Jan 5, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for tips, feedback, and friendly blogging chatter.

Have you just published a new post and are dying for some feedback? Did you recently start your blog and could use some layout or design advice from your more seasoned peers?

Tap into the wisdom of The Daily Post blogging community and leave your question here in the comments. Others can then click through and offer input either on your site, or in the comments here (feel free to indicate which you’d prefer).

To help us make the Community Pool a productive space for discussion, here are some tips you might find useful:

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.

  • While you’re not required to, we encourage everyone who requests feedback to also reply to at least one or two other bloggers who need some help. Spread the love!
  • The Community Pool comments section can get quite big — and starting duplicate threads doesn’t help. Thanks for not posting the same question more than once!
  • If you’re looking for quality feedback, be as specific as you can. Questions about a particular post tend to draw more comments than ones about entire blogs. Questions about specific design elements are more likely to be answered than ones asking for general layout advice.
  • We discourage leaving links without a more substantive message or question. These are often overlooked by other bloggers, and we frequently remove them to make the comment reading experience smoother.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
  • 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 Brian Cantoni.

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      1. I tried adding this to the post and I don’t know why I am having such a tough time with it. I have done this before but it seems this time I am missing something.

        I cut the post I wanted linked and changed the post I want it in on text and used the ‘link’ button and updated, but nothing is happening. I am gonna keep trying.

        Like

  5. Hi, just want to give this a try.
    I’m an anonymous (and shy) blogger. I like writing about my travels. Maybe the usual travel blogs are about the itinerary, details and all. But I just especially like to write about my personal experiences and go a little deeper. Here’s a recent (local) travel blog series I’ve been writing: http://twentiesdaybook.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/2014-summer-spree-starting-point/
    Though, I also plan to include the details and itinerary by the end of the series (’cause the notes are in my other house, and I still have to get them back!) Perhaps you can tell me what you think–the good points I should maintain and things I can work on. Or if you like it all.
    Thanks a lot!! (I’m so shy…)

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  7. hi! My name is Lissette and while my blog is called arteccentricities, it has my paintings, photography, creative writing and even some random thoughts. I don’t get a lot of views so I would appreciate anybody who might be willing to check it out and provide some feedback! thanks all and have a wonderful new year 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I like your mix of art and musings. Your theme matches the feel of the content really nicely too! Keep it up and that view count will start going up i’m sure. Don’t be too bothered though it’s best to blog just for you, an audience will just appear naturally!

      Check out mine if you get a chance, we have a similar art and musings theme!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. hi! My name is Lissette and while my blog is called arteccentricities, http://arteccentricities.wordpress.com, it has my paintings, photography, creative writing and even some random thoughts. I don’t get a lot of views so I would appreciate anybody who might be willing to check it out and provide some feedback! thanks all and have a wonderful new year 🙂

    Like

    1. Hi Lissette. Your works are pretty interesting. I’m not sure if your theme is doing them justice though. I’d want to see your poems and art really stand out in each post. Making the graphics larger and limiting the number of posts per page may help too. Just my initial thoughts. Hopefully, they help.

      Liked by 1 person

      2. I endorse Jamie’s comments. It’s difficult not to get discouraged, especially when your expectations aren’t realized as quickly as you’d like. I go through that very often. But chin up. Keep trying new ways to build your platform. This is your talent. Don’t hide it or give up on it.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi Lissette,

      I agree with Dionne Bee. In that, it seems spacing is an issue for you with the theme chosen. The graphics, might be sized better? With the text taking up better space. Sometimes it seemed the spacing between lines was more appropriate to a new paragraph? Maybe that was your intent?

      Your artwork is terrific! Really, asking only $15.00 for some of the smaller pieces? $2.00 S&H? Really low. If so? Depending on where you live, it might be better to have a small booth, table, etc. at a farmer’s market or something? I loved most of the paintings on display. Keep it up. You have something to offer here. .. Cheers Jamie.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I agree with you about the theme problem: I am trying to experiment with different free themes and figure out what works. thank you so much for your kind words about my artwork! that means a lot to me i do not feel very talented, especially considering I have only sold one painting locally while I have been here. I sold it through Craigslist. a friend of mine was obsessed with a certain painting I did, the one called strange birds, and he said he wanted to buy it but never came through: he offered, I did not ask. I tried having an Etsy shop for a while but there I also only sold one piece of artwork. your words of encouragement mean a lot to me and again thank you for the constructive criticism and I will definitely follow it!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. That you’e experimenting with different themes makes sense. Like a suit of clothes, you have to try them on. I’m surprised that given your efforts, you are yet to establish a market. Selling art has always been a problem, even masters like Van Gogh were plagued from the lack of buyers. Do not be discouraged, however. Find the theme that works for you best. Maybe a portfolio, within the bog? Then you could concentrate on your writing, poetry, whatever.

        I do not think it is necessary to “feel” talented. If you love something, you will pursue it. The rest will follow. You do not need to please everyone, only yourself. Do not expect to make a living from artwork. Many try and are unsuccessful. A living is there to be made, but it’s a hard and long road. I would mention, do not sell yourself short.

        I respect that you are trying. May I prove to be wrong. I have been blogging for about 4 years and have another blog that is an own domain .com. Where I sell berets, imported from Europe. I do not make much money. Again it depends on the effort put into it. That sort of blog wordpress.org is not expensive; however a person can end up spending a lot of money that comes out of expenses. Perhaps your own domain would prove fruitful? There is a lot to learn. I took this wordpress course to keep learning and to increase my skills.

        This blog http://hirundine608.wordpress.com is my hobby/fun time.

        Cheers Jamie.

        Liked by 2 people

  9. Hey everyone!
    If you could take a look at my blog and tell me what I could improve/ change I would be really grateful!
    Maybe even follow if you like it enough :P?
    Thanks 🙂
    theawesomemovieblog.wordpress.com

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  10. I was very pleasantly surprised to receive a nomination for the ‘Sisterhood of the World’ bloggers award today from Toby of poshandspicy.wordpress.com. As per the rules, I have posted my reply here: http://ramblingsofrachel2014.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-award/

    I am fairly new to the blogging world (have only really been blogging for a week) and so would appreciate any further feedback.

    I’m also on the lookout for new blogs to follow

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    1. And I hit ‘post’ too soon!

      I was saying that I’m also on the lookout for new blogs to follow and so if you happen to read my blog and find similarities in topics/writing style to your own, please leave me a comment with a link to your blog so that I can check it out.

      Thanks!

      Like

      1. Noticed that my name on the above two posts linked to somebody else’s blog. Testing to see if I’ve fixed it…

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  11. Hi,

    I left a comment earlier but noticed that, because of a typo on account set up, my name linked to somebody else’s blog and so nobody would have been able to be directed to mine. Fail.

    I’ve now fixed this and so any feedback on this week’s posts (my first few!) would be hugely appreciated.
    1. About me
    2. 10 thoughts every office worker had on the first day back after the Christmas break
    3. I’ve done two whole Zumba classes, why don’t I look like Shakira yet?
    4. Sisterhood of the World bloggers’ award

    http://ramblingsofrachel2014.wordpress.com/

    Similarly, if after reading my blog you think I might like reading yours, please drop me the URL so that I can check your blog out. I do like a new blog to follow!

    Thanks, Rach

    Like