Does anyone really make money with affiliates?

Does anybody really make money with affiliates?

Hmmm, I can't say I didn't ask myself that exact question a time or two. Much like Sasquatch, the affiliate that actually makes money online, sometimes seems like a legend.

When I started my search for "online riches" it all seemed so simple.

After all I'd put myself through college (double major), as a single parent, got straight A's while doing it, and held down a full-time job at the same time. . . hell, I was smart enough to pick up online marketing right?

Especially if there was a "proven system" to follow, I had it made in the shade. . .

My Masterplan:

I'd work on my "business" for couple months, retire and live the good life (just like all those folks they advertise on the web). . . I had it all planned out.

Guess what? I got ripped off! Amazing.

Whooda thought there'd be liars and cheats out there, just waiting for some poor (educated) sap to come along and plunk down a couple hundred bucks for their "proven system"?

Okay I admit it, I got greedy, I didn't think about the big picture of what business actually was: here's Wikipedia's definition of business.

I thought I was smart enough to sniff a scam out from a mile away. And doesn't the "Better Business Bureau" watch out for stuff like that anyways?

My Vision of the Future

I tricked myself into believing there was some magic button out there that would miraculously make you rich.

I watched "The Secret" after all. I focused on what I wanted: I didn't want to work so hard, I wanted to get paid more for the work I did, and I really wanted to get rich just like all those smiling people on the websites.

I wanted to travel to different countries, sit on the beach in Jamaica sipping mai-thais, go deep-sea fishing in Baja, and drink wine in Venice.

But in reality, there I was, staring at my computer screen, confused, a little pissed off, and nowhere close to making money on the Internet.

Sasquatch had gotten away again!

Here's What I Did About It

I went right out and got ripped off a few more times falling for salesletters that made all the sense in the world. I guess I figured that if I was paying for all this information somebody was making money on the Internet. I just needed to figure out how. . .

And only when I stopped looking for Sasquatch did I find him

So I really dug deep within myself to find out how to market on the Internet, and slowly it started making more and more sense. I stopped listening to the folks that were talking about Sasquatch.

I dug deep into the things I was passionate about. I looked at markets that had people searching for information totally unrelated to "making money on the Internet."

And there he was standing in all his glory. . . the legendary Sasquatch, a little less exciting than I had imagined him, a little harder to find than I had pictured, but I had begun making money with affiliate programs. . . and you know what?

It wasn't as hard as you might think.

_{I believe we all have a personal Sasquatch, just waiting for us to find and claim as our own.}

_{There was this book I read when I was a kid, you can see a picture of it on the right. It's called "There's No Such Thing As A Dragon"}

_{It's a great story about a boy with a tiny dragon in his room, he tells his mom about it, and she of course says "there's no such thing as a dragon." The more the boy's mom ignores the dragon and convinces the boy dragons don't exist, the bigger the dragon gets; until finally it runs off with their house. And they can't deny that dragons exist anymore.}

_{Step #1 - Admit you have a dragon living in your house. . . even if you can't see it now}

_{Sasquatch, affiliates who make money, and dragons have gotten a bad rap for being make believe. To nonbelievers, thos who believe in such elusive creatures are to be ignored, or worse ridiculed.}

_{Your personal Sasquatch wants to be found. If it didn't you'd have no reason to go looking for it in the first place. . . Admitting you have a dragon you'd like to find is the first step toward manifesting it in your life (I love mixed metaphors).}

_{Like an addict who wants to recover, the first step to recovery is recognizing you have a problem. Why do you think addicts claim their addiction every time they introduce themselves at a meeting? In a room full of people who don't believe in Saquatch (or dragons) having your own personal Sasquatch can feel embarrasing, but you must claim it as your own.}

_{Step #2 - There are not shortcuts to finding Sasquatch}

_{But there is a map.}

_{How many times have you felt utterly alone in the world? I know I have. Like most people who have spent time searching for something most people don't even believe exists, I have been subject to ridicule and scorn from friends, family, and strangers. . . most people who go in search of monsters are thought to be a little weird.}

_{"Monsters don't exist," they'll tell you. Don't believe them}

_{What do you think most people thought of Columbus when he sailed in the wrong direction for "India," or Galileo when he gave birth to modern science?}

_{"Normal" people would tell you they were kooks. But you don't have to be. There is a map you can follow to earning money from affiliate programs.}

_{Step #3 - Panning For Gold. . . In your Own Back Yard?}

_{Yep, you're going to have to get real with yourself. Tap into those innate qualities within yourself that make you the unique special person you are.}

_{There's nothing amazing about making money with affiliates. You put in the work, you stop listening to the scammers, you get to know people who have the same likes and interests as you do. And you talk (I mean write) to them like a real person, when you do this you will make money as an affiliate.}

_{It's really as simple as that. Need a lesson in writing like you're talking to your best friend? Here's a great free resource.}

_{Step #4 - Slay The Dragon; Love It to Death}

_{You are very close now to finding your personal monster. The thing that has kept you up at night since you were a little kid, gnawing at you from under the bed. Scaring you, reminding you that you are special. It's time to embrace that monster under your bed.}

_{All good things come to those who have faith. You've waited a long time for this. Realize there are thousands of affiliate programs out there, and millions of people. Billions.}

_{If you're trying to earn money with affiliates by trying to sell "how to earn money with affiliates" types of programs, you're not mining the gold in your own backyard.}

_{Nurture your monster, make it go away by accepting yourself and where you are. Realize you have something wonderful to offer the world, then do it. If you need a list of passions you might be interested in, I'd love to show you mine.}