Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)



General Questions

What is Tikatok?

Tikatok is a website where parents and their children can write, illustrate, and publish their original stories into professional-quality hardcover and paperback books or eBooks.

What is the cost?

It is free to join Tikatok! You will only need to pay when you order a hardcover, paperback, or eBook of your or your child’s original story.

The final cost of a book depends on the number of pages and the shipping method.

  • Hardcovers start at $18 and paperbacks start at $15 for a book with 7-8 original interior pages plus the front and back cover.
  • Additional pages cost $0.18.
  • Shipping starts at $6.48 for a single copy.
  • All eBook downloads are $2.99.

Shipping costs vary based on your preferred shipping method and the number of books that you are purchasing. You can select from the following options for shipping within the United States:
  • UPS Ground: $5.99 plus $0.99 per item
  • UPS 2nd Day: $8.99 plus $1.99 per item
  • UPS Overnight: $13.99 plus $2.99 per item

In addition, Tikatok does ship hardcover and paperback books internationally.  Here are the international shipping options:

  • US Protectorates (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, etc) and Military: $5.99 plus $0.99 per item
  • Canada: $3.99 plus $2.49 per item
  • UPS Worldwide (all other countries): $19.99 plus $5.99 per item

Is there a discount for educators?

Yes!  Teachers and other educators who can provide Tikatok with the necessary paperwork get special educator pricing for orders made from their teacher accounts.  To get an estimate for a book publishing project in your classroom, use our educator pricing calculator:

http://www.tikatok.com/classroom/estimator

How can I join Tikatok?

Please click here to join Tikatok. You must be at least 13 years old to join Tikatok. Parents who join Tikatok can add accounts for their children if they wish.

How do I change my password, email address, or username?

Parents can change their password and email address from their Parent account profile. Just click the “Profile” link at the top of the screen. If you need to change your username, please contact help@tikatok.com.

 

Creating Books

How do I start a book?

Once you've registered, you can sign in and click "Create A Book" to begin writing. To add to or change a book you have already saved, first find the book on your Bookshelf, click the cover, and then click the edit button.

How do I add the author's real name to the book?

The online view of the book will show only the author's username. At the time that you order your or your child’s book you will have the opportunity to add the author’s name, biography, and a personal photo to be printed on the back cover. This information will only be used for the printing of the book.

What is a StorySparks™ Prompt?

StorySparks were created by Tikatok to spark your imagination. They are a bit like writing prompts, or guides to creating your book. In many StorySparks you are first asked to pick the names of the main characters.  Once you add the names the beginning of a story is automatically added into a new book for you to continue.  Sometimes Tikatok also shows hints within or at the bottom of the page with recommendations for what you should write about next. But feel free to ignore the hints and change anything you want!

I need help with the book maker.

Click the "Help" button within the book maker for a description of what each of the buttons do. If you still need help, ask a parent to email help@tikatok.com.

I started a book but now I can't find it. Where did it go?

You can always find all of the books that you or your child has made in the section of the site called the "Bookshelf." To edit a book, go to the Bookshelf section, click the cover of the book you want to work on, and then click "Edit."

How do I add add pictures or illustrations to a book?

You can upload original illustrations or digital photos right to your or your child’s Tikatok account.

We recommend using scanner to turn your child's hand-drawn images into digital files. Here are some tips for creating good scans:

Use resolution settings that will give you a file size of around 2-3 MB. For a letter-sized image, this should be around 150 or 200 dpi. Set the color setting to the highest number of colors. If possible, crop the page to capture just the image itself. Save your file to the “jpg” format.

When you're done scanning, just go to the book you want to add the images to, click the "Add Picture” button, and follow the instructions to upload your files. Or you can upload right to the Pictures page.

More detailed upload help.

How do I add more pages to my book, and what is the maximum number of pages?

Add more pages to your book by clicking on the "Add Page" button. 

The maximum number of pages is around 100 (the number of pages that the editor can show depends on your computer's own technical specs). Do keep in mind that the final price of the book depends partially on the number of pages.

Who owns the copyright to any book created in my account or my child’s account?

You own the copyright to all of original stories and images you or your child submit to Tikatok with the exception of books created using Build-A-Bear Workshop StorySparks. Build-A-Bear Workshop owns the copyright of all books created using Build-A-Bear StorySparks.

How do I delete a book from my account or my child’s account?

From the home page in your Parent account, click Bookshelf. Click on the book you’d like to remove, then click “Edit” and select “Delete this book” from the drop-down menu. Be careful as this removes the book from the system and cannot be undone.

How can I share my own or my child's books online?

Your Tikatok books, and those of your children, are kept totally private unless you explicitly choose to share them.  For books by children, sharing tools are only visible from the parent's Tikatok account.  To help parents better protect their children's privacy, in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, Tikatok must validate the identities of user who choose to share a child's book by means of a credit card transaction.  Tikatok will also attempt to verify a parent's identity if a parent makes a book or gift card purchase.  If you wish to share books but do not wish to purchase a book or gift card, Tikatok will attempt to verify your identity with a nominal $1 transaction.  This $1 fee is refunded to your Tikatok account and can be used as a credit towards a future gift purchase.

To let friends and family read your or your child's Tikatok books, look for the sharing icons above the book viewing window on the book's page.  There are severals ways to share a book:

  • Email - Have Tikatok send a private link to the book to your email contacts, or copy the sharing link into your own email program.
  • Facebook - Post a link to your book to your Facebook profile.
  • Twitter - Tweet a link to your book to your Twitter followers.
  • Tikatok Picks - Request that Tikatok add your book to the "Tikatok Picks" section of the website.  Books added here will be accessible by anyone who visits Tikatok.
  • Embed to a Website - Clicking this icon will provide you with a snippet of HTML code that you can use to add an embedded version of your Tikatok book to a blog or website.

For an illustrated guide to sharing, check out: How to Share Your Tikatok Book.

 

Ordering Books

How do I purchase my child’s book?

You must be the parent account holder to purchase any book associated with your child’s account. To place your order, first sign in to the parent account, click Bookshelf, click on the cover of the book you’d like to purchase, then choose the type and quantity of books you'd like to add to your shopping cart. Follow the instructions to check out. A free account with Google Checkout is currently required for all transactions.

Someone I know created a book on Tikatok. How can I purchase a copy?

You must be the parent account holder to make a purchase. The book being purchased must be associated with your parent account or your child’s account. If you are not the parent account holder, you must ask the parent account holder to place an order on your behalf.

When I order a book will it have my child’s name on it?

At the time that you order your or your child’s book you will have the opportunity to add the author’s name, biography, and a personal photo to be printed on the back cover. This information will only be used for the printing of the book.  The online view of the book will show only the author's username.

What is the quality of the printed book?

We think you’ll be blown away by the quality of the printed books!

Hardcover books are bound and laminated for a glossy cover, just like picture books you find at the bookstore. Your name - should you choose to include it - and the title of the book will be printed on the spine. Illustrations are reproduced in full color on heavy, glossy paper.

Softcover books are also laminated and glossy, and printed at the same size and on the same paper as the hardcover.

eBooks are high resolution PDF and ePub files that can be saved to your computer, printed on your home printer, or transferred to an eBook reader. The quality of the printed pages will depend on the capabilities of your printer.

How long will it take to ship my printed book?

Books take as many as 6 business days to print, bind, and dry from the day the order is placed. The final delivery time will depend on the shipping option that you choose.

  • UPS Ground – 8-10 business days after the order date.
  • UPS 2nd Day Air – 7 business days after the order date.
  • UPS Overnight – 6 business days after the order date.
  • International Orders - 10-12 business days

Does Tikatok ship books outside of the US?

Yes. Please note that on International orders, customs and import duties are applied once the shipment reaches its destination. These charges are the responsibility of the recipient of your order and will vary from country to country. Contact your local customs office for details.

Tikatok LLC and its shipping partners are not able to influence local delivery practices. The arrival times for International shipping indicate the amount of time it will take for your order to reach your recipient's local post office. The time it takes to get your order from the local post office to your recipient's address can vary widely from country to country. Delivery may be delayed by customs/import duties and local postal requirements.

To place an international order, please select the appropriate international shipping option during checkout:

  • US Protectorates (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, etc) and Military: $5.99 plus $0.99 per item
  • Canada: $3.99 plus $2.49 per item
  • UPS Worldwide (all other countries): $19.99 plus $5.99 per item

What is your refund and return policy?

Tikatok guarantees your satisfaction with the workmanship of your book. If your book arrives damaged or with a manufacturing defect, contact us within 14 days of receipt and we’ll make things right.

Please understand that Tikatok does not provide refunds, cancel orders, or provide free reprints except for the cases expressly described in this return policy (i.e., your book arrives damaged, with a manufacturing defect or a defect in workmanship.)

Please note that your book is all yours: Tikatok does not proof, edit, or change your content in any way. This means it’s your responsibility to review your book before you publish, and fix:

  • Typos, grammar, unfinished text, or other text errors
  • Low-resolution images that may appear blurry in print
  • Design issues, including book format, organization, style, color, and page layout
  • Any other creative choices you may have made to your book

Tikatok does require you to review the print preview of your book before placing your order to see exactly as it will appear in print. If you find changes you’d like to make, just go back to your book in the Book Maker, make your changes, then order as many copies as you’d like.

Please note that because each book is custom made, there may be minor differences across different prints of the same books and/or across books printed by our different book-printing partners, including, but not limited to, slight variances in color fidelity and binding type. While we work very hard to keep our product as consistent as possible, this variation is a normal occurrence and is not considered a manufacturing defect or a defect in workmanship and does not qualify for a reprint.

I purchased the "Digital Book" copy of my Tikatok book.  How do I download it?

After purchasing your "Digital Book" or eBook, Google Checkout should prompt you to return to the Tikatok site and claim your book.  If you missed the prompt, you can download your book anytime by signing into the account that you used to purchase the book, clicking on the book in your Bookshelf, and then clicking the "download" button in the lower right corner of the book's page.

To download the PDF version of your Digital Book without it loading in your web browser first (this is recommended, as the files can be very large), follow these instructions:

  1. Right-click the “Download PDF” button and select “Save Target As" (for Internet Explorer) or “Save Link As” (for Firefox).
  2. Choose the folder in which you want to place the file and click “Save.” Please make a note of where you put the file!
  3. When the download is complete, open the folder where you saved the file (books with lots of pictures may take several minutes to download).
  4. Double click on the file to open it.

How do I add my Digital Book to my eReader, such as the NOOK Family of Devices by Barnes & Noble?

Save the PDF or ePub version of your Digital Book to your computer and follow your device manufacturer's instruction for adding content to your device. For NOOK Family of Devices, follow the instructions below.

NOOK Family of Devices

Using the custom microUSB cable provided with your NOOK, connect your NOOK to your computer.

NOTE: Use only the microUSB cable provided with your NOOK. Using any other cable might damage your NOOK.

When you connect your NOOK to your personal computer, your NOOK will appear as a new removable drive on your personal computer. Drag the files you want to transfer onto this drive.

To organize the files, open the NOOK drive. You'll see several folders on your NOOK. Move your personal files in the My Files folder.

You should place ePubs in your Books folders.

You should place PDFs in the Documents folder.

When you have finished arranging files, eject the NOOK drive from your personal computer. Disconnect the NOOK microUSB cable.

 

Gift Cards

How do I buy a Tikatok Gift Card?

Click on the Gift Cards page and choose one of the designs, then choose a value and fill out the recipient information. You can email the card as a gift or print it out using your own printer.

I have a Tikatok Gift Card. How do I use it?

First, you or your child should create a book using the Tikatok Book maker. When finished, add the book to your shopping cart and go through the checkout process (you can only purchase books from your parent account). When you get to the Order Review page, look for the box that says “Gift Card or Claim Code,” enter your gift card claim code in the space provided, and click "Apply". Proceed to Google Checkout to complete the transaction.  Any balance you have left on the card will remain for you to use at another time.

I have a Barnes & Noble Gift Card. How do I use it?

First, you or your child should create a book using the Tikatok Book maker. When finished, add the book to your shopping cart and go through the checkout process (you can only purchase books from your parent account). When you get to the Order Review page, look for the box that says “Gift Card or Claim Code,” enter your gift card claim code and 4 digit PIN (if available) in the space provided, and click "Apply". Proceed to Google Checkout to complete the transaction.  Any balance you have left on the card will remain for you to use at another time.

How can I check the remaining balance on my gift card?

Go to the Tikatok Gift Card page and use the balance checking tool in the bottom right corner of the screen.

 

Educator Accounts

How do student accounts work?

Educators can create an individual account for each student by clicking on the My Students tab and choosing Add Students. A student account is valid for 10 months from the date the account is created. The expiration date can be found on the My Students page. A student's parent can claim their child's account to keep it from being deleted by following these instructions.

How do homeschool accounts work?

Homeschool accounts work the same as the student accounts above, however they do not expire. If you are a homeschooling educator, contact us at edu@tikatok.com so we can mark the account as a homeschool account and prevent it from expiring.