Affiliate Marketing is a method of promoting a website, product, service, etc. in which an affiliate (publisher) is rewarded for every sale, lead, visitor, subscriber or customer they generate.

An Affiliate (publisher) is a person, company, website, forum, blog, etc. that promotes another website, product, service, etc. in which their efforts are made to be rewarded for every sale, lead, visitor, subscriber or customer they generate.  Affiliates often generate their income by creating leads or sales for companies through affiliate marketing.

An affiliate network is some-what of an online media broker, providing services of ad disbursement, distribution of ads and creative materials, report on campaign performance and generated revenue.  An affiliate nettwork acts in the middle of affiliates and advertisers.