Step-by-Step Guide for Self-published Indie Authors/Publishers
This is a very quick instructional post for joining the Amazon Associates affiliate program.
Let’s start!
Post Contents
Joining Amazon Associates to create your Associate ID
Search Amazon Associates.
From the search results, choose the appropriate Amazon Associates to join.
For instance, Amazon.com, .ca, .co.uk, .co.jp etc.
In this tutorial, I’m going to choose Amazon.com Associates.
So, I click on the https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/ link.
Just click the link, or copy and paste the URL address in your Internet browser’s address bar.
Press Join Now for Free.
Sign in with your Amazon account login info.
Don’t have an Amazon account?
Click on Create your Amazon account.
Create an Amazon account and Sign in.
Your Account Information
Choose an account/your account for Amazon Associates under
To whom should we issue payments?
By default, your primary Amazon address will be displayed.
Go ahead with Next or click Select Different Address to choose from addresses in your Amazon account.
(Amazon saves delivery addresses of whomever you’ve sent stuff to – individuals, businesses, presents, gifts!)
Also, select an option under
Who is the main contact for this account?
Click Next.
Your Website and Mobile App List
Under Enter Your Website(s) textbox, copy/paste or type in the exact URL address of your website(s), for example, https://WebsiteName.com then click Add. It will come out as WebsiteName.com.
For instance, https://fractionsvisually.com becomes fractionsvisually.com, in the space below.
Enter Your Mobile App URL(s)
Here, I simply copied and pasted the URL of my Author Page/Amazon ASIN (short for Amazon Standard Item Number).
According to Amazon, “ASIN is a 10-digit code that Amazon uses to denote specific products.”
That’s a Kindle e-book number, 10-digit ISBN-10 number of a book or your Amazon Author Page (aka Detail Page).
Mine is B007YKU7F2 and on Amazon.com as https://www.amazon.com/Eng-S-Jama/e/B007YKU7F2.
Yours might be similar or slightly different in format, for instance, https://www.amazon.com/dp/ASIN.
In short, I entered my Mobile App URL(s) as https://www.amazon.com/Eng-S-Jama/e/B007YKU7F2.
Once clicked Add, it’s formatted as amazon.com/Eng-S-Jama/e/B007YKU7F2.
Click Next (or Previous if you have to correct or modify info).
PS; Creating Your Amazon Associates Account bar shows your progress with a green tick on each task completed.
So far, only ‘Account Information’ is complete, and Website and Mobile App List is open/being edited.
Are any of the websites or mobile apps listed above directed primarily at children under 13?
These websites and mobile apps are not eligible to display banners, widgets, special links, or other ads from Amazon Associates. You are required to declare this information…
Confirm as applicable, Yes or No.
Profile
What is you preferred Associate Store ID?
FractionsVisually
Your Website List and Your Mobile App List will show as listed in previous page.
What are your websites or mobile apps about?
‘Visual maths fractions.
To make learning maths fractions extremely simple and visual for everyone, especially children.
It’s much easier to understand something when you can visualise it.
Hence, Fractions Visually.’
Which of the following topics best describes your websites and mobile apps?
Select primary topic: Books
Select secondary topic: Education/School/Reference/News.
What type of Amazon items do you intend to list on your websites or mobile apps?
Books, Kindle.
What type are your websites or mobile apps?
Select primary type: Content or Niche Website
Select secondary type: Blog
Traffic & monetization
How do you drive traffic to your website(s)?
Email, Offline, Social Networks, Forums, SEO, Blogs, Other
How do you utilize your websites and apps to generate income?
Select primary: Amazon Associates is the only way I monetize my site
Select secondary: Amazon Associates is the only way I monetize my site
How do you usually build links?
Blog Editor (e.g. Blogger, WordPress, Typepad)
How many total unique visitors do your websites and apps get per month?
Less that 500
What is your primary reason for joining the Amazon Associates Program?
To monetize my site.
How did you hear about us?
Online search
Type the characters in the above image
Enter the CAPTCHA code. If image is shown again, re-enter the new code.
When finished, click Next.
Your Identity Verification
Enter Telephone Number
Input your exact phone number including international std/country prefix code as prompted.
eg +44 1234567890.
(A quick process follows! You may have to try or retry more than once! So don’t panic. See ‘ Identity Verification is a 3 step process’ list on right hand side of image)
Press Call Me Now.
A four-digit PIN number pops up underneath your telephone number on computer screen. eg Phone PIN: 4884.
At the same time, you will get a call (from +1 206-922-0880?) on your phone.
Answer the automated message and enter the 4-digit PIN # using your phone’s keypad.
That’s it.
“Congratulations, your Identity Verification is complete. Please accept the Operating Agreement and submit your application.”
Operating Agreement.
Tick/check the box to agree to the Ts&Cs of the Associates Program Operating Agreement.
Then click Finish.
“Congrats, you so and SO!
Thank you for applying to the Amazon.com Associates Program”
Your unique Associate ID is fractionsxxxx–xx
(FractionsVisually is truncated! Should have chosen a shorter name of 9 to 13 characters long?)
Enter your Payment and Tax Information
Choose Now or Later.
I chose Now to enter my details there and then.
Your Payment Method
For non-US with no US bank for direct deposit, there are only 2 options:
Pay me by Amazon.com gift card or Pay me by check.
You can opt for a gift card or check (cheque).
If you choose Pay me by direct deposit, you need to enter your bank details; Bank Location, Bank Name, Bank Account Holder Name, Bank Account Type, Bank Account Number and Routing Number / ABA Number.
Click on Submit and Continue with Tax Information.
Optionally, you can ‘Skip Payment and Continue with Tax Information’?
Tax Information Interview
Who will receive income from Amazon or its subsidiary?
Individual/Sole-Proprietor
For U.S. tax purposes, are you a U.S. person
No.
Click Save and continue
Tax Information Interview
Tax Information
Type of beneficial owner: individual
Country Of Citizenship: United Kingdom
Full name: Your name.
Permanent address: Your address
Permanent address/Mailing Address: Same or different?
Select as applicable.
Are you an agent acting as an intermediary?
No
Save and Continue
Location of services performed
Select ‘All services are performed outside the U.S.‘
Tick/check ‘I will provide notification in writing or by retaking the tax information interview should the location of the services provided to Amazon or its subsidiary change.’
Tax identification number (TIN)
Select ‘I have a foreign (non-U.S.) income tax identification number‘
Save and Continue
Tax Information Interview
Foreign (non-U.S.) income tax identification number (TIN)
Foreign (non-U.S.): 12-3456789 i.e 9-digit number.
Tick ‘I confirm that my foreign (non-U.S.) TIN is correct and is used for income tax purposes.‘
Save and Continue
PS; Don’t have a TIN/ITIN/EIN number?
Please, search background information on the Internet about TIN/ITIN/EIN, if you need one and if so how to apply one. For instance, check here for a start.
Tax Information Interview
Check Tax withholding rate, Review …
…. Part I, Part II …
… and Part III.
All fine and in order?
Save and continue
(We’ll sign and date the form later. Nearly there, just past the 60% mark on progress!
)
Tax Information Interview
Consent to electronic delivery of Form 1042-S
Form 1042-S delivery preference: Select ‘Go paperless, I want to receive my Form 1042-S electronically’.
Consent to electronic signature
Electronic signature choose ‘I consent to provide my electronic signature.’
Electronic signature
Tick all (6) boxes.
Signature of beneficial owner (or individual authorized to sign for beneficial owner): Type your name
Check Date, E-mail address and Capacity (Individual).
Then Submit.
Now, it’s not a bad idea to print your completed Tax Information Interview/IRS Form W-8 and also to save? it (as .mht or similar file format) for reference).
Press Exit Interview.
Amazon.com Associates Central
(Sounds like an inter-continental railway station that connects North America and Latin America. May be that’s what J Bezos has in store next!)
That’s the end of Step 1 – Joining the Amazon Associates affiliate Program (the initial journey to get to Amazon Associates Central!)
Linking (affiliating) a product(s) on your website, using your Amazon Associates ID created in Step 1
Let’s go back to author website.
Login to your website using WordPress Log In to WP Dashboard or whatever means of accessing your website’s admin area.
Find a product image or text, for instance a book cover or title, to link.
Select it by clicking on image or text.
Once highlighted, click on ‘Insert/edit ink‘ on post editor toolbar.
Copy the entire URL address with Associate ID link, eg https://www.amazon.com/Eng-S-Jama/e/B007YKU7F2/ref=nosim?tag=fractionsxxx-xx, and paste it in the link box.
Press Enter key.
Next, click on Update for the change to take effect.
Click on Preview to view how page/link will look on screen.
Visit your website and check if the Associate link is working correctly.
First, hover the mouse over the product image/text to reveal where the link is pointing to.
Next, click on the link to verify if it actually takes you to the desired Amazon site/page.
That’s it for Step 2; creating links by inserting the Amazon.com Associates ID.
Login to your Amazon Associates account to monitor your stats; earnings and clicks among others
On the same page (where the link has taken you to), scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of page until you see Become an Affiliate under the heading Make Money with Us in white text on a black/dark-blue background panel.
Click on Become an Affiliate.
It will lead you to the Amazon.com Associates affiliate page.
Click on Login (as we’ve already created/had an Amazon account).
Sign in with your Amazon account details.
There you have it. We are in Amazon.com Associates Central.
In the panel under the flags, you can check your Earnings Overview (bottom left) and other stats summary (bottom right).
To the right of Amazonassociates icon/label, there are 3 drop-down menus:
1) Notifications (bell symbol on left of your email address): latest updates from Amazon etc.
2) Your email address: Account Settings, Payment History, Manage Your Traffic IDs and Sign Out for login out from Amazon.com Associates.
3) Amazon countries/’Stores‘ with currently Signed in ‘Store‘ ID and flag on top.
Below these drop-down menus, there is another menu bar with Home, Product Linking, Promotions, Tools, Reports, Help …
as well as a New: OneLink (sounds promising but have not explored it yet).
That’s all on How to Join Amazon.com Associates – USA.
Please, leave your comments and corrections.
Thanks.
About the Author
| Eng S Jama is an experienced electronics engineer turned an educational tutor and author of Visual Maths Fractions For Visual Learner Folks™, Who Find Text-based Fractions No Fun. |
| FRACTIONS VISUALLY™ is a VISUAL MATHS FRACTIONS resource For Visual Learner Folks™, Who Find Text-based Fractions No Fun. That's children who think fractions are no fun and grown-ups who have never found the best visual resources to master basic maths fractions. Ages 5-11, Grades Kindergarten-5th grader or Year group 1-6 in primary education (infants, elementary and junior schools). ADDING FRACTIONS STEP-BY-STEP is for students and older learners struggling with adding fractions. Ages 11-16, Grades 6th-10th grade or Year group 7-11 in secondary education (middle, senior and high schools). |
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