by Affiliate marketing books are like tour guides. Some will only give you information about the field. Others will walk with you throughout your journey to ensure it is worthwhile and successful.
From our years of experience, the best books on affiliate marketing do both. They provide practical information on the venture while showing you how to use it at different stages of your affiliate marketing journey.
We review the best affiliate marketing books in the marketplace today to help you find the right ones for you. This is crucial because the online marketing industry is constantly evolving. Without a good guide, you might settle on a book that offers outdated information.
In our comprehensive review, you’ll find the resources to meet your marketing needs, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or an established business owner.
We’ve also included top courses from industry thought leaders who share up-to-date strategies they use to grow their online empires. You can use them to increase your sales and maximize your online profits.
Contents
Best Affiliate Marketing Books for Beginners
Some of the best affiliate marketing books for beginners will take you through the fundamentals of the marketing process in a step-by-step fashion.
They’ll also motivate you to keep going while helping you build a solid foundation to guarantee success online. There are four books we’ve found to be perfect for this:
Affiliate Marketing Secrets by Chandler Wright
Description
Affiliate marketing has never been easier, thanks to Chandler Wright. In roughly 137 pages, he demystifies the entire concept by providing:
- Simple explanations of the affiliate marketing terms you need to know to begin your journey
- Essential tips, tricks, and trends to follow to navigate the online marketing industry
- Insights on what it takes to become a successful affiliate.
- Step-by-step instructions on how to grow your income from $0 to $10,000 per month
Table of Contents
As you can tell from the table of contents, the book’s longest chapter focuses on helping you to get started with affiliate marketing. Chandler uses visual presentations of the actual steps you need to follow to start your business and succeed at it.
First Page
From the first page, it’s clear that this book makes for an easy read. It should be part of your online education library, do you agree?
About the Author
Chandler Wright is the ultimate proof of how perseverance builds resilience, which leads to success.
Having started four different businesses and failed at some of them, he’s mastered the art of online marketing. Throughout his journey, he’s created strategies to get 6-figure earnings from his multiple online investments.
Conclusion
This book is the complete guide to affiliate marketing for absolute beginners. It’ll help you set up and begin running your online business even if you don’t have any knowledge in the area.
You’ll learn the nitty-gritty of affiliate marketing while exploring the best practices other affiliate marketers are using to succeed.
Affiliate Marketing: Launch A Six-Figure Business With Clickbank Products, Affiliate Links, Amazon Affiliate Program, And Internet Marketing by Noah Gray & Michael Fox
Description
Most affiliate marketing books will show you how to get from $0 to $10,000 per month. But what if someone offered you a chance to break this $10,000 barrier? Would you take it? This is what Noah Gary and his partner do in this book.
They lay out proven techniques to help you launch your business and make good money in no time. The book has current ideas on the niches that’ll help you thrive online.
It also gives you comprehensive information on the best affiliate marketing programs you can join to start earning today.
Table of Contents
The image above shows a small section of the book’s table of contents. But you can already tell how detailed it is. Some chapters dive into how you can succeed with specific affiliate marketing programs.
Specifically, chapter 19 focuses on the Amazon affiliate marketing program. This is also our area of expertise. You can check out our detailed Amazon affiliate associates guide to add to the information you’ll gain from this chapter.
First Page
If you’re looking for the flexibility and freedom to work your own hours, making money from anywhere, this book is your go-to resource.
About the Author
Driven by the passion for helping other people grow their online businesses, Noah Gray is an internet marketer whose material you can trust. His notable publications span different aspects of online entrepreneurship, including social media marketing, Google AdWords, and Facebook advertising.
Conclusion
We consider this book one of the best books for affiliate marketing for two main reasons:
- It is updated regularly – regular updates are rare with such books, especially those that cater to complete beginners. The authors strive to help you keep up with the ongoing changes in the marketing industry.
- It emphasizes personal branding – the book explores the concept of branding while showing you how it connects with your actual business.
Most people don’t realize this, but your branding determines how much you make as an affiliate marketer. Some affiliates earn over $150,000 from their marketing efforts, others get around $50,000, and more earn less than $10,000.
The reason for this difference is often branding.
Noah Gray’s resource is one of the most comprehensive, easy-to-follow, factual affiliate marketing books you can use to become a top-earning affiliate.
Affiliate Marketing by Mark Smith
Description
Like Chandler Wright, Mark Smith offers another step-by-step guide to affiliate marketing you should have as a beginner. It includes the following:
- Explanations on affiliate marketing lingo
- Creating the cornerstone of your online success – your website
- Leveraging the power of social media to make more sales
- Identifying fraudulent networkers and advertisers
The only difference between Mark’s and Chandler’s insights is the depth of information. Chandler covers most of the concepts in this book in greater detail.
But you’ll benefit more by reading both books because the angles through which they approach similar topics are different.
Table of Contents
At a glance, the book is short and to the point. Smith uses simple language that is easy to follow. In Chapter two, he’s included helpful baseline information to help you understand the concept as a whole. Affiliate terminology can be confusing if you’re coming across the terms for the first time.
First Page
The book is an essential read to raise your awareness of the scams within the affiliate marketing industry.
About the Author
As a self-published author, Mark Smith has been active in the online business for several years. He shares his knowledge and proven strategies with the world in more than fifteen published books.
Conclusion
An interesting aspect you’ll learn is to identify fraudsters and avoid getting scammed throughout your journey. Otherwise, this book gives you the confidence to make bold moves as a beginner. You’ll become better and experience continuous growth in the process.
Work Energy by Jim Harmer
Description
What’s your work energy? The answer to this question is crucial, as explained in the book.
Using stories from his personal experiences, Jim Harmer offers practical information you can use to overcome procrastination and work towards achieving your goals.
You’ll learn how focusing and your work results are tied together. Then, explore ways to gain focus so you can take productive action to achieve the results you desire in your marketing endeavors.
Table of Contents
The table of contents shows that Work Energy is a unique book filled with life-changing concepts.
First Page
Work Energy is a great resource that can transform your whole life experience – not just your affiliate marketing journey.
About the Author
Jim Harmer is one of the notable names in online marketing. He co-founded income school – a program that teaches the ins and outs of affiliate marketing on different platforms.
Conclusion
The best affiliate marketing secrets, tactics, and strategies won’t be valuable to you if you don’t take action. We’ve included this book in our list to help you bridge the gap between planning and doing the work.
Best Affiliate Marketing Books for Program Managers
In this part, we share the best books about affiliate marketing program management. The information you’ll gain from these books can help take your online business to the next level.
You’ll develop the skills you need to design and manage your own affiliate programs. Successful companies like Amazon use this model to drive massive traffic to their stores and dominate the retail industry globally.
You can attain similar success within your niche if you follow the principles laid out in the following books:
Affiliate Program Management: An Hour A Day by Evgenii Prussakov
Description
Described by many as a manual, this book lays out all the details you need to know about affiliate program management.
The author organizes the information in the order you need to study and implement it. This prevents information overwhelm and allows you to scale your online business effortlessly.
In this manual, you’ll find:
- A task-based approach to creating, launching, and managing an affiliate marketing program successfully
- Detailed explanations on conducting marketing research, determining payment methods, best ways to recruit affiliates, etc.
Table of Contents
The chapters we’ve shared show you that Evgenii’s book is more of a training manual than anything else. There’s a monthly/ weekly task schedule you can follow.
The book has about 18 chapters (appx 400 pages) with valuable step-by-step information for those starting their affiliate program management journey and seasoned professionals.
First Page
You can transform your online business into a multi-million dollar empire by setting aside an hour a day to create your affiliate marketing program.
About the Author
Evgenii Prussakov is an award-winning affiliate management expert. His contribution to the field has shaped the affiliate industry and seen the success of large companies like Nokia and Forbes.
Conclusion
Affiliate Program Management is the best affiliate marketing book for beginners, intermediates, and pros looking to become affiliate program managers. It’s a well-crafted do-it-yourself comprehensive resource on the subject. The insights will open your mind to the possibilities of effective internet marketing.
The Complete Guide to Affiliate Marketing on the Web by Bruce C. Brown
Description
Using a different approach from Evgenii, Bruce Brown offers guidance on launching and managing an affiliate program. In his book, Bruce provides
- Case studies of how different companies use the affiliate marketing model to make massive profits
- Ideas on succeeding with various marketing platforms, like email marketing
Table of Contents
When you compare the table of contents of this book to that of Evgenii’s above, you’ll quickly see the difference in how the two authors approach the topic.
We recommend following Evgenii’s manual to set up your affiliate marketing program correctly and using Bruce’s ideas in chapter 12 as an add-on. You’ll create a unique program fit for your niche this way.
Also, follow the appendix and recommended reference library section in this book. It contains interviews and success stories from several affiliate marketing experts you can learn from and succeed.
First Page
The book teaches revenue-generating techniques to help you utilize different online platforms effectively.
About the Author
Bruce Brown is an award-winning author with about fifteen books published to his name.
Conclusion
You can use this book to familiarize yourself with different online marketing platforms. Keep in mind that every internet platform is a potential income stream.
Most tips and strategies outlined in the book will benefit beginners in affiliate program management. If you’re an intermediate or pro on this, use Evgenii’s manual instead.
Best Books On Affiliate Marketing (General)
Affiliate marketing is part of online marketing. For this reason, understanding how the online world works is the key to becoming an effective affiliate marketer.
Our list of the best books about online marketing will help you learn timeless principles you can apply throughout your affiliate marketing journey:
From Nothing by Ian Pribyl
Description
From Nothing is a book that’ll help you build your business online from scratch. Ian shows you how online marketing works using practical examples from his affiliate marketing journey. Also, you’ll learn how to create an online business cost-effectively.
Table of Contents
We find it interesting how the author primes your mind to succeed online in the first two chapters. It shows how Ian wants to help you get the results you set out to achieve.
You’ll realize this is true as you go through the practical steps offered across the eight chapters.
First Page
You don’t need much money to set up a business that’ll make you lots of money online. This is a message the author communicates clearly from the beginning.
About the Author
For over 15 years, Ian has been a super affiliate with several companies worldwide. He’s founded and operated e-commerce stores that have made 6-figure monthly revenues constantly.
Currently, he runs the marketing department for a start-up he co-owns.
Conclusion
From Nothing lays out a reliable way to make money online. You’ll learn everything, from niche selection and website creation, to keyword research and creating quality content that attracts the right traffic.
Ian has made it his mission to help people avoid scams and succeed online. It’s a great resource if you’re starting or if you’ve tried before but did not manage to make any money.
Performance Partnerships by Robert Glazer
Description
Performance Partnerships is the best book for affiliate marketing if you’d like to delve into some historical research. It offers perspectives on the origin of the affiliate marketing concept and its growth into the current state.
The book also provides predictions about the industry’s future. The author shows you how you can tap into the unlimited potential of affiliate marketing plus performance partnerships.
Table of Contents
The table above reveals the 3-generation historical ride this book will take you through.
First Page
With this book, you’ll understand the ideas behind the inner workings of the affiliate model.
About the Author
For over a decade, Robert Glazer has been a thought leader in affiliate marketing. He helps individuals and organizations elevate their marketing strategies.
Conclusion
Performance Partnerships is a book everyone who is serious about affiliate marketing should read. It’ll help you see the whole concept from a different angle.
You’ll understand the markets and how they shift. So you can create marketing plans and strategies that will generate great results for the long haul.
Trust Me I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday
Description
The book is as exciting as it sounds. It’s an insider’s account of how different media work, relayed through powerful storytelling.
Table of Contents
Understand how the blogosphere works and learn the tactics people use to grab your attention and make a profit from it.
First Page
The book makes for an exciting read, capturing your attention from the word go.
About the Author
Popularly known for his self-help books that have transformed the lives of many, Ryan Holiday is among the best-selling authors in the world. Some of his titles have been translated into 40 languages and sold over five million copies.
Conclusion
The book will make you more conscious about your content consumption, especially news from various media outlets.
You’ll also gain practical insights on creating great content that drives lots of traffic to your business. That is, if you’re keen to understand the underlying principles behind the stories in the book and apply them ethically.
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable by Seth Godin
Description
Have you ever seen a purple cow? How would you react if you saw one today? You’d pause to look closely, right? That’s the type of reaction you need to stand out online.
In this marketing classic, Seth Godin teaches you how to make your business conspicuous in a world where most companies prefer to stay safe. This takes half the load off your internet marketing efforts.
Table of Contents
This is a section of the book’s table of contents. Have you noticed how story-based the entire book is? It makes for an easy read on everything marketing, yes? That’s why we’re encouraging you to read it. So you don’t miss out on the valuable lessons that will increase your business’s visibility online.
First Page
Being remarkable in business is necessary to retain your customers. Learn more about this concept in the book.
About the Author
Seth is a force in Marketing. He is an inductee into the Marketing Hall of Fame and a distinguished member of the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. Most of his books are international bestsellers translated into over 35 languages.
Conclusion
What we love the most about Purple Cow is how Seth Godin uses real-life examples to support his ideas throughout the book. His counter-intuitive approaches to marketing will shift your entire perspective on building and promoting online businesses.
Crushing It! by Gary Vaynerchuck
Description
If you’re active on social media platforms, you have a brand already. You can choose to develop this brand into a business anytime with the help of Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Crushing It.
The book offers proven strategies for social media marketing and brand creation. Gary gives detailed breakdowns of how popular social media platforms work so anyone can grow their current social media presence into a profitable business.
Table of Contents
The author covers a variety of social media channels in this book, as laid out in the book’s table of contents above.
First Page
You can make money from the online activities you do daily, as Gary explains in his introduction.
About the Author
Gary runs VaynerMedia – a well-known digital agency. He also hosts the #AskGaryVee Show, where he shares valuable information on different aspects of online entrepreneurship.
Conclusion
We all use social media platforms. But not all of us understand their potential to make money. Crushing it changes how you view these social platforms. You’ll also have accurate information to start building your online business immediately.
Bonus – Affiliate Marketing Courses Without Water From Practitioners
Affiliate marketing courses are great if you are looking for someone to hold your hand throughout your affiliate marketing journey. However, not all courses are helpful.
We’ve analyzed a good number of them and picked the top five courses in the market currently:
Matt Diggity’s Affiliate Lab
As the name suggests, this course focuses on affiliate marketing 100%. Matt Diggity has created over 210 training videos on ranking, monetizing as an affiliate, and selling (flipping) affiliate websites for this course.
You pay $997 one-time or $597 in two monthly installments to access the videos and get free lifetime updates.
Amazonsales
This is a system for creating and developing Amazon review sites for Western countries in English. Its founders – Vyacheslav Ozerov & Oleg Glushchenko – run a blog on the Amazon affiliate program and deliver the course in Russian.
They’ve based the system’s materials on real projects with easy-to-follow examples and instructions.
It costs $400. It helps if you have basic knowledge of using WordPress, registering a domain/ hosting, and setting up mail for a brand new site to get the most out of this course.
The Authority Site System
The course creators, Mark Webster and Gael Breton, show you how to create an affiliate content publishing business from scratch.
You can pay a one-time fee of $997 or $249 monthly for six months to access the comprehensive video-trainings.
The training includes real case studies you can learn from on a daily. You’ll also get free updates on the course material for life.
Income School
Created by online marketing experts Ricky Kesler and Jim Harmer, Income School will give you a solid base to build and launch your affiliate business.
Their system, commonly called Project 24, is a library of approximately 27 detailed courses to help you succeed in your online endeavors.
You’ll unlock the project’s content by paying $449 for the first year. Then $249 for every additional year afterward. Every course is well-structured and easy to follow, even if you’re a beginner.
The most appealing bit about this course is the presence of a community and milestones to track the program’s impact on your business.
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, a renowned blogger in the finance space, created this course to share her affiliate journey.
She shows you how she grew her affiliate business from $0 to over $50,000 monthly income so you can do the same.
The course costs $ 197 for one-off payments or $105 monthly for two months.
Best Affiliate Marketing Books – Final advice!
Affiliate Marketing can seem intimidating, particularly when starting. Almost all the books about affiliate marketing out there target beginners. So it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the amount of information and not know where to start. This review should clarify things for you.
If you’re an absolute beginner, we recommend reading Work Energy by Jim Harmer to set your mind right before you hit the ground running.
Afterward, use the Affiliate Marketing System by Chandler Wright to get started.
As for seasoned pros, begin transforming your business with Purple Cow today.
Should you try your hand at the Amazon affiliate marketing program, you can also explore our informative blog content and free tools to simplify your journey.
