Selling, and buying, books online is a huge business and book affiliate programs is a very interesting section of affiliate marketing. One key element of a successful book related site is writing good reviews. Helpful tips on this subject can be found further down this page. As for commissions for book affiliates, they are fairly good and compared to many other affiliate programs this is a sure bet. All the book affiliate programs listed below are well-known and will not only earn you money but as well add value to your site or blog.
The Best Book Affiliate Programs
Amazon Books description
Amazon.com is one of the largest and most well known book and shopping sites in the world. By joining the Amazon.com affiliate program you will get paid to promote everything from books to cameras.
Quick facts
- Base Commission:
- $25
- Commission type:
- CPA
National Geographic description
The magazine practically sells itself and if you refer new customers to their site you’ll start earning money as soon as they sign up for a subscription.
Quick facts
- Base Commission:
- 8%
- Commission type:
- CPO
Library Online description
Strong letters can change the world and your bottom line. This book affiliate program tenders a great line of useful letter templates for private as well as business purposes, an attractive product that sell well. With great commission and an ambitious affiliate agenda, this program surely receives loads of well-written love letters from their affiliates!
Quick facts
- Base Commission:
- 20%
- Commission type:
- CPO
Barnes and Noble description
Barnes & Noble is one of the largest and most trusted brands on the Internet and it has been given all the prestigious awards.
Quick facts
- Base Commission:
- 6%
- Commission type:
- CPO
5 Quick Tips for Writing Great Book Reviews
Affiliate marketers working with books and other publications often find themselves thrust into the role of book reviewer, as some of the best, most natural content for affiliate sites devoted to books are book reviews. While book reviews may be a natural fit, writing them doesn’t always come easy, especially when it comes to writing “good” book reviews. With some of the quick tips below, though, you’ll be writing great book reviews in no time.
1. Write about what you know
It’s great advice for writers and equally good advice for anyone looking to polish their book reviewing skills. It’s impossible to review every book published each year, so stick to topics and subjects that you know about and are interested in. If you’re a huge tennis fan but have never cooked a meal in your life, look to review the new autobiography by Andre Agassi but stay away from reviewing a French cuisine cookbook. Enthusiasm and knowledge are hard to fake, and your book reviews will shine if you stick to topics near and dear to your heart.
2. Do your research
Good book reviews don’t just focus on the text itself, but on the context as well. While it’d be easy enough to say “This is a great book, I liked it a lot and you will too,” that really doesn’t tell the reader of the review much as far as helping them decide whether or not to buy and read the book. Something like “This book is very well written and does a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the Beat generation in the US” is a bit better, but it still sits in a vacuum. What you want to shoot for are reviews along the lines of “Just like “On the Road” and “The Dharma Bums”, this book explores the world of the Beat Generation in the US, weaving a narrative thread through the lives of major figures such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and others.” Try to work in details about the author into the review as well, as readers of book reviews tend to like to know quirky details about authors, their body of work, and other similar details.
If you’re groaning and thinking that the above requires real work, well, yes indeed, it does. But no one said writing good book reviews was easy, and your book reviews will be much improved if you do the necessary research to put the book into a larger, more familiar context to readers.
3. Don’t be shy
This isn’t hard for some people, but the book review format allows you to be open and honest and speak your mind. Sometimes that means you only have raving compliments and great things to say, but it also means that you’ll have to be harsh at other times as well. Occasionally being negative is part of the job as a book reviewer, and is actually an important part of being a successful book reviewer. Readers of the review are looking to you for advice, and if you’re always positive and rosy they’ll quickly pick up on that and realize that you’re not being objective and are simply trying to sell them a book, with each and every review.
4. A little plot goes a long way
Part of your job as a book reviewer is to describe what the book’s about, but don’t get bogged down in describing every little detail and plot twist. This means more work for you as the reviewer (as it’s easier to just flesh out the bulk of the review by describing the action in the book), but readers will appreciate the effort. Quickly describe the topic or plot of the book but then get along to the real meat of the review, which is where you express your opinion about the book and persuade the reader of the review to check out the book themselves or avoid it.
5. State the obvious
Always be sure to mention the author’s name and book title in the first paragraph of your review, and try to include some actual samples or quotes from the book in your review. Also include the main theme of the book in the first paragraph, so that readers are immediately grounded and know exactly who and what the review is about. While quotes and snippets of text from the book aren’t necessary, they’re a great way to augment your opinions and conclusions in your reviews, as readers are more convinced when they see direct evidence of what you’re discussing.
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