Affiliate marketing meets literature: book allows readers to shop characters’ clothes

Some say the best part about reading a book is imagining how characters and places look like. With “Waiting at Hayden’s”, a new e-book by Riley Costello launched this week, readers no longer have to imagine. They can actually shop the characters’ clothes and home décor.

The digital version of the book includes links to photos and videos which show the characters wearing clothes described in the text. If interested, readers can click on those photos and videos and visit the retail websites selling the items. Similar to bloggers and influencers, Costello earns a small commission for each sale she generates.

"Imagine if after watching episodes of last year's mega-hit, Big Little Lies, viewers could have clicked on shopping links to Reese Witherspoon's Burberry coat, Nicole Kidman's Zimmermann dress, or Laura Dern's Stella McCartney jumpsuit", said Costello in a statement. "That's what I'm bringing to the printed page."

For those who read “Waiting at Hayden’s” print version, shopping the items is a bit more complicated. They have to type the web addresses themselves into their Internet browser.