I am desperate to learn about making money from being an Amazon Affiliate.

I don't recommend buying things at this point. First, keep in mind these fundamentals:

• Amazon is a prominent, trustworthy resource of products for a lot of online buyers. There are different types of online buyers. These include:

=>> "Repeat online buyers". These people are looking for ways and products that can give them more benefits when using the products they already have. They need content developed for "pre-ready online buyers" and "ready online buyers" (see below). They will most likely go to sites and online communities where they learned things that helped them pinpoint and purchase the products they already have...

=>> "Ready online buyers". These people search online for more info about specific products that they need. They do this to be more informed about the particular benefits they can get from the features, specifications, warranties, guarantees and discount offers of those products. They also do this to learn about the experience, issues and problems other buyers have encountered while using those products. They believe these are the things they need to do, before they purchase what they think and feel are the best products for their problems and needs..

=>> "Pre-ready online buyers". These people search online for useful info and advice about ways they can do to help them improve the quality of their lives. They are also lookking for products that can help them easily, quickly and conveniently implement those ways. They believe these are the things they need to do before they become ready buyers (see above)...

Upon analysis:

"Pre-ready online buyers" need "pre-sell content". "Pre-sell content" seems to be content that teaches them ways, strategies and techniques to solve their problems related to a niche. "Pre-sell content" should also mention products that can make it easier and quicker and more convenient for them to get the benefits they need while implementing those ways. Most likely online places where these people hang out to learn these things include Web forums, online communities and social groups/networks, aside from organic page results in Google for relevant keywords...

"Ready online buyers" need review content. They need to learn the things I mentioned above about this group of buyers. Most likely online places where these people hang out include review sites, Web forums, online communities and social groups/communities, aside from organic page results in Google for relevant keywords...

"Repeat online buyers" need supplemental content. They need to learn the things I mentioned above for this group of online buyers. These people most likely prefer to listen to people who gave them the pre-sell and review content, so they'll most likely be mailing list subscribers and regular viewers of these content providers..

• I recommend developing pre-sell, review and supplemental content only after learning that those products are actually effective in improving the lives of your target customers. This means you should've used these products before recommending them to others, or have discussed relevant things with friends or colleagues or relatives who have used those products...

• I also recommend going to the online places where your target customers frequently hang out to discuss relevant things about their related problems in your niche. Establish your reputation in those online places as a friendly, expert resource of beneficial info, advice and services...

• I suggest implementing content syndication and guest authoring campaigns. You can submit your published and indexed content on your site to content syndication networks with a large content publisher network comprised of webmasters with contextually relevant, high authority sites in your niche that have large readership, membership and mailing list subscriber bases. If your content's beneficial for their regular viewers, they'll syndicate it on their sites or include it in their mailing list content. You can also develop unique content for publication in contextually relevant, high authority sites in your niche hat have large readership, membership and mailing list subscriber bases, if the webmasters of these sites require content that isn't published anywhere else. However, weigh the results you could get from these guest authoring campaigns and compare it against your time and financial investment for developing unique content, then decide...

• I suggest using your time and money instead for:

=>> Site development and design...
=>> "Pre-sell", review and supplemental content development and formatting...
=>> Doing tasks to close content syndication and guest authoring arrangements...

=>> Doing tasks to establish a good, solid reputation in the online places where your target customers hang out...
=>> Google Adwords/Yahoo!/Facebook PPC, private ad space rental and solo email ad campaigns...

=>> Video guide/tutorial/testimonial development and marketing...
=>> Developing a written guide/tutorial offering relevant, beneficial content for your target customers. Sell this on your site. Integrate your mailing list subscription process into your sales page, so buyers can opt-in as your mailing list subscribers. Post this product as an affiliate product in affiliate networks. Offer a 90% or more commissions per sale, to entice others to become your affiliates, so they can drive buyer traffic to your site, promote this product and your site and populate your mailing list subscriber base with buyer traffic...

When these things don't work: You can always resort to unspeakable cruelty and unimaginable violence to get what you want, anyway...