Q. I reply to the outreach letters as fast as I can, but I'm never selected. How do you decide who gets on a tour?
A. We are a community of over 700 bloggers, so the competition to get on a tour can be fierce. But we do not automatically select the first responses. When we send a blog tour announcement, we usually keep the tour sign-up open for 24 hours before looking at responses. Then we look for bloggers who are passionate about the product or cause and express a sincere interest in participating in the tour. Special interest in the topic doesn't hurt, so be sure to let us know when you sign-up!

Q. I signed up for a review, but something came up and now I can't do it. Can I back out?
A. Life can throw some real curveballs sometimes. Kids get sick, computers crash, in-laws visit. If you can't keep your commitment, please let us know ASAP so we can reschedule you or find a substitute reviewer.

Q. Is there any payment for reviews?
A. Yes. As a rule, MotherTalk compensates each reviewer with a $20 (US) gift certificate from Amazon.com. MotherTalk bloggers are provided with all compensation info upon acceptance into the blog tour.

Q. How and when do I get compensated? Do I need to request payment?
A. All you need to do is post your review and let us know when it's live. At the end of each tour, we will be sure to send you a thank-you for participating.

Q. Do I have to buy the product/book?
A. No. The client always provides the sample item to be reviewed. (That's why we need your name and address — so we can send the book to you.)

Q. What if I don't like the product/book? Do I have to write a positive review?
A. If you really hate the product or book and can't bring yourself to write a balanced review, it's okay to back out. But please let us know as far in advance as possible so we can find a substitute reviewer. With that said, our goal isn't to solicit 100% positive reviews or to get people to rave about a product or book — our goal is to create buzz. Sometimes a critical voice can be a great conversation starter, and it only makes our community more credible. All we ask is that reviews be honest, balanced, and fair. For example, it's okay to intensely dislike a novel's plot, characters, or premise. It is not okay to personally attack the author.

Q. Am I required to have a blog to participate?
A. Yes. All reviews are posted on individual blogs, and we link to them from the MotherTalk Web site. Unfortunately we can't use reviews hosted on MySpace, Yahoo 360, FaceBook, or content generation sites like Associated Content.

Q. I'm in the BlogHer Ad Network, which doesn't allow paid reviews. Can I still write reviews for MotherTalk?
A. You can still write reviews for MotherTalk, but to be in accordance with the BlogHer Ad Network regulations, you would need to refuse payment. Some BAN members keep a separate review blog separate from the BlogHer Ad Network. If you do this, you can still receive payment from MotherTalk, but you would need to register that particular blog in our network.