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Disclosures

Incredibly, This Fits turned five years old last month, and it's time that I publish a long overdue post about how I make money through this site. I've been spurred in part by hearsay about how the Federal Trade Commission requires this of bloggers who earn income and review products, but it's also something I've been meaning to publish for years to be more transparent to my readers.

In other words, it's the right thing to do, and its to my demerit that I've postponed it for so long.

First things first: This Fits generates income for me (and yes, I pay taxes on that income). I've always thought this was obvious, but was surprised to find out that at least one long-time reader didn't know. I also review, and sometimes keep, products sent to me by retailers.

Does this bias me as a blogger? Absolutely. To say otherwise--even if I sincerely believed it--would be kidding myself. Don't get me wrong: I strive for objectivity in what I write, because it's the right thing to do. But compensation and gifts have a way of overtly and subtly influencing the decisions we make and the things we say. Robert Cialdini's Influence is a fascinating read on this and related topics, easily the most memorable book I read in college.

Right now, affiliate income and direct advertising are my primary revenue streams--I'll dive into the details of what that means after the jump. I'm quite happy with both, as they give me the greatest control over what appears on my site, as opposed to, say, random banner ads from an ad network. I also like how my compensation is directly tied to providing value to my readers. A more cynical angle would be to say that I'm compensated for sending traffic to a retailer regardless of whether or not I'm providing value, but the way I see it, people are smart enough to stop coming to my site if I'm not writing about something they care about. I learned a long time ago that writing for a quick buck doesn't offer good returns.

After the jump, details on these and other other forms of income, plus my policies on product reviews.

Affiliate Links Probably the most obvious way I earn an income through this site is affiliate links. This means that I'm compensated for the traffic that my site sends to retailers. I work with several affiliate services, and the compensation is usually either a commission for each sale, or a much smaller amount for each click.

You can usually tell when I'm using an affiliate link because the main service I work through briefly flashes their name before redirecting to a retailer's website. However, I use several services, including one that seamlessly picks up my direct links to certain retailers and compensates me for sales if they have a commission program.

A safe rule of thumb: if you follow a link from my site to any retailer, I'm almost certainly compensated either for the click or any sales. You can generally except smaller shops like eHaberdasher or Gentlemen's Footwear from that rule, but I've been surprised on occasion to find a smaller retailer I link to compensating me for a sale.

While I can't say I endorse every product I link to from my site, generally I stand behind most of them as a good value for my readers, and many are products I have or would purchase myself. Except those times when, in my eagerness to get a post published, I forget to pick something up for myself and kick myself when it sells out. Embarrassing, and it's happened more than once.

For products that I don't outright endorse, I try to provide context and make my sentiments obvious, like that time I posted about a Rick Owens alligator jacket on sale for "just" $27,000.

Affiliate Bonuses Occasionally, an affiliate network I work with will offer me a bonus if I write about a specific retailer. I've been fortunate in that the retailers are often companies I write about anyways, making them a natural match. From time to time it will be a retailer I don't think is a match for this site's audience; I've always turned down those offers. I'm not in this for a quick buck.

That said, I want to be more transparent when I publish a post in which I benefit from a bonus, especially since they're very similar to "sponsored posts" (more on those below). So going forward I will include a disclaimer in those posts. If anyone has specific questions about past posts, feel free to email me and I'll answer questions as best as I can.

Advertising Readers who visit my site directly at www.thisfits.me probably know that I've had banner ads for a number of years now. My site has two kinds of advertisers: those who pay me directly to place a banner on the site, and retailers with whom I have a direct affiliate relationship (as opposed to an indirect relationship with a third-party that skims a percentage off any commission).

I'm very selective about advertisers, as its important to me that those who appear on my site are a match for my readers, my content, and my values. While this means I may miss out on some easy money, I think it makes for a better site, and a great handful of advertisers. So great that I'll be writing "thank you" posts for them, so they're not just relegated to my site's sidebar.

If you're interested in sponsoring This Fits, send me an email at [email protected].

Sponsored Posts I'm not opposed in principle to receiving payment in exchange for a post, as long as I retain final editorial control and the post is accompanied by a clear disclaimer denoting the relationship between my site and the sponsor.

But while I receive pitches for sponsored posts nearly daily, most just aren't a good match for this site or its readers. There are a small handful of pitches that I have moved forward with, but somehow most have fallen through before I could actually publish a post. Rest assured, if I do publish a sponsored post, it will be very clear that I'm doing so.

Product Reviews While I accept and often keep products gifted to me for review, I do not accept payment or any other compensation in exchange for a review. I'm very cognizant of the fact that my reviews help people making buying decisions, and I don't take that trust lightly. I try very hard to be even-handed, challenging preconceptions about brands and noting both positives and negatives that I see. It's hard enough trying to stay objective when given free gifts; I see taking further compensation as one step too far.

Final Thoughts That covers just about everything. If you have questions on any of this, don't hesitate to message me or send an email. I'll be writing a condensed version of this post on my site as a permanent page.

I should note that I mull on this aspect of my site almost daily. My current thinking has formed over the course of years and continues to evolve. As I consider changes, I generally err in the direction of being more objective and providing more value to my readers, while also recognizing that this site has become a considerable source of income for me.

So expect these policies to change--and when they do, I'll be sure to let you all know.

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