Last updated: January 7, 2025 by Ethan Green
The short version
At Rising Master, one of the main things I do is review products to help you pick the best ones for your situation and budget. As an independent blogger, I need to earn some form of income from the website as it takes time and money to buy, test, photograph and write about the products, as well as keep the website running.
So, this is how things work on my blog: some articles with reviews contain affiliate links to other company websites. If you click one of those links and then buy something on their website, I might earn a commission, which is at no extra cost to you.
Not every link on my website can earn me money though. For example, links to journals, news websites, medical websites, and government organizations are purely for informational purposes and I don’t earn anything from them.
To be transparent and make it obvious, I’ll add a disclosure at the top of articles containing links that might earn me a commission.
Even though there’s often (though not always) a potential commission involved in the reviews, I will always do my utmost to provide you with honest recommendations.
Amazon Associates disclosure
Amazon has specific wording that they expect people to use when including affiliate links:
As an Amazon Associate, Ethan Green and Rising Master may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.
Why they require people to write something so specific is a mystery to me, but it is what it is.
The slightly longer version
Why I use affiliate links and not adverts
One of the main ways to make money with a blog is through adverts.
When I visit other websites, I personally dislike video adverts and pages that seem to have an advert after every paragraph.
So, I decided not to include any adverts on my own website. Instead, I use affiliate links where appropriate to help pay for costs and my daily coffee.
How the affiliate commissions work
Each company I link to has their own approach to affiliate links and commissions.
I know in advance how much commission I might make if you buy a specific product, but I don’t control that commission rate. It can be as little as 0.5% and as much as 20% in some cases. In the case of Amazon, it’s more likely to be closer to 0.5% because they rug pulled affiliates a few years ago. But that’s another story…
All of these links will have a tracking code that’s specific to this website. That way, the company knows who to pay a commission to if you buy a product.
If you’re fundamentally against the idea of affiliate links, you may already know that you can just type the company’s name into a search engine and find the product yourself.
I’m always grateful when readers use my links, but I also understand if you’d rather go direct and help reduce how much coffee I drink.
Some companies have their own affiliate management program built into their website; others use third party websites like Shareasale or Impact Radius. That’s why you might see an intermediary website address briefly before arriving on the company’s website.
My honesty as an independent reviewer
The existence of commissions in the online world creates a temptation to promote products that pay higher commissions. In some ways, it’s similar to shops that make higher value products more prominent on their shelves or supermarkets that don’t make it clear which option is better value for money.
In my comparison articles, I make sure there’s a range to choose from that will suit different budgets. If the more expensive options are out of your budget, it’s usually the case that there’s a decent lower cost alternative.
I also make sure I cover both the positives and the downsides when I do in-depth single product reviews.
Companies sometimes ask to read and edit my reviews before I publish them, or even write it themselves, which I think is particularly cheeky and unethical. I always refuse both of these requests because I value my role an independent reviewer and blogger.
Ultimately, I have principles and I believe in helping others first and foremost.
Your questions
If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, feel free to write to me at: ethangreen@nosleeplessnights.com
Alternatively, you can use the contact form on the contact page.