking to Kindles and Kindle products on my home page. It's fairly unobtrusive, and relevant to the site.


message 10: by Riley, Viking Extraordinaire (new)

Riley Amos Westbrook (sonshinegreene) | 1521 comments Mod
Ken wrote: "Good idea about the book review link; I hadn't thought about that. I went ahead and added a banner linking to Kindles and Kindle products on my home page. It's fairly unobtrusive, and relevant to t..."

Exactly why I like it.


message 11: by Justin (new)

Justin (justinbienvenue) | 790 comments What is an affiliate link again? I have an idea but would just like a clear reminder here.


message 12: by Riley, Viking Extraordinaire (new)

Riley Amos Westbrook (sonshinegreene) | 1521 comments Mod
It's a link on your site to the amazon site that gives you a % on any purchase made from the link on your site. You can post banners, like Ken did, or post specific links to projects, like I've started to do for books reviewed on my site.


message 13: by Justin (new)

Justin (justinbienvenue) | 790 comments Oh okay, as I suspected. Thanks Riley.


message 14: by Ai (last edited Jan 15, 2016 07:22PM) (new)

Shiina Ai (shiina_ai) | 30 comments Oyaaa!!! I got my first income from Amazon affiliate on my own books. I was wondering why I didn't earn anything when I pasted the ads on my blog when I was very sure some of my fans clicked on the link and bought it through my link.

Well, yesterday I got an email from Amazon telling me that my affiliate account was approved. I have actually had that account for months now.

For those who still haven't earned anything, here's what I believe. You can post the ad, but your account must be approved for those clicks to count. I don't know the requirements and I can't be bothered to check, but a quick search through google suggest that Amazon does not approve sites/blogs with very low traffic.

My blog, Hugs & Love has an average daily view of 400 views, though yesterday my view reached 900 views a day. So if you're sure someone clicked on your link but you don't see any income, try raising your unique viewcount. It doesn't seem like you'll lose the income from the clicks you got before your account is approved, you just won't earn anything unless your account is approved.

Ai-chan does a happy dance.


message 15: by Wisteria (new)

Wisteria Kitsune (wisteriakitsune) Ai wrote: "For those who still haven't earned anything, here's what I believe. You can post the ad, but your account must be approved for those clicks to count."

thx! you are so industrious.


message 16: by [deleted user] (last edited Jan 16, 2016 05:09AM) (new)

Ai wrote: "Oyaaa!!! I got my first income from Amazon affiliate on my own books. I was wondering why I didn't earn anything when I pasted the ads on my blog when I was very sure some of my fans clicked on the..."

I just applied yesterday, and I'm still waiting for approval. I've already added the links to my website (click on my name, which will take you to my Goodreads profile showing the website--if you're interested in seeing how it looks). I had several pages that looked appropriate for relevant ads, and I think I integrated them pretty well. I set up my book display page ("current books") to provide affiliate links to both Amazon and Smashwords, and I have to say that Amazon does it better. It looks so professional (to my untrained eye) it'd be a shame if they find that I don't have enough traffic to get approved, but that's the breaks.

In the event that it doesn't get approved, I've toyed with the idea of adding a "guest author" page for Smashwords authors who allow affiliate payouts on their books, and most do. I could feature an author, that same author could feature me on his/her website, and if someone clicks through my website to buy that author's book I'd get a cut, and vice versa. Not sure it's enough money to be worth the effort; my books offer a 11% payout, increasing to 15% next month (you can, in fact, offer a 100% payout). But it would increase exposure. Just a thought.


message 17: by J.J. (new)

J.J. Mainor Ken wrote: "Great group. This thread spurred me to get off the stick and add an Amazon affiliate link to my webpage. Nice looking little widget, with the book covers and the link. I'm hoping I can do this with..."

From what I can tell, you won't earn the affiliate fee from SW on your own books, but you can earn it on other books.


message 18: by [deleted user] (new)

J.J. wrote: "
From what I can tell, you won't earn the affiliate fee from SW on your own books, but you can earn it on other books..."


I tried to figure it out, and came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter whether you earn the fee or not. If you earn it, it's subtracted from your royalties anyway. If you don't earn it, nothing is subtracted. You make the same amount either way. But it'll be interesting to see how it works.


message 19: by Pam (new)

Pam Baddeley | 153 comments The different Amazon sites appear to have different rules, but the .com site definitely closes affiliate accounts if you don't make a sale in 90 days.


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