Books.
They’ve been around for centuries.
And even though the world has evolved and gone digital…
…books have evolved with it and taken up a ton of new forms (ebooks, audiobooks, and such).
My point?
There are millions of people out there looking out for their next great read.
So if you’re passionate about books, building a book affiliate marketing brand will be super fun (and profitable) for you.
But how do you monetize your site?
Which book affiliate programs should you promote for the highest commissions?
In this blog, we’ll go over the top 15 book affiliate programs for 2023.
Ready to get started?
Let’s go!
15 Book Affiliate Programs that’ll Boost Your Income in 2023
Truth be told, books are cheap items and you can’t expect to get hundreds of dollars from each sale.
But you can turn this into an advantage.
Because books are affordable, more people can buy them.
This means that if you rack up a strong following, it won’t be long before you start making a good income from your book affiliate marketing site.
To begin, here are 15 of the best book affiliate programs you can promote.
1. Textbook Solutions Affiliate Program
Source: getlasso.co
Commissions: 30%
Cookie window: 24 hours
Let’s face it.
Textbooks are expensive.
Think back to your college days and remember how much you spent exclusively on them.
And if you were in college 30 years ago…
…you’ll be amazed to find out how much prices have risen.
In fact, students spent $1,240 on textbooks and supplies in 2021.
(Wow!)
This is where Textbook Solutions comes in.
The company’s mission is to make textbooks 90% cheaper for students by offering rentals.
So if you think your audience is composed of thrifty college students looking for a way to make big savings in 2023…
…they’ll love to hear about Textbook Solutions.
The best part?
You’ll make 30% in commissions for each referral you make.
The downside is that their cookie window is super limited (only 24 hours).
But since their service is truly unique and helpful, you’ll probably get a ton of buy-ins before your one-day cookie window is up.
2. Premier Collectibles Affiliate Program
Source: getlasso.co
Commissions: 15%
Cookie window: 60 days
Are you a book nerd?
If yes, your biggest dream is probably to unearth a first edition or a signed copy of your favorite book in some obscure second hand bookstore.
Good news.
You don’t need to hunt unknown bookstores to find what you’re looking for.
That’s because there’s Premier Collectibles, an online bookstore dedicated to rare books, book signings, signed copies, and first editions.
If your followers are bookworms at heart, you know they’ll be jumping up and down for the chance to snag a rare first edition signed by their favorite author.
This site is also excellent for gift hunters searching out that once-in-a-lifetime present for a loved one.
As an affiliate partner, you’ll get pretty good commissions (15% with a 60-day cookie window).
Considering rare books range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, your earnings could spiral upwards quicker than you think.
3. EBooks.com Affiliate Program
Source: ebooks.com
Commissions: 8-15%
Cookie window: 45 days
The truth is, books will never die.
Sure, a ton of bookstores have closed around the world (sad fact).
The digital era is upon us, replacing paper with screens.
But books are alive and well.
In fact, they’ve evolved into more affordable and accessible forms such as ebooks and audio books.
So if your audience is into binge-reading through their Kindle device, phone, or tablet…
…you should tell them about eBooks.com.
Sure, the website looks a tad old-fashioned.
But they have every book under the sun available, and you’ll earn attractive commissions for each referral you make.
The more people buy from your links, the more you’ll earn (you’ll get 8% if you make below $499 in sales, and up to 15% if you make $2,000+ in sales).
Plus, the cookie window is set for six weeks, which is more than enough time for your audience to make a book-buying decision.
4. Calendar Club Affiliate Program
Source: calendar-club.groovehq.com
Commissions: 5-10%
Cookie window: 45 days
What bookworm doesn’t love a good calendar?
(Hint: no bookworm ever.)
And when a book nerd is given the chance to pick from over 6,000 calendars…
…they’ll likely go berserk and panic buy everything on their screen.
Which is why you need to tell your audience about Calendar Club.
No, it’s not really a bookstore.
But it does offer book-themed calendars any bookworm will fall for.
To add to that, it has unique items such as vintage maps, diaries, planners, and games that’ll fit nicely into anyone’s personal library or gift list.
On your part as an affiliate marketer, things look pretty good as well.
You’ll make a 5% commission on their items, which boosts up to 10% if you sell their calendars.
With a 45-day cookie window, the outlook really is bright for you.
5. AudioooksNow Affiliate Program
Source: audiobooksnow.com
Commissions: 10%
Cookie window: 15 days
Here’s a fact your probably already know.
Life is no longer chill and slow-paced.
Not many people have the luxury of watching the sunrise while sipping a cup of coffee and immersing themselves into one whole hour of relaxed reading.
This is where audio books fit in.
Audio books are the perfect solution for people on-the-go, who still want to reap the benefits of absorbing good books on a regular basis.
So if your audience loves “reading” on the train, in the car, or on a trip down the aisles of the nearest grocery store…
…you should tell them about AudiobooksNow.
They’ll love the platform, which offers more than 80,000 titles to select from.
When they buy, you’ll get a 15% commission through ShareASale.
You’ll also have a 15-day cookie window to accommodate those uncertain buyers who need longer to decide which book they want to dive into.
6. ThriftBooks Affiliate Program
Source: getlasso.co
Commissions: 4-6.5%
Cookie window: 7 days
Sad fact.
Humans have done a lot to ruin our beautiful earth.
But it’s definitely not the end.
There are a ton of ways to save, conserve, and build Earth back to its former glory.
And if you’re a book lover, you can do it through ThriftBooks.
That’s because ThriftBooks’ mission is that not a single book will enter a landfill.
They buy and sell used books, plus offer 100% recyclable packaging.
Think your audience will be interested in saving the planet while immersing themselves in their favorite reads?
Tell them about ThriftBooks.
When you do, you’ll get a 4-6.5% commission on each sale, with a 7-day cookie window.
Not bad, when you think you’re doing something to save our home planet!
7. Indigo Books Affiliate Program
Source: chapters.indigo.ca
Commissions: 2-10%
Cookie window: 7 days
Indigo is an online bookstore that claims to be Canada’s largest.
And since it’s been around since 1940, you can well enough believe them.
Although Indigo’s focus is on kids’ books, it has a wide variety of teen and adult books as well…
…plus other items such as toys, paper, electronics, and gift items.
When you join their affiliate program, you’ll have great news to tell your audience:
They have huge sales of up to 50% on special days.
Sure, their commission rate of 2-10% may sound confusing at first.
But here’s the lowdown on it:
- You’ll get a 5% commission on every book you sell.
- You’ll get 2-10% if a referral signs up for their rewards program.
Not bad at all, considering the store is huge and has already racked up a great deal of trust in its 82 years of existence!
8. BookShop Affiliate Program
Source: bookshop.org
Comissions: 10%
Cookie window: Unknown
Feel sad because the book culture is slowly dying out in today’s digital world?
I feel you.
There’s nothing gloomier than the news that yet another small local bookstore has shut down.
Don’t worry, though.
You can do something about it.
First, become an parter of Bookshop’s affiliate program.
When you sell a book, you’ll get 10% commission…
…plus a 10% matched donation to local bookstores and publications.
So not only will you be making a nice side income, you’ll also be helping revive the book culture around the world.
Three cheers for you!
9. Barnes and Noble Affiliate Program
Source: barnesandnoble.com
Commissions: 2-4%
Cookie window: 24 hours
Never heard of Barnes and Noble?
You’ve probably been living under a giant rock.
Or you aren’t a booklover, in which case I have no idea why you’re reading this blog. 🤷🏽♂️
Case in point: everyone who reads books has heard about Barnes and Noble.
Which means if you become their affiliate, trust won’t be an issue with your audience.
Sure, the company only offers a 2% commission on their books (this amount rises up to 4% when you promote Nook, their e-reader).
But since they’re so popular and have a stock of up to one million books at a time, it won’t be hard for you to rack up a nice side income.
Note, though, that you probably won’t make enough to quit your job and start living on a beach.
It’s best to treat Barnes and Noble’s affiliate program as a nice part of your book affiliate marketing strategy, not the whole of it.
10. Bigger Books Affiliate Program
Source: biggerbooks.com
Commissions: 5.5%
Cookie window: 30 days
Let’s go back to textbooks.
As mentioned above, textbooks are super expensive.
That’s why students are on the lookout for cheaper options like rentals or used books.
As a Bigger Books affiliate, you can offer them both.
The company is all for helping students make and save money – you can promote their used textbooks or sell some old textbooks of your own.
To make things even better, Bigger Books offers e-textbooks, replacing pricey and heavy books with a simpler, cheaper counterpart.
As an affiliate, you’ll be helping students survive the rough college years…
…while making a decent income on the side.
11. Eagle Saver Affiliate Program
Source: eaglesaver.com
Commissions: 5%
Cookie window: 45 days
Tired of pushing your audience to buy stuff?
Here’s a chance to give them the option of earning instead:
Tell them about Eagle Saver.
Eagle Saver is a company that buys used books, CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and games for cash.
The best part is, their conversion rate is a whopping 28%.
I mean, who doesn’t want to earn extra cash for stuff that’s only taking up space in the basement?
12. Thrift Books Affiliate Program
Source: thriftbooks.com
Commissions: 5-8%
Cookie window: 7 days
Yes, books are an affordable form of entertainment.
But the truth is, if you buy a whole box of hardbounds, the price can soar up and actually cost you more than a trip to the park or a coffee out with friends.
Which is why buying used books is so great.
When you find a good source of used books, you can get a whole box of books for the price of a single hardbound.
Yup!
Rejoice, booklovers.
Because with Thrift Books, you can choose from up to seven million different titles, filling up your personal library without breaking the bank.
And there’s better news.
When you tell your audience about it, you get a 5% commission on each sale you make.
Plus, if you’re able to refer $10,000 in sales each month, this figure goes up to 8%.
So, go ahead.
Tell your book-loving followers about the awesome deals over at Thrift Books.
13. Second Sale Affiliate Program
Source: secondsale.com
Commissions: 5%
Cookie window: 90 days
Speaking of affordable used books, here’s another option to tell your followers about.
SecondSale has millions of new and used books, with pricing as low as $3.78 per book.
Gasp!
Another great thing about the company is that it also buys used books.
So your bookworm audience gets two benefits…a huge source of affordable books, and a way to make extra cash for books they no longer want to keep.
When you refer a sale, you’ll get a 5% commission.
SecondSale’s 90-day cookie window isn’t bad either.
14. Vital Source Affiliate Program
Source: vitalsource.com
Commissions: 3%
Cookie window: 30 days
As mentioned earlier, college textbooks are expensive.
Plus, the amount of trees needed to come up with all the textbooks for a whole year…
…is just sad.
To make a difference, you can get your textbooks at VitalSource.
Yup, it’s the exact same textbook, but this time in the form of an ebook.
When you choose VitalSource, you won’t only be saving trees, but money too.
That’s because the company’s partnership with 7,000 educational institutions, 1,000 publishers, and 500 stores allows them to offer their goods at up to 80% less than the original prices.
Think your audience includes a lot of well-meaning students?
They’ll love you when you tell them about VitalSource.
Sure, the commission rate is only 3%.
But since their offers are almost unmatched, you can expect a large portion of your leads to turn into customers.
15. Amazon Associates Affiliate Program
Source: affiliate-program.amazon.com
Commissions: 4.5%
Cookie window: 24 hours
Ok, so a ton of people are saying joining Amazon Associates isn’t worth it.
According to them, a 4.5% commission rate (on books) and a 24-hour cookie window aren’t all that great.
But here’s the thing:
Amazon has earned huge trust over the years.
So when you tell your audience about a great book deal on the platform, chances are they won’t hesitate to snag it.
My point?
While Amazon Associates shouldn’t be the only program you join, adding it to your arsenal of programs is a good idea.
The Best Book Affiliates to Make You More Money in 2023
Love books?
You’re not alone.
Which is great, if you plan to make a nice side income from your passion for the written word.
But the truth is, not all book affiliate programs are worth their weight in gold.
You owe it to your audience (and to yourself) to pick out the best programs to promote.
Don’t worry, though.
Now that you’ve gone through this list, you know which ones will please your followers and earn you a nice fat income on the side.
