If you want to learn from the best, I suggest you start with Amazon. Sure they are the biggest, but there is a reason. They are good. They publish a newsletter and have an entire section of their site devoted to helping you become the best affiliate possible. They provide a variety of ways to create links, and their traffic and sales reports are first rate.

Finding products to sell is easy. I think it's fun to be able to see a good author on tv, find their book on Amazon, and start selling it on my site literally within minutes. I put together some good books about internet marketing on this page. I encourage you to buy lots of them so you can truly experience Amazon.

Make sure you look into using Google adsense. You may have noticed I have placed their ads all over my site. It is a great way to monetize your content.  Apply at Google.

Now as far as finding affiliate programs, I recommend you start with these four, Commission Junction, LinkShare , The Pepperjam Network and Google Affiliate Network. There are lots of other websites that list and rate affiliate programs. Many directories have the same content and are filled with many "questionable offers." I strongly urge you to research any company you would like to promote.

These sites essentially work the same way. After you register you can search through all their clients websites and apply to as many as you would like. You will be amazed at how many different things are out there for you to sell.  You can go to a site named Cafe Press and sell your own ideas.

All of these companies provide you with detailed reports that include impressions, click thrus and revenue earned. This is valuable information you can use to evaluate each link's effectiveness. Try different banners and experiment with text links. If you find something that works, stick with it. It's not an easy thing to do!