Recently we ran into yet another problem with our affiliate links at Amazon, our main source of income. In the process of solving that problem, I got ACTUAL FACTS from Amazon about how to make sure that purchases you buy from Amazon support AAR. Here’s what they said:

Please note that your Associate links need to be embedded into your website or social media platform in order for any clicks to start a session window for qualifying referral fees. This includes clicks from mobile devices when opened in the device browser. Associate links can only be used on approved websites and are not permitted to be used in e-mails, newsletters, messenger apps, or in any other manner where they can be saved offline. You may earn an advertising fee for any qualifying items placed in a customer’s shopping cart during a 24-hour session window. This window begins at the time a visitor clicks through your Associates link. However, the session window will close if the customer submits their order or reenters Amazon.com through another Associate’s link. Once the session expires, any additional purchases will not earn advertising fees for your Associates account. If the customer returns to Amazon.com through your Associates link, this will generate a new session window. As long as the item was added to the shopping cart during the session window, you’ll earn advertising fees on this item even if the actual order is placed several weeks later.

For Example: Let’s say one of your customers clicks on a book on your site but they decide not to buy the book, and decide to buy a pair of shoes instead. As long as your customer did not leave Amazon.com after the first initial click from your site, you will receive an advertising fee for the pair of shoes purchased within that shopping session.

Got that? In order to support AAR, you must click through to Amazon FROM OUR SITE and purchase whatever it is you’re buying IN THAT SESSION. You can leave your window open for up to 24 hours, but even if you put something in the cart and then leave Amazon and then come back and buy the product, we will not get credit.

As I’ve said six hundred million times, AAR earns, on average 4 cents on every dollar you spend. Books are so inexpensive that they really aren’t what sustains us. For example, yesterday readers bought 24 copies of After Dark with the Duke and we made $1.90. Besides Long’s book, our readers bought $199.00 worth of goods, including books, and we earned $7.68. (Amazon’s earning rates vary–on food items, we make 1 cent for every dollar.) Over the last month, we’ve brought in $390.12 on sales of $11,700.73. Our biggest single earner? A nail dipping kit that garnered us $4.19.

That’s where we are and how it works! Thank you for your support.