There are many motivations for reading among the general public.
Although required for their courses, some students engage in this activity purely for fun.
Some parents feel obligated to read aloud to their children because they themselves were read to as children.
People all over the world still place a high value on the written word.
For this reason, it comes as no surprise that the annual revenue of the book industry is $119 billion.
However, it may be challenging to create a successful affiliate site dedicated solely to this topic.
Nonetheless, if you put on your Authority Hacker hat, you’ll see that there are various ways to solve this issue.
Basically, all you need is access to a diverse array of affiliate programs.
Book Affiliate Programs
1. Textbook Solutions
Two Texas A&M University students saw a need in the textbook market in 2007 and founded Textbook Solutions to fill it.
And it came down to this: the price of books was becoming unreasonably high.
Actually, annual spending on textbooks by college and university students can reach $1,200.
Thus, they established a textbook rental company, which can save students as much as 90% compared to the price of purchasing the book outright.
They will also pay you for your unwanted textbooks, so you can get some money out of those you no longer use.
To kick things off, let’s talk about what we don’t like about this affiliate program: the 1-day cookie is extremely annoying, and it’s completely avoidable.
But what we really like is that it has an excellent EPC for the simple act of renting textbooks, and that it ranks in the top 50 offers on the ShareASale affiliate network (at number 44).
- Commission: 30%
- EPC: $101.17
- Cookie duration: 1 day
Recommendation: Make Passive Income Online
2. Indigo Books
According to Indigo, they are the largest bookstore in all of Canada.
And although we can’t prove it, they’ve been around in some form or another since 1940.
They must be doing something right, considering they made it through the dot-com crash, the rise of digital downloads, and the introduction of the Kindle.
Additionally, they have tens of thousands of fiction and non-fiction titles for adults and teenagers, with a focus on being a leading supplier of books for children.
Affiliate commissions in this program range from 2% to 10%, which is not clear.
But here’s how it works out: you’ll make 5% on each book sale, but 10% if your referral joins the Indigo rewards program.
Outside of that, all of their affiliate metrics are right where you’d want them to be.
- Commission: 5%
- EPC: $43.89 (CAD)
- Cookie duration: 7 days
3. Bigger Books
From 2001 until 2014, Bigger Books ranked high among online retailers of both pre-owned and new university textbooks.
Since many students at the time were financially unable to purchase the required textbooks, a textbook rental option was introduced that year.
In addition to the traditional textbooks, they provide eTextbooks that can be downloaded to an electronic reader.
Additionally, they will gladly purchase your used textbooks from you, reducing the initial outlay of capital required to purchase new books.
On average, each rental or purchase of a textbook through this affiliate program will earn you $4.98 in commission.
It is clear that they have a large number of successful affiliates based on their high ‘Power Rank’ and EPC.
A further minor point is that their conversion rate is only 18%.
- Commission: Up to 6.5%
- EPC: $90.42
- Cookie duration: 30 days
Recommendation: Make Passive Income Online
4. Barnes & Noble
Yes, Barnes & Noble has managed to stay in business despite the rise of digital book consumption.
They adjusted better than most, coming out with an e-reader to rival the Kindle called the Nook.
They also have a thriving traditional book business, boasting the largest inventory of any US bookseller at 1 million titles.
They seem to maintain a competitive edge by stocking not just fiction and children’s literature, but also required reading for students.
Due to the fact that the printed book industry is doing quite well despite popular belief to the contrary.
Here, have a seat.
Barnes & Noble only pays a 2% affiliate commission, so you won’t be able to retire on the money you make from referring new customers to them.
In addition, their EPC is not enormous.
The only acceptable explanations for this level of misconduct are:
- Famous names need no extra marketing effort.
- According to their ‘Network Earnings’ rating, all of their partners are profitable.
So, use their affiliate program to drive traffic, but don’t make them your sole revenue source.
- Commission: 2%
- EPC: $4.77
- Cookie duration: 1 day
5. Second Sale
When I first arrived at the website of used book experts, Second Sale, two things immediately stood out to me.
- I haven’t seen a more hideous header than theirs in years.
- They stock more than 10 million pre-owned titles.
You can’t judge a book by its cover, though, and we’ll show you why.
The price of your visitors’ books can be as low as $3.78, and they’ll gladly sell them to you.
On the other hand, they will gladly buy used books from your guests or anyone else.
And almost every book they stock can be shipped to you for free using their standard shipping method.
In spite of our criticism of their ugly header, they are able to turn over 30% of their visitors into paying customers through affiliate marketing.
Take my word for it if you can’t decide if that’s good or bad: it’s remarkable.
The company’s new and returning customers are very satisfied despite the website’s dated design and apparent disorganization.
That’s much more crucial than fixing a few minor design flaws.
Recommendation: Make Passive Income Online
6. Thrift Books
About ten years ago, after completing a major life goal to spend a year reading, I became a huge fan of purchasing used books.
Since I could buy a whole box of used books for the same price as a single brand-new hardcover novel, that’s what I started to rely on.
ThriftBooks is now the largest online retailer of used books in the United States, but I wasn’t aware of it at the time.
As of this writing, they had seven million books available, covering everything from children’s literature to the newest works of fiction and even rare and collectible books.
You’re not positive your audience would buy used books, right?
Remind them that reducing their carbon footprint starts with simple choices like reading pre-owned books.
That’s totally accurate.
Affiliates earn a 5% commission on all sales made by their audience.
Nonetheless, if you bring in more than $10,000 in monthly sales, you’ll be eligible for an 8% commission.
The fact that the vendor is willing to negotiate a lower rate for the top performers is motivating for all of the affiliates, not just the ones who make the cut.
- Commission: 5%
- EPC: $21.85
- Cookie duration: 7 days
7. Eagle Saver
When you shop with Eagle Saver, you can rest assured that they are not trying to sell you anything.
In its place, it offers to pay you cash for your used books (and CDs, DVDs, and video games).
They have a “bulk checkout” option if you have multiple copies of the same title, but they also accept single copies.
You won’t have to wait long for your money either; Eagle Saver will deposit your payment into your chosen payment method within 24 hours of receiving your textbooks.
No need to stress over shipping costs; just select FedEx or UPS and print out your shipping label. You can rest easy knowing that Eagle Saver will absorb the financial blow for you.
How are their affiliates doing, though, because the website is decidedly dated.
With a 28% conversion rate, 5% commission, and 45-day cookie, their affiliates are doing quite well.
No more could be asked for from an affiliate program.
Unless, of course, you’re paid to do nothing at all, which is highly improbable.
- Commission: 5%
- EPC: $78.70
- Cookie duration: 45 days
Recommendation: Make Passive Income Online
8. Calendar Club
I’m aware that it says “Calendar Club,” and I fully agree with that description.
Despite popular belief, they do not specialize in just calendars.
Indeed, they cater to families by stocking many fun and educational books for children.
Nonetheless, there are also adult self-help books that focus on a healthy lifestyle and positive thinking.
It’s great that you can browse their collection of books based on a variety of criteria, including author, genre, activity (such as bedtime reading), and more.
Having locations in the United States and the United Kingdom is a plus, as it means they can cater to local customers as well as those from across the globe.
There is a 5% commission for affiliates on book sales, and an additional 10% on calendar sales.
It’s also worth noting that their cookie duration is 45 days, which is 44 days longer than the average cookie duration offered by the other affiliate programs.
These days, it seems like everyone provides at least a seven-day cookie.
- Commission: Up to 10%
- EPC: $26.81
- Cookie duration: 45 days
9. Premier Collectibles
Premier Collectibles, sellers of rare and collectible books, closes out this list of noteworthy companies.
Now, if you’re a bibliophile (like me), you may fantasize about one day stumbling upon a signed first edition of “The Hobbit” while perusing a used bookstore.
I know it’s unlikely to actually occur, but a girl can dream, right?
Meanwhile, Premier Collectibles may have the first edition of a book you want, signed by the author.
Or a copy of their favorite book, signed by the author.
This is a rare example of a potentially lucrative and entertaining affiliate program.
First editions and autographed books can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
You will earn 15% of the sale price of the book, no matter how much it is.
That single book’s sales could net you hundreds of dollars.
- Commission: 15%
- EPC: $34.25
- Cookie duration: 60 days
10. Vital Source
You could buy a small mountain of physical books to use as reference material in your college classes.
E-Textbooks from Vital Source are also available if you’d rather not waste paper.
Some students may choose to forego buying textbooks altogether because of the financial burden it places on their families.
Students can get the eTextbooks they need from Vital Source at up to 80% off.
This is made possible by the company’s connections to seven thousand schools, five hundred retailers, and one thousand publishing houses.
In order to bargain for reduced prices on behalf of all students.
If you want to make money off of this deal, you’ll need a lot of student visitors.
If you do, they’ll pay you 3% of the purchase price for each customer you send their way.
Moreover, you have 30 days to convert that prospective customer into a paying customer.
- Commission: 3%
- EPC: $53.28
- Cookie duration: 30 days
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