Apr 13, 2014 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Looking for feedback on your latest draft or your new header? Find critique and camaraderie in the 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). A few guidelines:

TIP: 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.

  • 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. If you simply leave a link to your blog, it’s likely to be overlooked.
  • 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.
  • No running on the deck.

Photo by t_a_i_s.

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  1. This is a question for all you bloggers with 1K+ followers. More specifically how’d you do it? I’ve been blogging for the better part of a year & have under 50. I do my best to provide quality material. From feedback it seems that others agree. I try to share the love by reading & liking others’ blogs. And I do my best to promote through social media & how I tag each post. What am I not doing right? What’s the secret?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I don’t have that many. I’ve been at this for 3 1/2 years and have about 170. The overwhelming majority do not comment and never have – in fact I don’t get many comments compared to others, but I do get a hell of a lot of web visitors.

      Just keep doing what you are doing, churn out the quality content, follow the publicity advice and you will get noticed 🙂

      Like

    2. It depends on your goal. I visit a lot of blogs but dont follow many. Mainly because I get dizzy scrolling trying to locate daily post. If I have a ton of blogs to follow, it becomes too tedious to sift through. That being said, thats just brain injury problems. I think if numbers is your goal, you should take a look at anopinonated man. He has 34,000 plus. I believe his strategy is to divide. 33% writing, 33% engaging and commenting. The last escapes me. networking is huge. Look at tags of others that post similarly to you and comment/ follow. Be consistent and if you are looking for numbers, they will come. Engaing is huge though, not just following. Again, I dont follow many blogs but each time a reader clicks on my post to like or comment, it draws me to take a look at their space.

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    3. Hey Ben. Did you connect to facebook? I connected to my personal facebook page through publicise. I only have 172 followers but most of those are my facebook chums. ‘Some’ people over-inflate their stats by paying for views and followers. Isn’t that shocking? Of course there are many, many amazing blogs written by hard-working and dedicated bloggers too. I will check out your blog now! :0)

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      1. Yes I’ve connected to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (which I don’t really use) & every time there’s a pertinent article I mention it in my Instagram travel picture a day account @tripaccomplice

        Most of my readers are people I don’t know socially, but my commenters are mainly my friends

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      2. Do you follow other travel blogs and comments on them. It sounds like you’re doing a lot to try and boost traffic. I am definitely not an expert but would like to give you my opinion if it helps. Will come back to you in a little while.

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    1. I personally would like to see more of YOU on your pages. I think a lot of the writing is more article style and (again personally) I like to see something more personal about the author within a blog. I think your photography is great – maybe add more and say why you chose that particular thing to photograph. What spoke to you about that one sort of thing. I’m interested in this sort of stuff too and I think you’d have a huge audience if you share a little more about what interests you about it. It’s great info! Good luck!

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    2. Hi!
      I read your most recent post. The writing is very good and informative! I think the idea of obtaining an outside source for the post is a good idea, too. If I may, what prompted you to start a blog writing about things like that?
      Aul
      By the way, please feel free to check out my blog http://montairyus23.wordpress.com/ I’m writing a book and want to get the word out. Thanks!

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    3. Hi, I think the topic you chose for your blog is really interesting and I like the layout. However, I would consider adding more photos to portray the places you are describing and engage the reader more. Also, make sure that you are consequent in equally sizing the pictures thoroughout your blog 🙂

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    4. You certainly have a niche interest! I’m sure there are many others who share it. If I were to make a suggestion I’d say make the material, which is certainly informative, a little more your own. Less brochure and more your take on the info. I get the hint you are an interesting person with engaging interests, but I think your writing might be keeping your true self out of the limelight a little more than necessary. Just an observation…

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  4. Hello everyone! I would appreciate some feedback on my writing and the direction of my blog as well as the overall layout. Pop-culture would be the main focus but I have all sorts of stuff to talk about. I’m relatively new to this whole blogging deal and would love some suggestions. Thank you! http://seangreenblogging.wordpress.com

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    1. Hi Sean,
      I read two of your posts, the ones about being late and perseverance. I like your style! It’s actually really unique. Most people tend to rant on and on about the point their trying to make or how they feel. But you keep it short, simple, and to the point. And you still make your point. The post on perseverance was very good and important to me, by the way! I agree with what you said about NEVER giving up. Sry for the rant!
      Aul
      By the way, please feel free to check out my blog http://montairyus23.wordpress.com/ I’m writing a book and want to get the word out. Thanks!

      Like

      1. Thanks for the feedback Aul, I like the concept of your book. Right up my ally as I’m huge into fantasy. The part about “Kartrus seeks to enslave all those who oppose him using a sword which “injects evil” into those he stabs” weirdly enough sounds very similar to a dream that I once had (that dream was insanely awesome by the way) I’m looking forwards to reading more of you book.

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      2. You’re welcome! Thanks for the follow, by the way.
        Wow, I’m really glad to hear that! I’m sure it was an awesome dream :p
        Aul

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    2. Hi Sean. Finally got the chance to look at your blog. I like your voice and enthusiasm. I would however suggest more of a visual element. A well-placed photo can do a lot to enhance your message

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      1. Thanks for the feedback Ben, I actually just thought about making some opening pictures for my posts, I thought that might spruce things up a bit. What your suggesting is slightly different so I will definitely look into putting some more pictures into my posts 🙂

        Like

  5. Hi guys! I’ve been blogging for around 3 weeks now mainly about travel, but I do want to mix it up with more lifestyle posts in the near future. I would love to get some feedback on my layout and content, do you find it easy to navigate?

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    1. wonderful imagery. Personally, I dont mind the template being black and white. It really does allow the photographs to take center stage. Really it depends on what look you are going for. My blog is simple black white and grey. Others are colorful so it really is about preference

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      1. Thank you so much! I was actually going for a simple template to emphasize the photography, but I am a little bothered by the fact that all of my widgets are quite hidden and one needs to roll them out before they are visible.

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    2. I think your template works with your photography. A more neutral background with maybe an accent color is much better for photos, since they bring such random splashes of color. I like your general point of view and the topics you’ve chosen to write about. Great job.

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    3. hi – gorgeous photos! i might suggest putting in a break somewhere so that it’s easier to scroll through and find the next post. you could also group your photos by a particular section/topic of the location you visit and then put a few captions under each set. since i’m new myself, i’m not quite sure how to create galleries or things like that. the overall flow is easy to look at and navigate – the photos really speak for themselves, so it’s great that they are the focal point. keep playing around with what you like and see how it feels. great start!

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      1. Thank you for the tips! Yes, I also thought the amount of pictures might make it difficult to find the previous posts, I will try to work on that – I hope I can avoid having to change my template though.

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    4. I enjoyed your photos, and understand the need for simplicity in a background. Still, for someone who clearly has an artistic eye, I think (and this is just my own taste) that its a bit Spartan. Perhaps narrowing down the sheer number of photos you include and highlighting the best of the best will allow your readers to focus more on the essence of the particular post. For my own travel blog I always have the tedious task of culling thousands of pics just to showcase the ‘right’ ones. I think it would make your choicest photos ‘pop’ a bit more. But that’s just me 😉

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      1. Thank you so much for the feedback! I am aware that I went a little photo crazy in the latest post. Sometimes its just so difficult to leave some out and somehow I always seem to think that the more visuals the better. Nevertheless, I agree that it might be exhausting for the reader to go through them all so I will definitely keep this in mind for future posts 🙂

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      2. You’re very welcome. Though I’m a travel blogger myself I don’t feel a sense of competition since we all have a different take on the world. If you wouldn’t mind offering ME some feedback as well it would be appreciated

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      3. I like your extensive descriptions of the places you visit, but I would consider maybe balancing out the text and the images more, because many people don’t have the patience to get through large amounts of text at once (just like with the picture overload on my blog). Maybe if you increased the size of the photos and used them to divide the text or decrease the amount of text your posts would appear more flowing? 🙂

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  6. I’d love feedback on my blog. I’m trying to find my “niche” and I’ve had success with a few things, but I tend to jump around. I’m doing a Flash Fiction Friday that has been well read – but no comments per se. I like posting about ordinary things I find funny and amusing as well. Any suggestions are helpful. Thanks!

    Like

      3. Your writing is good!….although some of the themes and underlying values possessed in your writings are rather…modern and cultural, in contrast to mine. It’s interesting to see that you’re an author! I know another author-blogger that has things like “Flash Fiction Friday”, and they seem to grab her a lot of success and attention. It’s a good idea!
        Please feel free to check out my blog http://montairyus23.wordpress.com/ I’m writing a book and want to get the word out. Thanks!

        Like

  7. Hi! I’m new. My name is Val. After about 1000 people said I should start a blog, I did.

    My blog is mostly going to star my kids and grandkids, but with a possum or two thrown in here and there for a breath of fresh air. Possums give you fresh air when you accidentally pee on them in the dark at the lake. You start hyperventilating when you realize what you just did. Lots n LOTS of fresh air!

    My stories are usually funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes long (because we all love long ass posts!) usually short and sweet, but always true.

    I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I (usually) enjoyed living them. 😀

    Like

    1. I’m looking at the actually formatting and it doesn’t look off to me. It may look wider in your editor than it does on screen. When you try and “fix” it, it’s clear, because the content bunches up together. I think your line spacing is fine.

      Like

      2. Every theme is different. I just switched to a premium one and am still working out the kinks… But I like the flexibility and uniqueness the themes offer.

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      1. Any kind that you could give..I wasn’t sure if my posts weren’t interesting enough or what..I just want to have a blog that are things I enjoy..as well as a place people want to read and enjoy.

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    2. Write what you want to write about. There’s thousands of readers and you can’t please all of them. Someone said, “write for yourself.” Readers will find you. I checked out your site and thought it was good. Happy blogging.

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      1. Hm that’s completely true. Okay just was seeing if anyone had any other tips or ideas for me to write about. Thanks a bunch 🙂

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  10. Hi yall~! I’m new to “blogging” and I’ve created a blog called dancingintheislesoflife.wordpress.com – and a few others because I couldn’t figure out a name, LOL! Do you think that the name is too much? I’ve also created one called cinnamonscribbles.wordpress.com although there is nothing on it. Would love your input!

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    1. hey there – the title of cinnamonscribbles is very inviting and the alliteration makes it fun and easy to connect to. i prefer that to the other, though the title is an expression of you and what you are thinking, feeling, and experiencing, so go with your gut!

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    1. Hi! I just had a scroll through your blog and I really like it! It’s very easy to navigate, and I like the mix of writing and photography as well. I will definitely be checking it out again!

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    2. I enjoyed your blog. The design is clean and modern, which works great for your photos. You cover such a wide range of subjects that I’m sure everyone can find something interesting

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    3. Hi there!! I loved your posts! Especially ‘Waterworks’ and ‘Casual Class’. And i loved the way you talked about the Louis Vuitton bags! Amazing! 😀

      Like

  12. hi friends – brand new to WordPress! would love general feedback on the look and content of my blog. really looking to incorporate my instagram feed, also, and would love ideas/suggestions on how best to do this. so glad to be interacting with all of you! thanks.

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    1. I love your content. You have a great voice and your topics are really personal. Good point of view. I’m not sure on your layout; I’d like to see more of your pictures; I feel like the background picture especially is cropped strangely. I think your photos are very compelling and I’d like to see more.

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      1. thanks very much, Jenna! i have to figure out how to make the photos more present. i like the theme, but am willing to alter it to make the content and (hopefully!) photos more visible. much appreciated!

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  13. Hey yall, how long should content be and how many pictures should I have per post? Ive just started back blogging and I dont want to overload people witn too much info and not enough pictures. Also is posting video better to get your content out?

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    1. Hello. Welcome to blogging. I think you want to balance. It depends on what you are speaking about and if it requires a photo. If you are providing a bit of information about something in your posts, its always great to include photos. Took a look around. So far, so good

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      1. Thank you for your advice!it good to know that im on the right track. How about videos? Are they better than traditional postings?

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      2. I am new to blogging as well (slightly more than one month in). I’ve not seen many videos but am actually going to post one soon. I would stick to them being short and engaging. Generally, I see music videos accompanied with a post

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      3. I enjoy videos more that a regular blog post. I think that I will probably post more of those. Im looking forward to seeing yours.

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    2. I personally don’t believe straight copy should be anymore than 500-600 word. More than that, I get bored. How you lay your copy out (use of bullets, smaller paragraphs, etc.) will have a lot to do with how long your posts SEEM. (A 600 word post that’s scannable will seem shorter than a 400 word post all in one block.) As for photos, there’s no rule. You should add the photos that support your content…

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      2. Check out my blog. I use videos liberally throughout. The key is that I use them when they support my content. (i.e. “I don’t think this was a foul. Here’s a video to show you what I mean.”)

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    3. Hello. I find the length should be in proportion to the subject matter. I’m willing to read a longer post if it is on a subject (ex: personal experience, engaging review, etc) that deserves a greater amount of words to do it justice. Be judicious. For my travel blog I try to keep it around 900 or so words so no one loses interest. Some times I go over but hopefully no one notices 🙂 And I would recommend you fill out your About Page. People will want to know who they’re listening to

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      1. Hi thanks for the feedback. Im working on the about page now actually. I feel like the next couple of post will show a little more of who I am.

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  14. I’m concerned that my involved with the A to Z challenge has left my blog a little unfocused. I want to have a specific niche, although I’m not quite sure what it is. I’d really appreciate someone visiting my blog and telling me what they think it’s about, as someone visiting for the first time.

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    1. You can always try to post a niche in between. This will allow you to participate in the challenge but stay true to what you want to write about. Or you can try to adapt the challenge in such a way that it does not deviate for your topics etc.

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    2. I think the A to Z challenge is great to build your writing/posting skills. If you’re looking for a “niche”, that might be a separate blog. As for what your niche should be, you have time find something you’re truly passionate about in order to be able to build out specialized content. I have a niche blog and it took a couple of tries before I found the right subject matter.

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    3. Hello Anthea ! (Please keep in mind I’m a total newbie to blogging!) As someone visiting your blog for the first time, I went straight to your About Me page and felt your “niche” is basically the life of a college-student heading for a career in education. I see why you would think the A to Z challenge left it unfocused, however, the couple that I read STILL had to do with your life, so it made perfect sense to me. 🙂

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    4. Hi Anthea. I decided to accept your challenge and my impressions as someone viewing your blog for the first time is that it is a personal chronicle. The posts I read reflect a lot of “what’s happening to me now”, and after reading your About Me page and your endeavor to have a record of your life, that seems consistent with your objective. I enjoyed your ‘voice’ and can relate to your desire for an online biography. I write a travel blog and invariably, regardless of the particular subject, in relating my experiences I am unwittingly writing my own autobiography. My post An Accidental Autobiography http://wp.me/p3X1RS-4M explains more what I think you’re doing. Hope this helps.

      Like

  15. Hey, bloggers! 🙂 I kind of posted the same thing last time, but there was a moderation issue for a long time and then when it finally appeared, everyone else had gone, so here it is again:

    My blog is very inexperienced, like myself, and I would love to have some feedback on these two posts in particular. They were something I wrote for my last year’s school magazine-ninth grade-and I felt like putting them up here.
    The poem in particular is something I’m very nervous about, since it has been over six years since I’ve penned a poem. I would love it if you guys took a look at it. Once again, as I always do, I should remind you that my native language is Malayalam, and that I am but a depressed fourteen year old.[I would prefer comments on the posts themselves, thanks :D]

    The Abused

    Spaceship in a Coffee Shop

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    2. I’m no expert but I think it’s about building content, inviting comments, and interacting with other bloggers who are interested in similar things.

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    5. First, great design. I think it fits well with your listed interests. Be sure to include pertinent tags that a person with similar interests would search for. A suggestion I received is to engage more with others (hence my commenting here 🙂 and this can generate more views and interest. I liked what I saw so I’ll be following you

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  18. Hi there! I started blogging about five months back and while I absolutely adore it, I have found it increasingly difficult to come up with topics to post about. I have tried to use inspiration from my life but the world can only provide you with so much. So my question is: How do I come up with interesting topics to keep a captive audience?

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    1. I would say write whats on your mind. I dont and then develop it. Also writing prompts are a good way as well. Thats all I wrote in the beginning before I began writing about personal topics. I’ve been blogging just over a month. Also, dont confine yourself to posting each day. Perhaps just a few times a week or whenever you get the writing itch 🙂

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  19. I got email notification that I needed to “moderate” one of my posts. When I clicked on it it just took me to a comment that someone made who liked the post. Is that just how it works, or did I need to fix something in the post?

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    1. No. Go into your dashboard > comments. You’ll need to read the comment, decide if you want to post it. If you do, click on the radio button, then go up to the “Bulk Apply” drop down and choose approve. Click Apply All (I believe)

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    1. Hello Edward. I enjoyed the content of your post, I did notice a few grammatical errors in the middle of it (mostly to do with verb tenses (was written in present tense, should have been past). Hope this helps! Good luck!

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  21. Hello all. I’m also new to blogging. I’m wondering how others develop a community and get responses to their blog? I only have 2 posts and have purposefully posed a question at the end for discussion, but very few respond to that. Of course, many are my friends and are just giving compliments. Any thoughts?
    http://diaryofaragamuffin.com

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    1. Participating in writing prompts, does help you grow your audience. When you participate, and include the link, it will add you to a list. Others will usually take a look. If they like your blog, you may get a few follows. I am new as well (slightly more than a month in) when i began blogging, at firs there was nothing, then there were likes, in time, comments. Even today, some will just regularly like my post but not comment. I always hope for comments because it would be nice to have others to dialog with (I am mostly confided to home). In time, it will come. Participate in writing prompts. Also visit others blogs and engage with them. Networking is also part of gaining an audience. I have a writing even that ends today, I still encourage you to participate. You can reply to it whenever you like: http://sweetlittlesomethingsnet.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/moments-of-nostalgia/

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    2. I have similar issues myself, so don’t be discouraged. Keep asking questions–eventually you’ll ask the right one that will prompt a response. You might want to include a poll with a thought-provoking list of choices as well. As you gain readerships as well (a work in progress for me too) you’ll have a larger pool of potential commenters. I wish you the best

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  22. Hi all: Maybe someone can help here. When I pull up a post from my archives most of my pictures are gone in the posts. Is there some way to keep them there? Thanks for your help.

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      1. Oh my gosh! I did go and clean out a bunch of pictures from the media library. I’ll bet that’s what happened. Many are photo’s I had in my document pictures. I hope I can restore them on the post sites. Thank you so much for your help.

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    2. Hi Sue C,
      This is an issue for the support forums. Knowing exactly where the “missing” images are hosted is key to answering your question. If you uploaded them onto WordPress.com servers via your Media Library and have since deleted them from the Media Library then they cannot be displayed in your posts or pages. You have to upload them again. See here for the whole 9 yards http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2013/09/20/omg-my-images-are-gone/

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      1. Thank you so much! I checked the link you gave me and oops, I did go back and clean out a bunch of pictures from the media library. I had no idea that would happen. I’m new at all this and you have helped tremendously. Thanks again.

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  24. Hello everyone. I was wondering if you could tell me if you think my header image works? My blog is about parenting mostly but I didn’t want to give it a ‘mamma’ type of name in case I want to write about other things.. I had hoped the image would marry the blog name and what the blog is about. I am considering a new header image – a funny customised cartoon by another blogger/illustrator but I will have to pay for that.. Thanks! :o)

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      1. Ha Ha! You’re right. I tried making my own and it looked a little drab. I did a little caption in fridge magnets but the lighting was very bad. Thank you for your honest response. I really appreciate it. I definitely need a new header :o)

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      16. hmm, I am torn. I understand why you have the hearts and it does not distract much. Per my preference, I always find it easier to focus on image when the back ground is a solid color. It allows the imagery to take center stage. Others may think differently though.

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      17. I am some what of a minimalist so maybe that is why it is bugging me. Very excited to learn more about blogging, and it’s great to see that there are so many others with the same quest! Thank you!

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    2. Hi there. I see you’ve changing it and all, but the one you have right now seems good to me, though a little dark. Perhaps you could make it a bit more bright, a simple touch of photoshop or something.

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    3. I like your header, but do agree it’s a little big.You could probably make header smaller by resizing it, if you have software that will do that or have a friend who can. I thought your posts were interesting, but they are all about parenting and I would be careful about not defining yourself clearly. You’ll just lose your core audience if you don’t. You could start up another blog if you want to do something other than parenting. Weareeighty has some good tips on branding (she’s just above you in this thread, check out her blog on Word Press tips. Good luck.

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      1. Hi Laura. Thanks for the great advice. I hadn’t perceived how writing about things other than parenting might affect my audience. I changed the header, but just need to get it edited to brighten it up. Thanks again. I really appreciate your help. :0)

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    4. I think your header is extremely creative. It conveys that this is a blog that will consider parenting issues without being overtly single-minded. Kudos

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  25. Hey Everyone! My blog is still very new and I’m still learning but I would really appreciate some constructive criticism about the overall feel and anything you notice . Please and thank you!

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  26. Hey Everyone! My blog and I are both still very new and I would love some constructive criticism! Please stop by and tell me what you think? Any help is appreciated

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  28. Hey guys! Just started blogging recently. I’d appreciate it if you could take a look and give some constructive criticism! 🙂 And do have a look at my articles and tell me what you think. Hope you guys like them! 🙂

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    1. write as often as possible. Thats always a way to improve. Also participating in prompts and writing challenges can help as well. For more information on those you can look here:https://wordpress.com/dailypost/dp_prompt/ also there is a writing events page that hosts challenges. In addition to this, I have an event that ends today, but feel free to participate: http://sweetlittlesomethingsnet.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/moments-of-nostalgia/

      With anything, the more you do it, the more polished you become.

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    2. Keep using illustrations such as the one about the grocery store. Be concise–don’t use ten words when two will do–this isn’t Scrabble. And put your heart into it. That’s my 3 cents

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