Transcript for the 5/19/13 #storyappchat: iTunes Descriptions

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Quiet little chat last night, but still filled with good information, thought-provoking questions, and valuable opinions from the #storyappchat community. Peruse the chat in its entirety via the transcript above, and be sure to join us every Sunday evening at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT for high-quality discussion every week about storybook apps and ebooks for kids!

Transcript for the 4/14/13 #storyappchat: App Review and Curation Sites

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Apparently the #storyappchat faithful are pretty passionate about this topic, because we had several of our regulars weighing in last night about the pros and cons of both app review sites and app curation sites. In fact, we probably could’ve kept going for another entire hour, which means we’ll probably revisit this topic in a few months.

Couldn’t join us? It’s all there in the transcript above for your reading enjoyment. Make plans to stop by next Sunday, April 21 for the next chat. We’ll kick things off at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/6:00 p.m. Pacific!

Topic for the 4/14/13 #storyappchat: App Review and Curation Sites

We’re all familiar with app review sites. These are the places, usually run by parents as a labor of love, where you can (hopefully) get the owners to post a short review of your storybook app, helping to spread the word. Getting a favorable mention on one or more of these is essential to any app’s marketing and PR plan. Two of our favorites are (of course) Digital Storytime and The iMums, although there are many others.

But what about sites designed to curate apps? These are similar, but different in that instead of an actual review, usually your app is mentioned in a larger list of related apps, or placed in a category alongside similar, recommended apps. One example of this is the Appolicious site, where you can find reader-curated lists of all types, such as “Best iPad Apps for Teachers” and many more. In addition, sites like Pinterest aren’t exclusively focused on apps, but can serve as curation sites just the same.

Let’s talk about app review sites and app curation sites during the next #storyappchat this Sunday, April 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. It’s easy to take part in the chat: just start tweeting and include the #storyappchat hashtag! We’ll keep the lights on for you.

Transcript for the 9/9/12 #storyappchat: App Review Sites

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Last night’s chat was just great–and we were fortunate to have several representatives from the world of app review sites sitting in and sharing tips for getting your app reviewed. Here is just a sampling of what was mentioned:

• Familiarize yourself with the sort of apps the review site specializes in, and be sure your app fits their market
• Check the site’s submission guidelines and follow them to the letter–fill out the form if the site has one
• Plan ahead and expect reviews to take months, not weeks–the app market is flooded with new apps and many of the review sites are backed up
• If you are lucky enough to get some constructive criticism, be open to it and don’t take it personally
• Reach out to reviewers on social media, and help them by retweeting/reposting their reviews
• Realize that most review sites are run by real parents like you, and their site may or may not be profitable yet

Soak up all the wisdom in the complete 18-page transcript above, and don’t forget to stop by next Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/6:00 p.m. Pacific. We’ll be talking about the feasibility of using Kickstarter to fund your next app project!

Topic For the 9/9/12 #storyappchat: Review Sites: Where Art Thou?

So you’ve finally got your story app live in the App Store. Great! Now it’s time to get the word out, so you visit a dozen or so of the top app review sites, promo codes in hand. “I’ll just pass out all these codes, and within a couple of weeks I’ll have oodles of good reviews I can quote, not to mention the web traffic that’ll come off all these sites. Hello, sales!” Right?

Wrong.  Many of the top review sites are backed up for months–they may have literally hundreds of apps ahead of you in their review queue. The sad fact is: there aren’t nearly enough review sites out there to handle the explosion of new apps–yes, story apps too–that have inundated the App Store. And many of these review sites are family-run operations that aren’t yet self-sustaining. Check out this illuminating post from the folks at Digital Storytime: The Dirty Little Secret About App Review Sites.

So what’s an app developer to do? There are some ways–best practices if you will–that may increase your chances of getting a review and getting it quickly. We’ll discuss these during the next #storyappchat this Sunday evening (September 9) at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/6:00 p.m. Pacific. We look forward to seeing you then!

Topic for the 9/2/12 #storyappchat: The Networking Chat

OK, app community, it’s time to get acquainted! If you are doing work in the children’s app space and want to do more of this sort of stuff in the future, Sunday’s chat is for you. This means if you are:

• a writer or editor
• an illustrator or production artist
• a programmer
• an app publisher
• creator of a DIY app-making tool
• a writer or reviewer for an app review site
• a journalist or technology columnist
• someone who specializes in app marketing
• or anyone else connected with the world of ebooks/apps for kids

…then this chat will be a great way for you to meet others who may be interested in collaborating with you on their next project! Have links of your recent stuff and war stories ready to share, and COME ONE, COME ALL! We will kick it off at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/ 6:00 p.m. Pacific Sunday evening, September 2.

Transcript for the 6/17/12 #storyappchat: Amanda of the iMums

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‘Twas such a thrill last night to have Amanda (one-fourth of the iMums team) guest host #storyappchat for us. It’s truly amazing how the app world has exploded just over the last year, and her comments and advice for developers and content creators is timely and spot-on.

If you missed the fun last night, enjoy the transcript above with our compliments and make plans to stop by next Sunday (June 24). We’ll have educator Angie Harrison (@TechieAng) with us to talk about how story apps are being used in the classroom. We will see you then!

Guest Host for the 6/17/12 #storyappchat: Amanda of the iMums

Do you know about the iMums? This is a group of four “mothers of little gadget lovers” who review educational, enrichment and entertainment apps for kids and families. Their site is a powerhouse resource for parents looking for solid information about apps and other digital media for their kids.

From June 23 to 30 they’ll be doing a special week-long event focusing on book apps for kids, so naturally we were excited to get Amanda to guest host Sunday’s #storyappchat–great timing!

Amanda received the nickname “the iMum” in 2005 due to her growing addiction to Apple’s products and her many, many apps. Amanda is a married mother of three boys from North Queensland, Australia and has a background in I.T.

So bring your questions for Amanda and join us Sunday night June 17 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific/9:00 p.m. Eastern for another lively discussion. Just use the #storyappchat hashtag on Twitter to chime in!

Transcript for the 5/27/12 #storyappchat: David vs. Goliath

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Lots of good discussion during last night’s #storyappchat, when we talked about the challenges in trying to compete with the big brands of the children’s book world. We had lots of different perspectives taking part, from content creators to teachers to app reviewers.

Remember, we gather every Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time/6:00 p.m. Pacific. Join us next Sunday (June 3), when we’ll be welcoming Omer Ginor from Touchoo–the company has a new self-publishing tool for children’s book apps we are very excited to hear about!

Special Mother’s Day #storyappchat: The Role of ‘Mommy Bloggers’

Sunday’s family-friendly #storyappchat will be all about ‘mommy bloggers’ and their importance in getting the word out about your storybook app. Are mompreneurs the key to the PR plan for your digital children’s book? Of course, the ‘daddy bloggers’ are welcome to join us too, as is anyone interested in the world of children’s story apps and ebooks.

We will kick things off at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/6:00 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday night, May 13. Don’t miss it!

Is this your first Twitter chat? No sweat. Get handy tips for taking part in a Twitter chat from Debbie Ohi–she’s put together a fabulous Twitter party cheat sheet to guide you. We look forward to seeing you!