Storybird Reviews
What do the critics say about Storybird? Well, they are just as excited as we are. Check out some of the reviews and articles below.
School Library Journal: Storybird—Digital Storytelling
Oxford University Press: Gems on the Web—Storybird
Wired: Making Sense of Digital Books for Kids – Part 2
Publishing Perspectives: Storybird: Publishing as a 2 Million-strong “Breakdancing Circle”
The Book Chook: Create with Storybird
And how about educators? See some of the quotes from Storybird’s website below.
“Storybird can be used by all ages, for all different subjects... Students can rewrite a classic... explain a science concept or retell a historical event. You can team students up to collaborate... As you can see, the sky is the limit with Storybird.... just let the creativity happen and their voices be heard.”
—Shannon Miller: K-12 District Teacher Librarian at Van Meter Community School
“Users can choose artwork from a specific artist and then add text to create a storybook... I’m adding the site to The Best Places Where Students Can Write Online.”
—Larry Ferlazzo: Teacher, author, blogger
“I think I love Storybird just as much as my students enjoy using it. There are no ads on the site, it’s super user-friendly, and Storybird is very engaging for teachers and students.”
—Erin Klein: Blogger: Kleinspiration.com.
“I can’t think of a better way to encourage literary exploration, artsy fun and new media skills to inspire a whole new flock of creative storytellers”
—Amy Jussel: Founder, Executive Director of Shaping Youth
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Feature
Meet Storybird
The Free, Visual, Educational Writing Platform Everyone’s Buzzing About
We’ve all heard of Wattpad, home of serialized writing, a whole lot of fanfiction, and more. But there’s a relatively new player in the player in the space that’s revolutionizing how kids read and write: Storybird.
Just a few years after its launch, Storybird is home to more than 9 million stories, is used in over 400,000 K-12 classrooms and libraries in 190 countries, and adds roughly 100,000 new stories each week. And those accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg—there are even more impressive stats to view that show Storybird is truly (forgive the pun) taking flight.
So whether you are a writer, an illustrator, an educator, a librarian, or just someone who wants to find a great book for yourself or your kids, look no further than Storybird. According to their website: “Storybird lets anyone make visual stories in seconds. We curate artwork from illustrators and animators around the world and inspire writers of any age to turn those images into fresh stories.”
The platform is geared toward kids (think anywhere from picture books to full length novels) and allows both professional and aspiring work to be published on the site. Check out their guidelines for publishing, and know that they vet stories, comments, and more to make sure everything is kosher for their young readers.
How to Use the Site
Write.
Like Wattpad, the key to Storybird is writing. Popular stories will be promoted, and Storybird is moving toward a commercialization program that will allow authors to generate royalties and revenue from their books. Get the details on being a Storybird writer here, http://storybird.com/writers, or start your own story today! http://storybird.com/create
Illustrate.
One of the great things that makes Storybird a standout is that is also encourages illustrators to join. Because the platform is focused on being visual for its younger demographic, the site hosts an extensive art database that professional artists can contribute to. You can gain exposure, make new contacts, and even get royalties when your work is used. Plus, your work is copyrighted, a bit perk for stock-type illustrations. Learn more about becoming a Storybird artist here: http://storybird.com/artists.
Read.
Storybird is a reading platform as much as it is a writing platform. The site is home to millions of stories that range from illustrated children’s books to short stories to YA novels. Start reading now! http://storybird.com/read
Learn.
And finally, what really sets Storybird apart is its focus on kids. As mentioned above, the platform is a staple in tens of thousands of classrooms around the world, allowing kids to read, write, and interact with stories in a very twenty-first century way. Storybird is accessible on almost any device, and educators are encouraged to include Storybird in their curriculum. Learn more about the educational facet of Storybird here: http://storybird.com/educators.
You can learn more about Storybird on their website, www.storybird.com, on Twitter, or on the Storybird blog.
Jillian Bergsma Manning is a contributing editor for Independent Publisher. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English. She welcomes any questions or comments on her articles at jbergsma (at) bookpublishing.com. Follow her at @LillianJaine.