Today I am here to talk to you about a much-talked about subject, especially in the YouTube world, that I know next to nothing about.
Affiliation
You hear it all the time in blog posts and YouTube videos -
"I received this [item] from [insert association/company] in exchange for an honest review."
"If you would like to use my affiliate link, I will get a little percentage of the purchase, and I would greatly appreciate it."
There have been countless YouTubers attacked and judged because they made a video that was sponsored, either monetarily or with the use of desirable objects. I may be ignorant, but I never saw the reason for the commotion. There is always the question of - Is this well-known person with lots of influence over their viewers lying because a huge corporation payed them? Or is this this person's honest-to-goodness opinion?
I have no problem with sponsorships, either for myself or well-known bloggers/BookTubers if they honestly believe in/enjoy a product. On occasion, I accept free books from authors/blog tours in exchange for giving them an honest review. And I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. I have always spoken honestly of the books I receive.
My number one example is Edna in the Desert (Maddy Ledderman) which is a heartwarmingly tale about a 13 year old girl's self-discovery. In my review, I express my feelings for the characters, the plot, and the writing style. Yet, I hate the cover that needs a redesign even more than the Bloodlines Series. The author is well aware of my feelings and thanked me for my opinions.
With the case of blog tour books, you have seen me tear apart and analyze them just like ANY other book I read. Take The Last Changeling (Chelsea Pitcher) for an example.
Up until now, I have never been monetarily compensated for a post/review/affiliation. I have always done my own thing, expressed my own opinion, and if someone feels the need to respond.... I let them and enjoy agreement or a new perspective. And I intend 110% to continue on with this.
Yet.... in December of 2014, something has changed.
I have not had a change in heart about my honesty policy in posts.
I have not had a great change in my life that has given me new perspective.
I have not had personal experience with a viewer or a content-producer with strong opinions on either side.
I have become a Book Depository Affiliate.
That's right, if you click on the badge and buy a book through the link, I will receive 5% of the book's cost. I applied for affiliation almost two months ago with hardly any thought to the matter because I had assumed the Book Depository would never accept me in their right minds. Yet, they did.
Because of my affiliation, I am now linked to this company. If I choose to use the links, I am promoting the Book Depository and gaining them one more sale than they would have gotten otherwise (which is the point). It's quite a curious concept for someone who has only been doing blogging as a hobby for a year now, that so much could have happened.
It leaves me reeling that I could be a target. Yet, it also seems amazing that I could possibly earn money from something that started off as a time-passer. It also puts things into perspective
That's right, if you click on the badge and buy a book through the link, I will receive 5% of the book's cost. I applied for affiliation almost two months ago with hardly any thought to the matter because I had assumed the Book Depository would never accept me in their right minds. Yet, they did.
Because of my affiliation, I am now linked to this company. If I choose to use the links, I am promoting the Book Depository and gaining them one more sale than they would have gotten otherwise (which is the point). It's quite a curious concept for someone who has only been doing blogging as a hobby for a year now, that so much could have happened.
It leaves me reeling that I could be a target. Yet, it also seems amazing that I could possibly earn money from something that started off as a time-passer. It also puts things into perspective
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