Affiliate marketing is the process of selling and earning commissions for a sale of a product you do not own. A product maker creates a product whether it is a physical item, a digital item, software or coaching, and invests in all things needed to get it to market. They will pay for the website, the product design and creation and the product support and then recruit affiliates to help promote and sell it. So as an affiliate you only need to promote the goods and get paid for doing so.Revenue is shared between product vendor and affiliate and this commission can vary a lot depending on the product type. The incentive for the seller is that they can have many people promoting, recommending and sending them traffic giving them a much greater foothold in the market. The affiliate benefits by avoiding the complex process of designing and creating a product and not having to deal with any customer service issues. In reality, the purchaser may not even realize that an affiliate was involved in the sale process.In order to get paid you have to check how the affiliate program is managed and what their terms are. If the merchant sets up their own affiliate system then they will advise you how frequently you will get paid. If they are using an affiliate program set up by a third party you will most often be paid once or twice a month. A good affiliate program will always allow you to follow your stats and track how many people you have referred and how many sales you have made. When selecting a product to sell it is important you take a look at the sales page first. If you are convinced by it then this is a good sign. A sales page should have good copy and proof that the product works in the form of testimonials or case studies. If you do not understand the market then take a look at related products and see how each stacks up. Next take a look at the affiliate resource area. This should include a number of tools to help you promote such as banners and graphics, articles, email examples and possibly a free bonus you can give away.If you can find a commission that gives over 50% then this is very promising. If you come across a product that is reasonably expensive but is a reliable converter then you have a good product. Also find out about any additional offers such as a one-time-offer that will raise your commission levels. Best of all is a monthly recurring continuity program as this will mean you get paid every month for the same promotion.Finally, do not be concerned about competition. Many affiliates are put off when they find a product that has a large number of competing affiliates. This should not be the case as it confirms that the conversion rates are very good and there should be enough commissions for everybody. As long as you put in the work you should still do well, and be wary of a product that nobody else is promoting as it will probably not sell well.