Bloggers and the FTC

If ever you need to get ahold of MotherReader, just look for her on the ball, cuz that's where she is at all times. Bloggers should check out this post from her regarding the FTC's attention to tactics of "word of mouth" companies, and how this could be stretched to include book bloggers.

Now, none of us in the kidlitosphere are here to make money. But we do get review copies from publishers and authors--some of us more than others. We do pursue relationships with publishers and authors--again, some of us more than others. Certain books have been reviewed all over the kidlitosphere thanks mostly to incredibly energetic publicity.

Of course, we can and do post negative reviews. But as author Shannon Hale recently pointed out, even negative reviews are better than nothing, in terms of publicity.

There's a grey area there, one that we should probably try to define before somebody starts to define it for us. What are your thoughts?