Newbie Alert! (I'm confused.)

[shopkeeper]

Thank you for helping a newbie.

If as a creator I have a product whose, say, 12.5% royalty calculation is, say, $12.50, and if an affiliate is the direct source of a sale, will both the affiliate and I receive $12.50 for that sale?

I think the answer is probably "no (, you stupid newbie)." So how do I know what the affiliate and I would get?

Here's the fundamental question I am struggling with. I have a very niche market with a category of products that very few people, even very few people in the niche, will be searching for. I need to rely heavily on recommendations from people who are well-connected to other people in the niche. I hope to attract them to be affiliates pointing directly to my Zazzle store. I need to have some idea of how well they will be compensated so they feel incentivized to include their affiliate links to my store in all their communications and to mention the store frequently in their posts and shares.

I know the amount of their compensation depends on lots of variables, but that feels like all the more reason to be able to tell them exactly how their compensation would be calculated. And I would also like to know whether, and if so, how, their compensation will affect mine.

Thank you. Sorry if I made your eyes roll.

Jack K.

[LMGildersleeve]

@ColsCreations has a calculator free to use to determine any kind of percentage points to do with selling. I've tagged her here and perhaps she can give you the link. 

[shopkeeper]

Thanks, LMGildersleeve.

I have clicked the @ColsCreations link. Do I start a new conversation there to ask her for the calculator? (I've seen some calculators, including some by ColsCreations, but I'm still not clear.)

Nonetheless, thank you for helping a newbie.

Jack K.

[Jadendreamer13]

We all started on the same place, so don’t apologize for being a newbie or lacking knowledge. There’s a lot to learn to create a profitable Zazzle shop. I’m also still learning. Welcome to this fun, profitable, creative adventure.

[shopkeeper]

Thanks for the encouragement, Jadendreamer13.

Jack K.

[Cat]

Check out this thread: Solved: Re: Why am I getting less than 10% royalty? Please... - Page 2 - Zazzle 

Basically, if the sale is from a 3rd party referral, the referrer gets 15% of the sale price and your royalty is reduced by 20%.

[shopkeeper]

Thank you, Cat!

[ColsCreations · Accepted solution]

Anyone promoting your store/products with an affiliate link, will, if successful, receive 15% of the total sale price as their "commission". There aren't really any other variables as far as they are concerned. Just remember it's 15% of whatever the customer actually pays after any discounts have been applied.

A $30 item with the standard 15% off would be $25.50 so they'd earn 25.50 x 15% - $3.83.
If 50% off, they'd earn 15% on $15 - $2.25

As for how their compensation effects yours - for any referred sale, 20% of your gross royalty is deducted as a "referral carve out".

My free earnings calculator spreedsheet and explanation is here.
Just remember that my sheet depends on pulling two numbers from Zazzle's calculator where you can enter a retail price and it'll calculate the royalty %, or enter a royalty % and it will calculate the retail price. But Z's royalty calculator is currently not reflecting actual retail prices (see this thread) so it's kind of a messy time to be trying to figure what to set things at.

[shopkeeper]

Jeez, there sure are a lot of smart, kind, friendly, knowledgeable experts in this neighborhood. Thanks to everyone.

And thanks especially to you, ColsCreations. Your name kept coming up in my searches and your message here has lifted quite a bit of the fog, though, as I now understand it, Zazzle's climate is always a little hazy, no?

Many thanks.

Thanks to everyone!

Jack K.