May 25, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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

Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/63057306@N04/5734415538">Beachfront Solutions</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).

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  1. Hello friends!!

    I posted a book review this week from one of our fellow bloggers Ben Pastore on his travel guide!! I have never written a book review before so advice would be lovely! 🙂

    https://biancamblogs.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/book-review-you-can-keep-your-adventure-just-leave-me-the-toilet-paper/

    And if you want to check any of my usual posts out any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

    https://biancamblogs.wordpress.com/

    Thanks!
    Bianca 🙂

    Liked by 11 people

      1. Hello! I would play with the color scheme of the background some. It is very bright when you first open it up. Also add tags to each of your posts. That way they can come up when people search the word. I like your posts. Keep writing!!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. love travelling though i must confess i have not done as much travelling as i would love to..so I’m going to read up your review and perhaps check on Ben’s travel guide…

      Thanks for writing up the summary though..will make an interesting i guess…

      Liked by 3 people

  2. Since commenting on here last week and getting some useful feedback, I’ve been playing about with menus on my blog (my teenage diaries from the 90s in all their cringe-worthy glory).

    I’ve added a ‘Years’ bit as a kind of archive (is that unnecessary?) and also a ‘Guest diaries’ section (I might think of a better name!) where any willing participants sharing extracts of their own teenage diaries as a guest post will be listed. Posts can either be anonymous or linked back to their own blog.

    Do you think I should put an explanation and a contact form on the ‘Guest diaries’ section or leave it in the ‘Present day contact’ bit? Maybe both?

    Any suggestions welcome! And, of course, if you fancy sharing any teenage ramblings then do let me know 🙂

    Tess x

    Liked by 4 people

    1. That’s a pretty amazing idea you got there. I hope you get good number of guest posts that makes your blog more interesting! 🙂

      I liked your blog design! Keep it up. I am okay with the navigation though.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Maybe more daft than amazing (I could easily live to regret it!) but thanks very much 🙂

        I only worked out yesterday how to get a section that will show all diary-share posts so that bit is still very new. I’ve had a little bit of interest and it would be nice to have the variety of other diary extracts so it’s not all about me. I’ll totally understand if nobody wants to share though!

        Liked by 3 people

      2. That’s ok. With time, people will really want to share their experiences as a Guest Writer in your blog. I would love to do it myself 🙂

        Liked by 4 people

      1. Thanks for your suggestion but we don’t have any of those here so I’ve no idea what ages they cover!

        I did actually think about using school years but it could be confusing to readers that aren’t from the UK. Names/numbering of the school years even varies within regions of the UK, just to be awkward 😉

        Liked by 2 people

      4. I think I’d have to do that if I went for school years. I’m sure readers could suss it out but, to confuse things more, even I flitted between Year 8/2nd Year, Year 9/3rd Year etc in my diary.

        I have made a start on a glossary to explain some of the slang I used so perhaps school years could be added to that if I ever get round to finishing it!

        Liked by 2 people

    4. I loooove the idea and execution of your blog! The navigation is very easy and I especially like your “who’s who” chart. The “years” is a nice touch, i think. I can’t really think of a better name than “guest diary” because it’s short and easily understood.

      Anyway, awesome job!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Ee, thank you very much! It’s helpful to know what you think is working well 🙂 I’m still fiddling around with menus so they might change slightly but it seems that, on the whole, I’m along the right lines.

        Liked by 2 people

    5. I love the idea of a “Years” tab, it makes it easier to sort through the posts. And I would put a small explanation near the “Guest Diaries,” if only to let people reading them know what they are. Your blog sounds fascinating and I’m going to check it out!

      Liked by 1 person

    6. I just had to say your tweet of about your 14 year old self and a boy phoning with you saying “if I could chose any moment for a plane to crash into the house, it would be now” made me laugh so much. Your blog is such a fun read and I love it!
      I don’t know which is best, it all looked fab to me! I’d be happy to share some teen or tween diaries with you if you wanted, some of them are pretty funny :’) My spelling was also atrocious haha. Hope you have a good evening x

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Master Chief John Urgayle: [quoting “Self-Pity” by D.H. Lawrence] I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A bird will fall frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself. GI JANE

      The quotes were interesting. I may have missed but I didn’t get from your blog what your thoughts were on the quotes. It was probably me. Best Arlene

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you! I agree, I just looked it it on my laptop and I do need a higher resolution header. I’ll look for a higher res image 🙂

        P.S. I just checked out your blog, great theme choice, it looks great! 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks for the feedback! For the post I shared I tried out featured headers and I guess it doesn’t look great on my blog. I have a relevant header image on my main page. I just checked out your blog, great poetry, especially “My Dark World” 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thanks friend! 🙂

        maybe because the picture positioning is not proper.. or have you thought of using a Cartoon Pic of that animal? (not sure if it will ignite interests in readers)

        Like

    4. Hi, like you’re blog – to me it looks good as it is! First one I’ve seen that is on the same theme as my 3-day-old blog and its given me inspiration!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you! Good luck with the new blog, I just had a look at it and it looks like it’s going to be very useful for people thinking about moving to Oz. Good luck with getting the visas too 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    5. with regards theme…i usually play around with mine every few months…i will recommend that for you too..what you use looks simple and nice…you may wake up someday and feel you need to change it then go for it…spice it up with some new ideas you may get from some other blog or from browsing through the theme tabs…

      good luck with all

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks for the advice! I’ve wanted a new theme for about 6 months and I’ve yet to find one that I prefer to my current one. Your blog is really interesting, congratulations on your wedding! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thank you!!
        Yes, I know sometimes finding that theme that ticks all boxes can be a challenge 🙂 you can check among the paid for customized themes if you still can’t find any among the free versions…

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi there!

      You can start by creating your “About” page and letting your readers know about yourself 🙂

      Also, look out for blogging challenges that will keep you busy with your blog.

      Liked by 2 people

      8. Visit your dashboard and then click on “Pages” on the left panel. There you will see the default “About Page” (if it exists). If yes, then click and edit it. If not, then you can create a new post and name it as “About Me” or whatever you wanna name it 🙂

        Like

    2. What I give to all beginners is to put pictures with your posts to draw people in. Also I’d change the theme! Go exploring and follow people who have successful review blogs and see what makes theirs stand out and create your own niche that allows you to stand out as well!

      Liked by 5 people

    3. ‘Sup,
      First, get a look for your blog that you like. That’s important. Second, find something you like to blog about; something will define your blog as yours. And the last thing would be to just write. And visit other blogs. It’s important to be present at other blogs if you want a lot of traffic at yours.
      I hope this helps!
      Aul

      Liked by 1 person

    5. Stick with it & link parties. I just started three weeks ago – a lost puppy & I feel like I am just starting to get into the groove! Link parties have helped me expand my network!

      Like

      2. It is a site where you can link your blog and meet other bloggers. If you look at the bottom of my posts, you should see a button for a link party (I’m pretty sure all of my posts have been linked at some point). Take a look and let me know if you have any questions!

        Like

    1. Oo, that’s a bit different! I like different.

      If you only recently started then your ‘About’ page might still be under construction but it’s the first place I tend to head to if I like a blog. It’s nice to know a little bit about who’s writing (or drawing in your case!) and the reasons behind it – particularly if it’s an unusual idea like yours.

      Maybe I’m just nosy though 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Thanks for your input. My about page is a bit of a token placeholder at the moment, which I will be remedying soon. I’m not writing about my own experiences, so it seemed less important than it would be on a personal blog, but I will be adding some background to the idea soon.

        Like

      1. Thanks! I’m just working on individual scenes at the moment, and bouncing around between different plays. There’s also another strand of the series that I’m working on, the first of which I’m planning to put up in a couple of weeks.

        Like

    1. Hi thanks for sharing , I enjoyed your post and the subject matter. I don’t think you sound sound ‘preachy’ I like the matter of fact tone and good examples we can all relate too. Perhaps if you are worried about preaching it would be nice to have examples or stories of times when this has affected you, just to make it a bit more personal. Hope that helps a bit

      Steph

      Liked by 2 people

      1. hey thanks a lot. Your view means a lot to me, and yes Ill definitely give it a more personal touch next time.
        Thx again for stopping by.. 🙂

        Like

      1. Wow. Thanks a lot Carol, I am flattered by your generous comment here, you are truly kind.
        Thanks for stopping by. 😄😄

        Like

  9. Hey guys! 🙂

    I am fairly new to the blogging world, and would absolutely love to make some new blogging friends and for anyone to check out my little blog! 🙂

    At the moment, I’m just exploring things like food and health, beauty, a bit of fashion, my experiences, and also may do some book reviews at some point too. Any advice would be much appreciated!

    Thanks in advance and look forward to making some new lovely blog friends!

    Immi x

    Liked by 3 people

      1. It looks good so far! I like that you’ve got quite a few pictures in amongst the text.

        If you start to pick out any subjects that regularly end up in your ‘Random’ section then you can always add a new category heading too e.g. more illustrations. It might be nice to have more of those actually. It’s a bit different.

        Could you add your own illustrations to subjects that you write about? Takes time I s’pose but it’d make it stand out from other blogs.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Hi Immi, thanks for your comments on my blog. I had a look at yours and I agree with the other comment that your illustrations are great, and that it would be great for you to use them as part of your design of the pages. I find its hard to get images to fit my articles so I use image sharing sites to search for something that might work but they are always a bit random, so you should defiantly use this skill to your advantage and draw things to suit your posts. I will give you a follow and keep reading your blog! looking forward to it x

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Your theme is cute. I would suggest you use the “Read More Tag” so your readers can see more of what other things you’ve posted. As you continue blogging, you might want to change the drop-downs of your menu.

      Liked by 2 people

    6. Your blog looks good, I like it’s appearance very much. If I have any criticism, it would be this. You don’t seem to have a focus. You are blogging about all sorts of things. And all the posts looked great. But the blogs I follow usually have one thing they are focused on, such as book reviews, humorous stories, travel experiences, poetry.

      One of the blogs I follow is that of a woman in South Africa. She posts about her life there, her neighborhood, etc. Another is the blog of a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He blogs about army life. One is a farmer who has a llama farm. And I always love writers who make the English language dance.

      I would look at all the areas you have chosen to post about and find one that you are truly passionate about.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for spending the time to check out my blog! Much appreciated. I think at the moment I’m using my blog to explore a wide area of topics so that, in time, I can hone in on more specific topics and find my focus on an area I enjoy writing about. So I guess at the moment it’s a sort of experiment!

        Liked by 1 person

    8. Hey!!! Loved your idea of the posts exploring all kinds of things ,your theme combined with all the pictures looks really great and the animations..cool writing style too.Keep going like this,good luck.

      Liked by 1 person

    9. I’m also new to the blogging, but I personally really like your theme and use of photos. I like the idea of reviewing books, and I’m looking forward to reading makeup and health advice! Also, I would recommend that you consider also posting things about movies or music. Those just seem to kind of fit the theme your blog has going to me.
      Hope this was helpful!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks a lot for the feedback – much appreciated. Enjoy the book – i have just about finished it and i must say i have kept a box of tissues handy!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi! I love the look and theme of your blog, the pictures are great too. I think the biggest improvement you could make would be to add information to your “About Me” page. It would be great to find out something about you when reading your blog 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  11. Dipping my toes into the pool …

    I’ve been blogging on the Daily Office Anchor Society for several years now in a very specific format:

    I pray the Episcopal Church’s daily office (morning and evening prayers) and write reflections based on the assigned scripture readings, psalms, and prayers. It’s my daily writing prompt, so to speak.

    I plan to continue the project in very much the same vein, but would really welcome advice about 1) better organizing three years’ worth of posts on the blog to feature older content; 2) making it more welcoming for newcomers, and 3) promoting it to a wider readership.

    Thanks in advance!

    Rodger

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The header looks great! I think wouldn’t it help if the home page was a little less cluttered? Too much information on a single screen confuses me a lot as a reader as to where to go. Keep Writing!

      Like

  14. Hi everyone. Have written a new blog post about jealousy, not sure how it reads. I’m unsure of how clear my examples are of how we can use jealousy as positive motivation. Any advice or feedback would be great, i’m holding off posting it on facebook until I am completely happy with it so would love to hear your thoughts!

    https://stephwithers.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/the-green-eyed-monster/

    Many thanks and I hope you enjoy reading!
    Steph x

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I think this is a great idea, an on-line diary of sorts. You seem to be a budding writer, I suggest you to post more on a variety of subjects. Things like what you felt about a particular thing on a particular day? Please keep writing 🙂

      Like

    1. Hi! I had a read I like the characters and the way you depict them although I would like to get a bit more story. I read date night part 1 and thought it was nicely written, but was left wanting to know more about why he was leaving and what was going to happen next in their relationship. I also would like to know a bit more about the way they feel about it each other and not just what they can see their partner in the present moment. Hope that helps a bit, thanks for sharing!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hello– thank you for the feedback, I hope you liked the stories and I will definitely take your feedback into consideration! Thanks again. I will review your blog.

        Like

  18. Who’s excited for the upcoming Rock Band and Guitar Hero releases? I certainly am!
    It’s easy to forget Harmonix’s legacy; how they single-handled created the music genre from scratch. Did you know about Activision and Harmonix’s ongoing rivalry?
    Take a trip back in time as we explore Harmonx’s Era of Plastic Rockers, and get set for the newest rhythmic revolution, because you’ll be the ultimate decider in the next great Musical W.A.R.

    https://sarcastination.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/guitarhero-vs-rockband/

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Hi!

    Your blog looks great and is really well divided into categories to help the reader find what they want. The photos really complement the posts too. I would suggest a more colourful header to draw the reader into your blog when they come across it. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    3. Fantastic post. I would like to share it with my Facebook group as we have been talking about the small differences we can each make in our Christian mission. I hope your father-in-law continues to recover well.

      Like

      1. It is awesome that you are undertaking a project to make a difference. I believe that small differences often big about the biggest results. Best of luck with your endeavors, and thank you for reading & commenting! Best, Karen

        Liked by 1 person

  21. Hi everyone ! I’m a fresh-presser in the sense that I started a couple of days ago. Got a custom domain but still waiting for it to propagate. In the meantime, i’ve posted a few blogs and trying to get the hang of things. Would love to get any advice, feedback. In return I’ll do the same! Thanks! https://letsmove2oz.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It’s great that you have pictures. The Selectskill Assessment was not very interesting to me, but it was informative. I like your overall theme. I hope documenting yours and your partner’s journey is more interesting that the Assessment. Good luck 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Hi,
    My site offers blogging advice to bloggers. Tips for engaging readers, improving content, and increasing traffic are waiting for you at my site. Here is the link http://wp.me/P5jxvv-1
    I just celebrated my sixth month blogging and am looking to grow my readership, so check out my blog. There is even a free incentive for signing up. Just scroll down to “Free Cheat Sheet.”
    Janice

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Your blog is vibrant and colourful and speaks a ton about your personality. I am going to look forward to your posts.

      Like

    3. I agree with the other comments in that I really like the design of your new blog. Very bright and looks much different to others I’ve seen.

      I’m a bit biased but I like the diary categories that you’re using too!

      Like

      1. Your page is a lot more exciting than mine visually. I may have missed it but is there a particular aim, theme, or point that you would like to the reader or are you just trying to let us get to know you? Are you at all concerned about reserving your rights or is it open season? I’m not sure where you are but most law schools have a legal clinic you can probably ask them. I’m not sure how open the copyright office is to questions but don’t ask don’t tell. Best Arlene

        Like

  27. Hi, everyone!
    I haven’t written much recently, but I want to get feedback on two posts. First, it’s a poem of a recent polemic event and of which I want some feedback, as it is one of my first completely-in-English poems, without being a translation or so:

    The Lost Heart of a Lamb

    And also, I want to get more opinions on my book reviews, just in case some people might advice me how to make better articles that spread literature and that can be funner to read; it’s also my first time doing these things:
    https://thetwothousands.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/

    Thanks a bunch!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi – I’m really impressed at your use of English in poetry and prose.

      The only comments I can make, as you’ve asked for feedback, are tiny ones: in your poetry, have you read it out loud? Does the English have music and does the music fit what you want your reader to understand and feel? Is every word working hard? Only you can answer those questions, as it’s your poem and the ways of poetry are many!

      For your prose, I’d check that you’re leading your readers clearly through your sentences. I think it’s easier to signpost a reader through a very long sentence in Spanish – I’m thinking of Gabriel Garcia Marquez – but in English the clues are different. Which doesn’t mean that sentences have to be short – there’s a wonderful Mark Twain quote on long sentences: “At times he may indulge himself with a long one, but he will make sure there are no folds in it, no vaguenesses, no parenthetical interruptions of its view as a whole; when he has done with it, it won’t be a sea-serpent with half of its arches under the water; it will be a torch-light procession.”

      All best wishes
      Elaine

      Like

      1. Hi, Elaine!
        Goodness, I actually tend to forget to read poems out loud completely. I tend to murmur them to check their sounds, but I tend to not do it out loud out of shyness! I will have to practice more on that part. I need to stop having this blind faith on the murmurs xD I’ll also get sure that my sentences in my prose–both long and short ones–do get to the idea, but I’ll also try to experiment with short ones in English to not lose attention (’cause I do have a little Spanish habit of making them long sometimes).

        Thanks a bunch for those neat tips! ;w;

        Liked by 1 person

      2. A pleasure. I’m only saying all the things that catch me out when I try to write in Spanish, but in reverse! You’re very lucky in Spanish to have different verb and adjective forms, so it’s always clear exactly who’s acting, being or doing. In English, we move through a fog of half-seen relationships.

        Here’s an English riddle – In an Italian restaurant, every single person orders pizza. But two people order lasagna instead. How is that possible?

        Like

      4. Hmm. It doesn’t work as well in a restaurant – the original riddle has a plane crashing with every single person killed, but two people surviving. I didn’t like the idea of a plane crash so I tried to put the riddle in a restaurant! Anyway, the answer is – the two people on the plane who survived (or the two in the restaurant who ordered lasagna) were married. So they weren’t ‘single’. Oh dear – I shan’t be taking up comedy as a career any time soon!

        Like

    1. Hey I love your film blog! You go into such great detail about subjects that I wouldn’t even think about when watching Mad Max! Keep it up!

      I also write a Film blog and started last week and would love it if you checked it out! I’m trying out different formats and also considering a weekly film podcast.
      ryanwatchesfilms.wordpress.com

      Like

      1. Thank you so much, that’s kind of you.
        That’s awesome, I’ll check it out! I love a good podcast so that would be a great idea.

        Like

    2. wow…mind blowing is how i rate your review of Short term 12!!! I am definitely going for that movie…I love your writing style and I am sure there is alot there for me to learn…thanks you and see you over at your blog.

      Like

  29. Hey I write a film blog that’s just over a week old now and would love feedback and advice on making it a better experience for the user! I am planning on starting a film based podcast as well as trying new ideas for articles instead of just reviews! Check it out!

    Ryanwatchesfilms.wordpress.com

    Thanks!
    Ryan

    Liked by 3 people

  30. Hello Fellow Community Memebers!
    I posted a chart with important German Grammar Terms translated into English and Japanese. I would like to enhance it with more languages (e.g. French, Spanish, Italian…) and would love to get feedback and/or corrections.
    With regards
    Maria

    Liked by 2 people

    1. This site looks like a fantastic resource for language teachers and translators. One of my professional hats is “copy editor,” so I appreciate good grammar resources. My college French, however, is not exactly grammatically sound, so I’ll leave the translations for others. Are there any other related resources like this already out there? If so, it might be handy to include links to other similarly useful sites. This looks like a big project, so good luck!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you for your input!
        There are a few resources in form of books and a lot scattered all over the internet. I would like to assemble some links and material in the future, but you are right – it is some kind of big project ^_^

        I will keep this updated, so feel free to use, share and come back!
        Maria

        Like