Mar 16, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Community Pool

The Community Pool is for those of you looking for input, whether on post ideas, writing, blog design and layout, or anything else. If you have a post, page, or idea you want to bounce off someone, leave a comment. Your fellow bloggers can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

Read on for the ground rules and to leave a comment . .

  • You’ll get the best feedback if you can be as specific as possible about what you’d like people to respond to or where you’re struggling.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. We’re here to help and support one another, not to beat anyone down.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • To keep from losing your place in the comment thread while you visit others’ blogs, right-click on a link to open it in a new tab or window.
  • No running on the deck.

Photo by t_a_i_s.

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    1. I love the theme. It’s very different, which is exciting. The only concern I have is that some of the pictures make the titles hard to read. You also will have to be sure with this kind of theme that your titles are REALLY catchy. Without the first few lines of a post to grab your reader, the title has to nail them.

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      1. You’re so right and I never really though about that issue being the one posting and knowing exactly what the content is so thank you!!

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    2. I actually love the theme. I felt like it was a grab bag, and I just clicked on one to see what I got. Kind of like a game. 🙂 You’ll have to really work on clever headlines, but it may be worth it. One thing: I am not a huge fan of centering text. It’s harder to read than if the text is left-justified. But other than than, I love what you’re doing. Your posts are well-written and the right length, and your theme is fun.

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  3. Hi, I would request the readers to go through my recent blogging efforts and give me feedback on my work. Would also appreciate if I can get feedback and suggestions about how to make my blog reach readers. Thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The best way I have found to reach more readers was by joining a blogging community on Facebook. There are a lot of them, some specific to whatever your topics are. Find one that is very active and supportive.

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  5. Started my blog yesterday, I was overwhelmed! Would love some feedback: is the layout user friendly? Is it appealing? I want to have exposure, still trying to figure this part out. Thank you!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Are you able to open the “Add Media” section? There’s a button at the top left of your posting area. From there, you can drag in photos or upload from your computer. Then you can upload them into your post (it will add them wherever you last had your cursor).

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    1. At first glance i thought it was busy, but once i really read and paid attention, I think it matches your style and personality and I like it! it’s quite beautiful. The only constructive feedback I have is that I didn’t like the recent comments on both side bars, I think it added to the feeling of business at the beginning. Maybe if they were only on the one sidebar it would clean it up a little. Otherwise I like it alot!

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    2. The blog does look interesting, but I admit that the text on the blog is too hard for me to read because of its colour. I adore black backgrounds, unfortunately, some people, me including, have troubles reading print on it…

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    3. It is very exciting looking, and busy. The text is a little hard to read. On my screen everything seemed smushed up against the left side. If there was a way to widen your actual post area, it might help with some of the busy-ness.

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      2. Love it. The simplicity with the beautiful photographs is amazing. My only concern is the font can be difficult to read quickly. With short amounts of words and the focus being mainly on the photographs, you may want to consider a font that is easier to read in a flash.

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      4. The quote on the first post that I saw was fine in size, but the words kind of combine together. A bit further down, the font may be improved by making it larger, or simply choosing one that is a little less thin. I’m only saying as these sorts of posts are looked at quickly due to the premier amount of content being pictures, it may help to have the words in a font that can be read just as quick. Especially if I’m trying to find a product on Amazon like some of the awesome ones you posted 😀

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      5. Okay thank you so much for taking the time out to help me out. Most of the products I use are linked through the pictures. Most people don’t really know the images are click-able so what would be the best way to inform them that they are?

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      6. Perhaps put a caption under each picture, or save that time and in the beginning of the post say something like, “Click on the picture to check it out on Amazon” or where-ever the products are sold.

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      15. My writing is the passion that takes all my time. If I add any more, I’ll run out of time to be a wife and mom. Some people in my household might be opposed to that.

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      16. I used to write all the time. I guess I lost my passion for it..Being a mom and wife is something I do look forward to being in the future but for now i’ll stick to my photography and desire to be engaged lol

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      19. Probably for the best 😀 He’ll get there. Mine proposed to me while playing Xbox. Probably would have gotten something a bit more romantic if he’d waited until it was HIS idea. However, he’s not much of the romantic type.

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      20. Oh. Richard is indeed romantic.I am sure the way he does it. The whole thing will be memorable. (also Richard knows i’m not a fan of video games lol)
        So how did you guys meet?

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      24. Thank you. I’m sure i’ll post more as everything comes along. Thank you again Laura. I changed everything that was mentioned. Let me know what you think =]]

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    1. I love your layout and the colors. The post was beautiful. The only thing I would change is adding some of your wonderful pictures into the body of the post instead of just at the end.

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      1. That is just the kind of feedback that I need! Thank you so much for taking the time to read 🙂 This actually helps alot 🙂

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    1. Oh, I love this post. What a nice combination of prose, video and poetry. I have nothing to suggest. Love the theme, too.

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      1. You are so nice! Thank you, thank you! I checked out your blog and am following you…I am a voracious reader and am looking forward to seeing your reviews!

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      1. Really? Thank you! Your blog pops with colors and fun info. I could get lost in it. I’ve never been to New York. You make it look like fun! Great blog.

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  12. If you guys could take a look at my new blog I would really appreciate it I need some feedback on whether it is good or not. My blog is called Read between the Lines Please give me some feedback!

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    3. There isn’t quite enough to that review to make me want to run out and grab that book. A picture of the cover is normally a good start as well as it gives the reader something visual that they might see in a shop and think “oh a read a blog that said this was really good!”
      You don’t need to give spoilers away but for a review you do need to give a little bit more than you have. Perhaps tell us about a specific character that you sympathised with especially, or where the book set. Tell us a little about the writer. Is this her first book, her second, her third? Is this the only work you’ve read by her? How old is the book? Are there any interesting facts surrounding it’s publication? (i.e. Is it a banned book?)
      Show the reader that you really know what you’re talking about book wise. Make the believe that you are the all-knowing oracle on literature.
      I hope this encourages you instead of scaring you. I’ve been told I can be scary.

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    1. I’ve seen this post when you published it, the title got me hooked and I didn’t regret reading it! This might be a way to go on — I personally prefer shorter posts too 🙂

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    2. First of all, I love your writing and your post. I think the first half of your post is great. I think the 1 & 2 pieces could be cut a bit. If you look hard, you’ll see you’re really repeating the same thing in different ways. Even if the writing is clever, readers will get lost. You might need to “kill your darlings”, and just cut a lot to get to the shorter posts you want.

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    3. When I want to write shorter posts, I set a word limit.

      I found that Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers, with 100 word stories, forced me to consider each and every word. I recently wrote a four part story with the intention of letting each part be 1,500 word; I was forced to focus on what was important, and how to move the story forward.

      Keep writing, Silent

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    1. I’ll need to see more content to give you some solid feedback. So far, it does look a little “ad-y” and people will react to that. You’ll need to find a balance between informational content and posts about your items on Etsy. It’s a fine balance.

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    2. I think your blog would benefit by a small blurb in the sidebar that explains what your blog is about. Also, I think your theme is a little “light” for your your interesting content. I might look for something darker or with some more visual interest.

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      1. Yeah, I’m thinking of switching to a dark theme since many people told me about it. And the blurb is a good idea. Thank you.
        P.S. I wish Gareth Bale wouldn’t have left Tottenham. 😦

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    1. This feels like I’ve landed on your About page, and I’m not sure where your content is. I would love to see you show a few of your posts on the front page, so I can see the breadth of your content, which is there.

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      1. Thank you for the pointer. I thought I had some of my recent post in the lower right corner under the title “Pick a Rose” where it list my last five post. I guess it isn’t showing. I’ll see what I can do about that.

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      2. Having recent posts is fine. But I think it’s nice to see the latest posts in a row in the home page. Otherwise, I have to go hunt for things, and I don’t know what I’m searching for yet, because I haven’t seen any of your content. Does that make sense?

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      5. Go to Dashboard>Appearance>Customize. One of the options should be “front”. From there, you can choose “My latest posts” or “A static page”.

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    2. I think moving the ‘About Me’ and ‘Getting to know me’ links to the header would do a pretty good job.

      P.S. You sure have tons of shoes and purses 😛

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    1. Instead of 2 search bars, I ‘d suggest removing the one in the header and shifting the right sidebar search up. Preferably below your WordPress Follow button. It’s quite good content wise. 😉

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    2. I like your content and I like the way you you categorize things so I can see in a glance what the post was about. I think you should look at different, more colorful themes, though. Or consider having a custom graphic or photo for your header; right now, it’s all left justified and looks very unbalanced.

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  19. Hi, I started blogging again not long ago but I hardly get readers, I’d like feedback to know if what’s wrong is my content or the way to self-promote : thehighheeledpapergirl.wordpress.com
    Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. I think you’ve got a lot of great content and it’s organized in a very easy to get to way. Maybe try promoting on fansites that share the interests you’re blogging out, for example the veronica mars movie. Try and reach out to some successful beauty and fashion blogs as well.

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    3. Good choice of theme for the content. The sidebar impressed me the most. Well organised.

      I think that the length of each post is quite big. So, making different pages for the content and giving their links(like ‘read more..’) in the posts after writing about 100 words in the post will shorten the length of each post and thereby help in making more posts visible with less scrolling.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Great post with good information, well presented and well balanced with visuals. I don’t have any feedback except keep moving forward. 🙂

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    1. Your writing is great! I couldn’t tell English was your first language if you hadn’t mentioned it. I think you’re on the right track…

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  22. I would love for someone to help me keep up with ideas for my blog! also, hit the follow button I cover everything current. I am also interested in needing help about owning my domain and page ideas.

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  23. Hi guys! I’m pretty new to the blogging world and I’ve gained some really amazing followers in the wordpress mental health community. I’d like some feedback on what people think outside of those with mental illness. Is my writing informative, did you learn something? Is the blog layout easy enough to navigate. Thank you all so much for your help. 🙂

    http://inconsistentlyyours.wordpress.com/

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    1. Your writing is excellent. You have a way of cutting right to the heart of an issue and pare away all the “fat” in your writing. I think you have real talent. Your topic is very serious and I love how you’re owning what could be a difficult thing for someone less strong. Keep writing!

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    2. Yes, the blog layout is easy enough to navigate. And people that are not mentally ill? I can’t help you much with that as I think that I am a retard myself but I am sure that your writing is very strong. I loved it.

      Good job with tagging posts perfectly.

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    3. Wow, the way you write in like no other. It pulls you in. Love it. I have nothing to say about the layout. Everything is very easy to navigate and the layout seems to suit it well. Keep blogging. You have such a “voice” and I really believe you can reach out to others with similar cases.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I really like this one! I usually don’t care for things that are about the process of writing whatever it is (be it a blog or a poem) but this is a very clever play on it. Well done.

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      1. Thank you! I am normally the same way cause i dont like how robotic and writing-by-numbers they tend to be. I tried to tie this one more to the emotional processes rather than the mental and structural processes to try to water down that vibe

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  25. Hello all,
    I’m writing to ask for feedback about my blog: observernomore.wordpress.com.

    Any commentary on my title, writing voice, theme, etc is welcome.

    If you don’t have time for all that, I would love if you’d check out my most recent post.

    Thanks so much!!

    – M

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think you’re on a good path and your writing is good. I would like to see some more. One thing: I don’t think you should apologize for not writing, etc. First of all, there’s no need. Second of all, these posts are up for a long time, so it may not make sense to someone down the road. Make sense?

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    2. Very good choice of theme. Write more. It says that this is the place where you express yourself but there are hardly 3 posts in 3 months. What happened to the new year resolution? Keep writing 🙂

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    3. I really like your “voice”. Very clear and the messages come across. I do hope you continue on your blog. My only suggestion is that it needs more color. The theme is very easy to navigate its just very plain, Also photos would give more personality to it all together =]

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    4. I agree with Chelsea, it needs a little bit more of your personality to really show us this blog is all about you. Maybe a picture of you or something you like. A little bit more in your about page couldn’t hurt either. 🙂 Great so far, just keep consistent with posts!

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  26. Hello fellow bloggers, I would like to ask for two things, first I would like feedback on my writing. If you could go review my posts and just offer any sort of constructive criticism, or just a “good job” would suffice. I am giving away an ESO Beta Key. If you want it go ahead and comment on the post, The Elder Scrolls Online Beta Key.

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  27. Hello, Could I have some feedback about my blog, it’s pretty much about food so far, any suggestion how to improve it (if I need to improve it 🙂 ), etc??? Thank you in advance 🙂

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    1. I think it would be better if you gave me some advice instead of it being vice-versa 😉
      Awesome blog, but why is there a vertical blank space in the right sidebar between “follow me on facebook” and “photo gallery”?

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    1. Leave a comment link is there after the tags. When one clicks the link, the box appears. I think that it is theme related but I am not sure.

      And the link is almost invisible because it is the same as that of tags. Hence, a theme change would be good.

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      1. Yay! It took me forever to make them! I’m sooooo not the tech-y computer-y type. No, no those aren’t real words… They are now! lol

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