a good advice I can give you is: don't always listen to others. what works for them might not work for you or vice versa.
next good advice I can give you is try promoting as many niches as you can think of, don't stay with just 1.
next is, DON'T stick your ass with only 1 sponsor. that's a grand mistake - to be married with a sponsor. try 100 of them then see which you think is honest and push them more.
don't always believe what people here say - some are newbies as well and just talking BS they know nothing about.
don't expect people to give out their moneymaking ideas. if they did that they wouldn't be making money. expect to find good advices now and then, but to hear about them you have to be glued to boards and that is unproductive.
you'll simply have to work and discover what works and what not by yourself. know also that if you don't have any brainstorming ideas to offer no one is gonna share theirs with you either.
ther are only 2 things affiliate must know:
- how (where) to get traffic
- marketing skills.
shit that were a few good ones... any more? one thing I find funny is that you started with adwords. spending money to make money. some newbies to the industry simply don't understand that concept
anyway, good luck and make a killing. following these few advices I gave you will make you get there faster