It seems that the most successful affiliates tend to be those who excel at thinking ahead of the curve, and diligently working to stay ahead of the curve. Over the four years I’ve been involved in the affiliate world I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked to a gifted affiliate and found out that they are experimenting with tactics/products/software/concepts that were blazing new trails and generating a great deal of wealth all at once.

I’m not sure what their secret is, and I’m sure some of them are just naturally gifted, but I personally think that the best way to think of innovative ideas is to expose yourself to innovative or thought provoking inputs.

The funny thing is that a lot of times I draw inspiration for innovation from text that is not all that new. Two of my favorites are 1999’s Cluetrain Manifesto and 2003’s Re-Imagine by Tom Peters. When reading these books years after their original publication you realize that the authors of both books were way-way ahead of the curve when they were writing and that most of their fundamental ideas have stood the test of time.

I know I’m going to try to revisit both of these books to get my creative juices flowing again in 2008. I recommend them both, and you can read the Cluetrain for free online, so why not give it a shot?

What about you? Are there any books that have been an inspiration for your online success? If so, leave a comment!