One of the last things I needed to write for Profit From Prints was an affiliate resources page.
That surprised me.
Not because affiliates are unusual in this space, they aren’t, but because writing that page forced me to be very explicit about what I’m willing to be associated with and what I’m not.
Most affiliate pages are written as recruitment tools.
They’re upbeat, incentive-driven, and framed around potential. That approach didn’t fit this product at all.
So instead of asking “How do I get affiliates?”
I asked a different question:
“What would an affiliate page look like if it existed only to prevent misrepresentation?”
That question changed everything.
Why an Affiliate Page Was Necessary at All
I could have avoided affiliates entirely.
But the reality is simple: Profit From Prints has no built-in audience.
It isn’t optimised for search, and it isn’t something I want to push repeatedly through my own writing.
If people are going to find it, some of that discovery will come through other people pointing to it.
An affiliate page wasn’t about growth.
It was about accuracy.
If someone is going to promote the product, I want them to understand:
- what it actually is
- what it deliberately isn’t
- what language is acceptable
- what language is not
Writing that down once is far easier than correcting misunderstandings later.
Choosing Restraint Over Recruitment
I made a deliberate decision not to “recruit” affiliates in the usual sense.
- There’s no call to action that says “Join now”.
- No bonus structure.
- No swipe-heavy hype.
Instead, the affiliate page reads more like documentation than marketing. It explains:
- the product’s position
- the boundaries around promotion
- the kind of claims that are explicitly disallowed
If someone reads that page and decides it’s not something they want to promote, that’s a good outcome.
This product doesn’t need enthusiastic promotion. It needs accurate references.
Tone Is a Filter
The tone of the affiliate page is doing quiet work.
It filters out:
- people who rely on urgency
- people who need outcome promises
- people who want to exaggerate for conversion
And it leaves space for:
- writers
- bloggers
- people with small, thoughtful audiences
- people who are comfortable saying “this exists” rather than “this will change your life”
I’m much more interested in the second group.
Promotion as Citation, Not Persuasion
The way I hope Profit From Prints is shared is closer to citation than persuasion.
Not:
“You need this.”
But:
“This exists, and you might find it useful.”
That distinction matters.
It reduces pressure on the buyer.
It reduces responsibility on me.
And it keeps the product aligned with how it was built: as a finished record, not an ongoing pitch.
The Page Exists So I Don’t Have to Think About It Again
The real benefit of writing the affiliate page wasn’t recruitment.
It was closure.
Once the rules were written down, clearly and calmly, I stopped worrying about how the product might be framed elsewhere.
Anyone who wants to promote it now has a reference point.
Anyone who doesn’t align with it will self-select out.
That’s enough.
Links:
– Profit From Prints
– Affiliate Resources
