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The ICN Shop is delighted to work with medical clinics, physical therapists, support groups, website & blog owners and patients who would like to distribute the best IC books, resources, cushions, supplements and low acid foods. Just like amazon.com, we offer a sales commission of 5% for orders referred to us. Best of all, we do all the work, including processing the order and shipping the products and you receive a check!
Why Become An Affiliate
Whether you're an support group leader, physical therapist, nurse or even blog owner, making recommendations for books and other resources is a daily fact of life. Nearly every support group and practitioner recommends the IC Survival Guide by Robert Moldwin. Physical therapists are often interested in our bladder & crotch friendly coccyx cushions. We can not only fill that order to your patient in a timely manner, but we can also provide back to you a referral commission. The ICN carries all of the important books on IC, PBS & pain and we ship products within days, not the six weeks or longer of another national IC group.
- The IC Survival Guide by Robert Moldwin, MD - the IC treatment reference guide
- A Taste of the Good Life: A Cookbook for an IC Diet by Bev Laumann - far more than a cookbook, this all time best selling book explains why diet is vital, how to find low acid foods and much more!
- Julie Beyer's Confident Choices - Customizing the IC Diet to help patients each a healthy, balanced diet. Julie is a registered dietitian who was the first in the world to develop a CME on the IC diet for other dietetians
- Our own ICN Special Report series of Diet, Managing Flares and, new for Spring 2007, the ICN Special Report on Bladder Pain
Of course, we also have other products that can be helpful including:
- Bladder Friendly Chair Cushions
- UTI & pH Urine Test Kits
- Travel Johns - for patients who worry about being unable to find a restroom
- Low Acid Coffees & Teas
- Pear products - energy bars, jams & jellies for patients who miss eating fruist
- Prelief - the most popular supplement in the IC community that reduces the acid in foods
- Algonot, Cystoprotek & others
- Intimacy items - such as "The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability" for those couples who are struggling to remain intimate despite pain and discomfort.
What you choose to promote is entirely up to you!
How much do affiliates usually make?
We offer a 5% commission for referrals. The amount you earn will depend upon the # orders you send us, as well as their amount of their order. We have a prostatitis group that makes about $500 a year with one small ad on their website which is more than enough to cover their modest operating costs. Again, since you're already recommending the books anyway, why not generate extra funds at the same time. In this absolutely real report example to the right, the low acid food store affiliate has earned $31.91 with just 17 referrals in just three weeks.How can my support group benefit?
As a support group leader for fifteen years now, I have often personally covered the cost of mailing newsletters and meeting announcements to my group members. Of course, I also cover the phone bill. But, if your group is large (300 members), the costs creep up quickly and, often, patients just can't donate funds to the group to cover expenses. The great news is that you can raise operating expenses for your independent IC group by selling the very books you're already recommending.Is the affiliate program open to individuals too?
Definitely. If you're an IC patient hoping to generate some extra funds or a website/blog owner, we're more than happy to work with you. We have confidence on our product line and believe that you can have some fun with this by creating seasonal campaigns, book recommendations and much more!How does it work?
The only requirement is that you have a website, blog or email service where you can add links to products that will have your special affiliate code within it. When someone clicks on that link or image, it will take them into our shop where you will earn a percentage from their entire order that session. If you're a support group and don't currently have a website, we can help! The ICN has developed, hosted and donated small websites for some local & international support groups over the years.How often do you pay?
We pay by check quarterly or bi-annually.Do you report income to the IRS?
If you earn more than $600 a year, we are required to issue an 1099-Misc form to you with a copy to the IRS.Can we track orders ourselves to see what we're earning?
Yes. Our software has a affiliate control panel that will allow you track your orders on a real time basis. See example above!Still interested??
Please send your name, address, website or blog name & URL to affiliates[a]icnshop for more info!Contact Information:
ICN Shop, PO Box 2159, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Phone: (707)433-0413
Fax: (707)538-9444
E-mail: shipping[a] ic-network.comICN Administrative Contact Information:
IC Network, 4983 Sonoma Hwy, Suite L, Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Phone: (707)538-9442
Fax: (707)538-9444
E-mail: icnetwork[a]sbcglobal.net
The ICN Shop began with our first two publications, the ICN Patient Handbook and Medical Records Kit, and has grown dramatically in the past ten years to include over one hundred items. We always welcome suggestions and ideas about new products that we can carry.
Books - We focus on educational materials that are produced by credible medical authors who have respect for safety and research, such as the IC Survival Guide written by Dr. Robert Moldwin. While there are certainly several patient written books on the market today, we believe that very few of these authors have a firm understanding of IC research, physiology and/or safety concerns and, as such, their books may have not met our strict review criteria. Two superb patient written books are devoted to the IC diet, including Bev Laumann's A Taste of the Good Life: A Cookbook for an IC Diet, Julie Beyer RD's book Confident Choices: Customizing the IC Diet. The ICN also produces our own educational materials such as the IC Optimist quarterly magazine.
Supplies - It was only natural to focus on items that could help ease daily discomfort. Our bladder friendly chair cushion, for example, was brought to us by a physical therapist who found that that its unique design made it possible for patients to sit more comfortably at work, in the car and at home. We also carry several heating pads, including one custom made for us to fit specifically over the pelvis. Restroom items continue to be popular. From using a toilet paper with no harsh chemicals to traveljohns, our customers are often excited to learn that they can travel comfortably by using portable restroom items.
Foods - Because IC patients often struggle with foods that can irritate the bladder (such as coffees, juices, etc.), we began looking for more bladder friendly foods such as herbal coffees, low acid coffees, low acid fruit products (i.e. pears, blueberries) and more. With chocolate a forbidden food and leaving chocoholics in despair, we're particularly delighted with the carob products and candies that we've found that are much easier to tolerate. We're also delighted with the baking mixes that we've found, particularly the Dr. Oetkers Organics Line.
Please note, however, that patients have very individual diet tolerances and demands. While we strive to find products that can be comfortable for most, we cannot guarantee that the foods will be bladder friendly for everyone. There are simply too many individual factors which determine our diet sensitivity. We also strongly encourage anyone in an IC flare and/or struggling with discomfort to avoid all foods that can be bladder irritants, such as coffee. Check that individual category for more information, as well as the ICN Patient Handbook's Chapter on Diet and IC.
Supplements - We reluctantly began selling supplements in 2000 out of sheer frustration. Many patients were simply unable to afford the outrageous expense of various therapies. Elmiron, for example, can cost $300 a month for an uninsured patient. Luckily, three companies came forward with products that were supported by various research studies and clinical trials as being helpful for the bladder and/or prostate, including: Farr Labs (Makers of CystaQ and ProstaQ), Algonot (Makers of Algonot, Cystoprotek & Prostaprotek), and Desert Harvest Aloe. To help patients make more informed decisions about supplements, what they are believed to do and the individual research studies supporting their use, we also invited the various researchers to participate in the ICN Guest Lecture Series. These transcripts can be printed and shared with your physician. If you are considering the use of supplements, please review these lectures and then discuss this with your medical care provider. Only that licensed medical professional should advise you on what treatments you should take.
DISCLAIMER - Please note that "over the counter" supplements do not undergo the rigorous review required by the FDA for medications. The ICN Shop & IC Network do not make any health claims regarding any of the products we distribute. We are not health care professionals. The content on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. As with all good health measures, it is important for an individual to be under the routine care of a physician and to follow the directions of qualified health care professionals. The statements on this website regarding supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Updated: March 1, 2007 - JHO