We’ve been working our way through a series on Making Money as a Writer. On today’s episode, we’re talking about one of my favorite ways to create income, which is talking about things you already use and love… otherwise known as affiliates and referrals.

As a writer, you use lots of different products and services. Many of those have an affiliate program that pays you a percentage of what they receive from the customer whenever the customer purchases through your individual affiliate link.

I love affiliate income because it’s like getting paid to recommend things you are already using. For example, I’m an affiliate for ConvertKit, the email marketing service. (The link I just shared is an affiliate link.) When people use my link to sign up with the service, I get a portion of what they pay ConvertKit. The basic idea is that ConvertKit is rewarding me for recommending their product because they may not have had that customer without my recommendation.

Another example is the course, Book Marketing Mastery, created and taught by Honorée Corder. The course is great, and I know it’s something that will benefit you. Plus, it doesn’t cost you any more to sign up through my affiliate link because Honorée gives me a portion of what you pay her for the course.

And by the way, if you’d like to sign up for Book Marketing Mastery, visit https://dailywriterlife.com/bookmarketingmastery and use the code “DailyWriter” (that’s all one word) to get 10% off.

One thing I want to mention is that an affiliate is different than a sponsor. The difference is in how you get paid. With an affiliate partnership, you get a percentage of what the customer pays the affiliate. With a sponsorship, the company or person behind the product or service you’re promoting pays you directly to advertise it. For example, whenever you hear me mention sponsors on the podcast, that means they have paid me to promote their product or service.

Let’s talk about referral income for a moment. It’s essentially the same thing as affiliate marketing, except referrals happen when you make a personal recommendation to someone. For example, I have friends who are editors, designers, coaches, or other service providers. When I send someone their way, and the client or customer pays them, they pay me a small percentage of what they make as a “thank you.”

I do the same thing when people send me a ghostwriting client. I pay the referral partner 10% of whatever I make from the client. I’m happy to do this because it keeps the money flowing and it generates a lot of goodwill.

Here is the main key with affiliates and referrals: you must do it in an ethical and responsible way. I never promote people or products that I don’t personally use or recommend, whether it’s an affiliate, podcast sponsor, or service provider. If you’re already using and recommending certain products or service providers, check to see if they have an affiliate or referral program, then start promoting them in an ethical way. It’s a great way to grow your bank account and have a lot of fun in the process!

Today’s Question: What products or services are you already using that have an affiliate program? Who is someone providing a service that you can send customers or clients to, and possibly receive a referral payment?