Tikatok in Wired, Real Simple

We were thrilled to see Tikatok featured in a pair of high profile blogs this week.

Wired’s Ken Denmead, co-editor of the ever popular GeekDad blog, shared Tikatok with readers on Saturday.  I’ve mentioned GeekDad before as a wonderful resource for parents who want to take very active roles in their children’s lives, especially when that means working on fun DIY-style projects together.  It has been an inspirational blog for a (very) soon-to-be father like myself.

Simply Stated, blog for the lifestyle magazine Real Simple, called Tikatok an “interactive and inspired website” in a detailed post, courtesy of “Manic Mommy” Erin.  It is clear that she spent some time with the site, and we appreciate her positive comments as well as her suggestions.  She asks at the end of the article, “I wonder whether I can skip the whole story part and just have all of my son’s artwork from the previous school year made into a hardcover book?”  In fact, Tikatok does make this possible.  Our members are invited to send us their original drawings and we will happily scan them, upload them to their account, and ship the originals back, all for free.  See detailed instructions in the FAQ.

Both blogs, and a few commenters, mentioned how Tikatok exploits a similar concept as other print-on-demand self-publishers like Blurb and Lulu.  And while we are happy to be associated with those excellent sites, I did want to point out some qualities that we think makes Tikatok distinct.  First, Tikatok provides added privacy protection and moderation, to make the site safe for children while still a place where they can meaningfully express themselves.  Second, we provide writing help and inspiration in the form of our StorySparks system, a database of interactive story prompts that can be a starting point for brainstorming.  Third, we make writing social by enabling collaboration between kids.  And finally, all of our free tools are entirely Web-based and designed to be very user-friendly, there is no software to download and install.  The book you create right on the Web is automatically formatted into something that can be printed as a real paperback or hardcover.  We think Tikatok offers the best bookmaking experience for kids (but of course we’re always open to your comments and suggestions).

Thanks again Ken and Erin!