Clattertron

[dc]I[/dc] started a new segment on Clattertron this week: Amazon Enigmas.

The focus is shining a humorous spotlight on some of Amazon’s quirky items. The credit for this idea goes to Stephanie, who suggested it to me while I surfed the site.

I had just joined the Amazon Affiliate Program. In a nutshell, if someone follows a link to amazon.com from clattertron.com, and makes a purchase, I get a percentage. I don’t expect to be putting the down payment on a private island anytime soon, but every little bit helps (especially when it comes to planning a wedding).

So far, I have already made a few bucks, and without doing much beyond putting an affiliate link at the bottom of each post. I was chatting with this about Stephanie and she said¹, “Just find something weird and write about it.²”

I liked this idea. I wanted to do something to have more Amazon links, but I didn’t want to write, “Hey, buy this TV. It’s a TV. And you should buy it. And buy one for all your friends. KTHXBAI.”

Going this route allows me to have a bit of fun. I also see it as a good writing challenge: I have to write a humor post based on random items I find on Amazon. To borrow some zoological vernacular, talk about an enrichment exercise.

Do I feel dirty/slimy/sell-outy by doing this? No. I write freelance, so I am accustomed to being paid to write. I don’t see it as any different than being hired to ghost write copy for another website (which I have done, several times).

I already have an idea for my next Amazon Enigmas post: pet costumes. Oh man. (Update: here it is)

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¹ More or less. For the record, any Stephanie quotes on this site are maybe, MAYBE, 50% accurate. On a good day. I get the general idea across.

² Case in point. Real-life Stephanie would tell you she NEVER ends sentences with a preposition.