Apr 27, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

The place for advice, feedback, and friendly blogging conversation.

Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/redjar/8402178817">redjar</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(CC BY-SA 2.0)</a>

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! We tend to delete duplicate comments asking for feedback on the same post.
  • 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!
  • When leaving comments, please remember not to add your blog’s url as your signature. It’s kinda spammy: after all, your handle links directly to your blog.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.
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    2. Theme looks nice as does the font.

      However when I click your name (rather than the link you provided) is take me to https://somethingpsychology.wordpress.com/ which has nothing found, the “s” being the only difference in the URL, typo maybe?

      You have an about page but it doesn’t says masses, what is Lua for example?

      I didnt delve deep into the writing itself (at work atm so not much time) but a nice use of pictures to break up the text.

      Like

  3. I have a blog. Do you have a blog? If so, my blog, which I have, is better than yours. Do you not believe me? Well, then, why do not you check out my blog, which I have, for yourself? I bet that you do not have the guts to check out my blog which I have. You cannot handle the blog*. Or can you?

    *(which I have)

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Relax, he’s joking. Unfortunately, humor doesn’t always translate well on the internet since text doesn’t convey any tone.

        XAV, I look a look at your blog (which you have) and while it’s not really my type of thing, I can appreciate the humor behind it. The tagline made me smirk, so there you go.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Hello. I would like feedback on my latest posts. In previous posts on the community pool I have talked about my new series World Downfall but I would just like feedback on any of my posts. I get some likes on my posts but I would love if people could give me feedback on my posts. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated on my posts. I would like to know what I could do better.
    If you have feedback on my layout please tell me as well.
    I will follow your blog if you like, comment, or follow me

    -thekyleinator

    https://thekyleinator.wordpress.com/

    Like

  6. Hey bloggers! I saw this post and thought I would try this out. My blog is primarily (if not only) a blog where I post new music that I have been obsessed with, reviews of less popular artists, and make playlists for various things. I am very interested in finding other blogs like mine and getting more out there so feel free to comment back with your url and check mine out. Thanks. Feedback is extremely appreciated 🙂

    wildinclination.wordpress.com

    Just click on the picture to be taken to the article.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Personally not a fan of the theme, although saying that the pictures are nice, in terms of tone and colour etc, the theme is certainly better than the one that is pictures shown as circles (you may have no idea what I am talking about there though).

      I am kind of enticed to go back at relook though, I too like music from less than well known artists (some mainstream stuff too) so I may add for later reading (as I am at work atm)

      I cannot see an about page, and you dont seem to use categories or tags but I may be missing them?

      Like

  7. If you have a few spare minutes, I’d appreciate feedback on my latest post – an attempt to defend Charlotte Brontë and suggest she shouldn’t be held responsible for the prevailing views of her time. I understand I’m on my soapbox a little!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. If people see your post in the WordPress reader, they can like and/or comment on it, but unless they click through to the post on your site, it will not count as a “view” in your stats.

      However, if you look at the individual stats for a post (click the little icon next to the post title on the stats page) if will show you something called “syndicated views” which I think are the view from the reader and elsewhere other than your site itself.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Hello Everyone! I was hoping to get some feed back on a couple of posts. Below are the links:

    Bread to Toast…and Back Again

    https://likebabybearsoup.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/why-i-refuse-to-let-my-insecurities-ruin-my-son/

    The latter of the two was published last week on Thought Catalog! I was more than excited! I am still having trouble networking and am hoping I can find some people through this Community Pool. I appreciate any and all feedback/critique. Thanks so much and have a blessed day!

    Like

  13. One quick question: I’ve been working on some articles that I’d like to pitch to larger websites, but there is never a guarantee that they will accept the posts. If I upload them onto my blog in the mean time, would a larger publication dismiss them outright, as they had been previously self-published or would it not matter since my blog is not very popular?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hello there.Many large and popular website owners have social media memberships at Twitter,Google+,Pinterest,etc.If you don’t use them yet,sign up and advertise yourself with searches in the area you are seeking.Whomever responds gives you an idea where to go and who to contact,it’s easy to become part of a group that is looking for oppurtunities similar to yours.Good luck.

      Like

    2. They might reject them as having been previously published- but I would suggest versioning the articles. Put a shorter version on your blog and link to it when you write to the website, explaining that you have a longer version for them. This is just my suggestion, but maybe it means you can have the best of both worlds.

      Liked by 4 people

    1. Looks good! Even though you said you had a hard time writing the about page, it turned out very well. It’s a nice introduction to you and to your blog. Good luck with your fitness goals!

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Hi, everyone, I recently posted a poem titled ” Lost…” I would love if you checked it out and tell me what you think as I am not really a poems blog

    Lost …

    I also write a post ” Dear,me” a message to my self

    Dear, me

    You feedback will mean a lot to me and Ofcourse I would return te favor
    Thanks in advance 🙂 Have a nice day everyone 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. For some reason the ‘mortal selfies’ just made me giggle. Uncontrollably. Probably because my dad just learned what a selfie is and how to take one and I usually get a few a week of him trying new cropping tools or filters. So accurate! Your professional image posts are very helpful, thank you.

      Like

      1. thank you so much Leisel. It means a lot to me that you took time to read it. Have a great day 🙂

        Like

  18. Hi guys!

    I started my fashion blog last fall but haven’t had time to keep up with it consistently until now. I have a few posts lined up for this week that I’m really excited to share.

    I just need some tips on driving more traffic to my site. I’ve been blowing up all my social media accounts, but I’m not seeing the results I’ve been hoping for. Any suggestions?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Posting regularly will help. Even if you don’t post a lot, if you have a schedule, people will know when to look for new posts. So if you’re going to post once a week, for example, always post on the same day – every Monday instead of a Monday one week, then a Tuesday, maybe a Sunday the following week, etc.

      Also, this might sound counter-intuitive, but use fewer tags. Posts that have 15+ tags and categories won’t show up in the WordPress reader for people who are browsing those tags, which could keep potential readers from finding your blog.

      Like

      1. Thanks for your help! I’ve started setting aside days to shoot multiple outfits so I have more content to post consistently.

        I had no idea about the tags either. I will definitely use that advice!

        Like

  19. If anyone has time, would you please give me feedback on a recent post of mine titled ‘The Power of A Great Pair.’ Thank you in advance! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi Poppy, you remind me of me – 15 years ago! I live in Copenhagen now, so your article about your weekend there really drew my attention. I like your style of writing – you make the reader feel like your friend and that you’ve taken them into your confidence, which is lovely. I’m a professional editor, so I’m super picky about what I read and I think that with a few tweaks and chops your content could be really great. Cutting your own work is a really tough thing to do, but I’d suggest setting yourself a word limit. You write about some great things, but there’s a bit of waffle in there too, which detracts a bit from the good stuff. When you’re writing a travel article, try to focus on the things that make the place you’re visiting special or different from anywhere else (believe me, drunk people are a fixture in most youth hostels the world over and pretty much go without saying!!) and focus on the positive stuff to make your content special. Make Poppy pop! You’re only a small step away from some really great articles. If you’d like some more specific editing advice I’d be really happy to help 🙂 Looking forward to reading more about your adventures! xx

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hello! Thank you very much for all your advice, I am so glad that you took the time to write such a long but helpful response. I do agree with you that I waffle quite a bit, that is something I need to change! I will definitely take your advice and I hope you see improvements to my blogposts soon! Thank you once again ☺️xx

        Liked by 1 person

  23. I just started a book blog, reviewing old books in a way I hope is accessible. In the theme I’m using the quotes seem to be quite faded, and I was wondering if anyone finds them hard to read? Appreciate any feedback on the content so far too.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think the quotes are easy to read. The text color doesn’t seem faded at all to me. However, maybe because the quote text is larger, it seems like the proportion of quotes-to-review is a bit skewed – I’d be interested in seeing more of your thoughts/opinions and fewer quotes/excerpts.

      Like

    2. I think the content is rather easy to read. Agreed with the less quotes feedback; it’s a tad excessive and takes away from your actual written content a bit. Also, have you considered experimenting with Read More tags? It’s tedious to have to scroll through a whole post you might not be interested in to find other content you enjoy more.

      As a total bibliophile I’m going to be following you now. >_>

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks Leisel, I’ll look into Read More tags. I think I put long quotes because I love the writing so much but if it takes away from the blog that’s no good. Thanks for following me- your blog is incredible 🙂

        Like

  25. i would love some feedback on my foodie blogs. I am trying to be as healthy as I can and share what I learn, please tell me if its not layout/composititioned correct. is the blog even readable.?thanks

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Hey guys!

    So I’ve had my blog for almost a year (posting super infrequently because I’m lazy) and I’m just really wondering what people think about it.
    It’s basically a baking blog where I sob, curse, and complain my way through baking and make fun of myself.
    I’m 23 I swear.

    https://nutmegandwhiskey.wordpress.com/

    Lemme know if the posts are too long, or I ramble too much, or my layout sucks, or just literally anything. I don’t expect to appeal to most people, but surely there’s gotta be somebody who relates! D:

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I love your blog name! Right off the bat it’s clear it’s going to be food-focused but humorous. The pictures are great too. That smores cake looks delicious. My bit of constructive criticism would be that the font is TINY! It’s a bit hard to read for me.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. If there’s any criticism to be had I’d maybe say that I’d like to see an archive of recipes in some general order- other than Portuguese and Not-Portuguese. I don’t really like having to scroll to the very bottom of the blog to see archives and navigation and stuff. I do rather like what I’m seeing. You’re kind of amusing to read (considering how snarky a lot of my posts are, we should totally be friends >_> ) Cursing and baking absolutely go well together. Following!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Oh!!! Oh wow! Thank you! I do pride myself on being a snarky asshole. 😉
        How else should I categorize my desserts? 😛 I literally have no idea! Super open to suggestions.
        Also, as I’m sure it’s obvi, I’m using just a generic wordpress theme… so I’m not sure if I can move shit around that much???? I can try!

        Like

  27. Hello humans! I hope your day is going well and the weather is nice. I’m just looking for more people to follow me and give feedback. I know my weaknesses and want to improve. The more people who read it the more reasons to write. I’d like to hope I come off with a bit of humor but…that’s up to you. new to motherhood and here is the link. https://milknblood.wordpress.com/ let me know spaghetti-o!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. If you want to connect with your readers more, try adding an about page. You currently have one showing on your site, but it’s just the template (“This is an example of a page”). You should update it so it gives people a quick intro to you and to your blog.

      I would also suggest cleaning up the grammar/punctuation/capitalization a bit. It would make your writing easier to read and thus more accessible.

      Liked by 1 person

  29. So, I self-published my first book on Smashwords! It’s a four-page short short comedy of errors about a little boy who can’t resist a mountain of mud on his way to school. It’s downloadable in every conceivable eBook format and best of all, it’s free. “The Mudman of Mount McKinley” by Scott R. Cyre. Thanks for checking it out, folks!
    https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/538196
    http://hermansneutics.com (The Herman’s Neutics website – my blog)

    Like

    1. Okay, okay…apparently the promise of a first-grade boy covered in mud lacks a little sizzle. So, let me further add that on page two, I take off all my clothes! lol Actually, people, I am only interested in encouraging you to read the book or visit the blog, as I just transferred it over to self-hosting yesterday, giving it a fresh coat of paint. Your feedback is always welcome and have a great day!

      Like

  30. Hey blog friends, I just started my venture into the blogosphere and would really love some feedback! https://tayjsimpson.wordpress.com/
    My blog is basically about my life, and doesn’t have much to it now but any insight would help!

    Feel free to use the “Contact” form on my page to give me any advice/suggestions/comments/helpful criticism.

    Thanks so much!
    PS>Sorry if it sucks. SUPER new at this

    Liked by 2 people