[Note: As of Nov. 30, 2019, I’ve changed my thinking on this issue; I’m no longer shunning affiliate marketing. So I have a new affiliate disclosure statement and, if you’re interested, an explanation of why I changed my mind.]
I don’t participate in any affiliate marketing programs, and I don’t get a cut if you buy something from a site that I link to.
For those who don’t know how affiliate marketing works: some retailers give a commission to websites for referrals that lead to sales. A great example of this is DavidRM’s affiliate program; he gives a 40% cut for any sale of The Journal that comes through an affiliate’s web site. As I write this (mid-2018), that’s over $25 a pop. It’s a great opportunity—a good chunk of change for recommending a useful product from a company that operates with deep integrity.
Nonetheless, I don’t participate. It’s not what I’m here for. I want my readers (you) to know that if I’m writing about something, it’s because I have something I think is worth saying about it. I may be wrong, but at least you can be sure that I’m not inventing something to say as a way to drum up money.
I’m not saying that everyone who does affiliate marketing is just out to drum up money. Those who do it with integrity will only represent products they believe in, and they’ll talk about those products honestly. But in the same way that people avoid conflicts of interest based on appearance—on the fact that people might believe that a conflict affected an outcome, even if it didn’t do so in fact—I prefer just to stay away completely.
Will I ever participate in an affiliate program? I’m not willing to say “never,” but certainly not in the foreseeable future. And if I do change my mind, I’ll be open about it—probably annoyingly so.
But as long as this page and the notice in the sidebar are still up, you can be confident that links from my site—and, in particular, links to commercial sites—are there for your convenience, not my financial gain.