Most affiliate programs don't want to spend a lot of time and resources on affiliates that don't have any traffic. This is because as a new affiliate, you're likely to sap a lot of an affiliate manager's time while at the same time not really earning them any money. If you notice that you're getting declined from the programs that you want to join, it might be because your existing website doesn't show enough popularity or enough professionalism to be worth that programs' time. Take a few weeks to renovate your site, and also contact the affiliate manager directly to ask for reconsideration.