Sep 28, 2015 / Community Pool

Community Pool

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

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).

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.
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  2. I’m trying to get a piece I wrote published with a magazine. Can I still post it on my blog? Will I take it off the table for some/ all editors or publications? jnfrfarris.wordpress.com

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Most likely. A general rule of thumb is to keep all work you want to publish with specific bodies of work such as magazines, competitions and professional blogs off any other sites

      Like

  3. Hello bloggers!
    I hope everyone is having a fine day 🙂 My blog is about short stories, reflections on life, and the places I travel to. I would really appreciate it if you guys could take a look and give me some feedback. Any advice/criticism is welcome! Whether it’s about my layout, theme, my photography, or even the contents of the posts itself. Thank you guys! https://pebblestonesteps.wordpress.com
    I am also willing to check out your guys’ blogs as well 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Hey there,
    I’m new to the blogging world. To be honest, I’m a little timid. I have focused my blog on rants on daily life. Expressing like’s harsh realities in a subtle yet blunt way. I am having trouble deciding what pages/menu buttons(?) I should put on my blog to get people interested in reading. I also am having trouble with good and intriguing ideas for my blog posts. I know what’s in my head but I’m not sure what will bring in people who WANT to read my blog.
    If anyone has some ideas or advice to a first time blogger (that has absolutely no idea what she’s doing) I would greatly appreciate it. Commenting on here or my blog would be wonderful.
    https://blissfullybluntbrunette.wordpress.com

    Thanks so much in advance! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi,
      I think your first post was good. I think it would help if you can find a theme to base your blog around. More than rants of daily life, or even in doing that, what is it that you are trying to present, you know? Since you’re just starting, I think trial and error is the best way. Experiment and eventually you’ll find your groove 🙂 And don’t worry about what people will want or like. Just be true to yourself and post things that come from a personal place in your heart. As long as you do that, people will notice it and will be attracted by it. I think you’re off to a great start though. I wish you the best of luck 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I really appreciate your reply! It has been my biggest struggle to find a so-called “theme”… I’m kinda bad at choosing things. I’d like to keep motivation/inspiration as well as everyday struggles… yikes! I’m so indecisive. Today I plan to write about fall festivities because it is my favorite season by far!! This is the first blog post/idea that I’ve been extremely excited about! Hoping it goes well… thank you so much again 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Just blog about the things that make you passionate, be that your favourite books or your favourite sports team. If you’re not sure what you want to write about vary it to start with and see how things form.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks for your help! I appreciate the advice. Today I will blog about Oct 1st and fall festivities! It’s my favorite season so I am extra excited!!

        Like

    1. Loved it 🙂
      Your poem seemed like it came from a very personal place. The only thing I’d suggest is if you update your “About” page that way viewers can connect to you more personally. As a fellow writer, I’m going to give you a follow 🙂 It would be awesome if you could also check out my blog. Any type of feedback is welcome 🙂 Cheers!

      Like

  8. Hello!! I have never blogged before and was told it made life a little easier if you put your thoughts out there. Here is my blog… husbandforthemisses.wordpress.com its my journey through dating and im pretty excited to get started!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I`m having trouble downloading photos from fave “piccy” site . using Commons Media ,can anyone suggest a Free or cheap site???Thank you for any helps or suggestions from me .
    Debs

    Like

  11. Hi everyone! please check out my blog! I’d really appreciate some feed back, check it out at lizrants.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. I absolutely fell in love with your blog. Your about page is perfect and the concept is beautiful. I decided to follow you because our interests seem to align 🙂 I also followed you on Instagram. You seem like a very real person and I can see it through your content. Keep traveling and keep writing 🙂 It would be great if you could also check out my blog. Any feedback is sincerely welcome. Cheers!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I love how raw you are. In your about you expressed yourself very genuinely and I admire that. I come onto the community pool in order to find people like you. I’m glad I came across your blog. Definitely going to give you a follow 🙂 I really enjoyed your recent post and all I can say is to keep up the great work. You’re doing great. It would be really appreciated if you could also take a look at my blog. Any type of feedback is certainly welcomed. Thanks and cheers!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you John for your kind words. My blog is my place to be open and share my thoughts, feelings and fears and most importantly be honest to myself in my writing. I will definitely stop by your blog and thanks for the follow. Thank you again for reading and taking the time to comment.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you. I find that writing openly and being honest about my feelings somehow makes me write better.. I suppose I would be a terrible fiction writer. Even when it comes to reading I love non-fiction. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi,
      I like how clean and simple your blog is. It’s easy for readers to navigate. Your content also seems great and the visuals are very appealing. I think the only thing I would suggest is if you made an “About” page so that viewers can connect with you more personally. Other than that, I think you’re off to a great start 🙂 Cheers!

      Like

      1. Thanks john chon 🙂 i saw ur blog, very good and awesome blog. the design setting is clear. i am the begineer using blog and i dont know how to made an “about” page as like your 😦

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Yes i got that. but i have a problem now hehehe. in my site i have 2 title, it is “about lotus” and “about”. i can’t delete “about” 😦

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Yeap John chon. it looks normal now. is that all our post is showing in one page when peoples come to read our blog john? because i wanting one page showing the titles only and when peoples looks my blog they can click the title for read the post. hehe

        Liked by 1 person

  18. Hello everyone! My name is Andrew and I’m fairly new to WordPress. My blog, Pop Cultural Studies, takes a look at an assortment of things I love: Batman, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and more to come! As my little tagline says, I try to provide “an analytical look at pop culture.”

    Please, take a look, let me know what you think. Not only in terms of content, but in display. I recently changed my theme from Scrawl to Sapor, which I think is more fitting, but if there is another theme that would work better.
    I appreciate all the feedback!

    https://popculturalstudies.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I like your content. The layout is good with one exception, since your posts have long titles (not a criticism just an observation) you may want to think about either choosing a layout that differentiates each post title more clearly in the right hand column OR add some graphic or typographic element to the start of each post title to offer that visual aid and help the individual post titles to stand out as separate entities. Right now they look like a big paragraph on first sight. I had to look at it for a moment before I realized that chunk of text in the right column IS comprised of multiple post titles. It could be my tired eyes having trouble differentiating it. Also, I couldn’t find a like button. I wanted to indicate that I liked some of your posts.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. This is useful feedback. I’ll look into ways to fix that. I like to title my posts as though they’re a paper in one of my English classes, but perhaps I should just look into shorter titles! As far as I know, the like button is at the bottom of the article.
        Thank you again!

        Like

    2. Grea stuff Andrew – love the look of your blog – simple and to the point and while Melinda has a bit of a point i didn’t find it too confusing so not a train smash if you can’t fix that – i do think you might have a typo in your last piece though [Batman is always morning his parents] unless ‘mourning’ is another word Americans spell without the u.

      But i love your content even more – you are clearly writing about what you enjoy and have a handle on and this feels like the stuff of magazines so i don’t know if you write for any movie mags presently but that could definitely be in your future if not – keep on doing what you love and it will grow its own audience..

      love brett fish

      Like

      2. Hi Jessica, I fell in love with you sweet blog. You have an amazing husband who is fighting for our freedom and our country. And, you are an amazing woman…working hard on being strong. You are dealing with each day the best you can. You are terrific!

        Like

      4. I did not know where to reply on your blog. Usually, a comment/reply box is in the About page. I did not see an About page on your blog. Take care and I’ll be visiting your blog:)

        Like

  20. Hello,
    I’ve written a couple of new post, and I’m looking for feedback from my fellow bloggers. I’ve been catching up my Writing 101 pieces, but I would like input from others.

    Like

    1. Hi there, the text is hard to read on the yarn pic in your header graphic. I’m not sure what the small text says. Other than that, I like your site. I’m not a knitter. I crochet in my spare time though lately, I haven’t had much of that. Keep up the good work!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I like the header graphic and the tagline. The orange menu is jarring and way too long. I’ve never seen a menu on a site that required scrolling. That said, I am not a designer but I did find the menu off-putting and wanted to let you know in case it could be putting off other potential followers.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hi there – love the title and subtitle and picture at the top and agree with Melinda on the orange menu – the colour is jarring but i also prefer to have that stuff on the side of the blog so there is instant access rather than having to call it down so i would see if you can add a sidebar rather?

        Another thing to possible consider which i’ve just started doing when i remember is a “Read More” page break so that you see the first paragraph on your main page and then have to click through to read the rest of each post – i like it because it allows more posts to fit in a smaller space on your blog… maybe give it a try and see how it feels… Means you have to have a strong hook at the start of each post which helps improve your writing as well.

        Otherwise looking good, keep on
        love brett fish

        Like

  23. Hi all, check out my site and let me know what you think. I’ve been tinkering around with navigation and the about page. I’ve seen a lot of comments on here about the about page, so if it’s not too much trouble do give that a look. If I’ve left out something pertinent, I want to know! My site is focused on one thing, honoring my sister’s last request. She died in 2014 and it’s been a hard road to get here. You can visit my site at: http://melindakucsera.com. Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I like it. Very easy to navigate. The theme is nice and clean. Your content is also quite nice 🙂 All I can say is keep doing what you’re doing for your sister! You’re doing great 🙂 Cheers!

      Like

    2. i Melinda – thank you for sharing what seems like a very personal space – i LOVE the look of your blog – really stunning and enticing…

      i love the top of your About the author page – the eyes and the words – but i do find it a little long as a whole although not sure how you could say all that stuff shorter – one idea is to post the audio stuff at the bottom as a separate post and then just have a link to it in your About page – but for me the About is usually the first place i head to on a blog and love it if i can read it all on one page without having to scroll – just to get a rough idea of what i’m going to be in for – so if you’re able to work on yours and get creative about doing something like that i think you will get more eyes on it – let your posts do the work for your instead of your About page – i would maybe leave off the bit about all images being yours [or again write is as a separate post with a link] cos of the space it takes up – i love the About page to just be you and the blog — what have i discovered here?

      Hope that helps – but it is looking so so good
      Keep on
      love brett fish

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Very powerful page on your sister as well [i would give it a quick read through as there is an “off” which should be “of” and a “you’re” that should be “your” which are not a big deal but always nice to get the small things right…

        Like

    1. I like your header title and tagline. It makes me feel intrigued to read and know more which is a good thing 🙂 The only thing I’d suggest is if you update your “About” page so that viewers can connect with you more personally and also if you can make clear what the theme of your blog is. Perhaps you can insert that in your about page. Other than that, I think you’re doing great 🙂 It would be awesome if you could also give my own blog some feedback. Anything is welcome! Cheers!

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hey there – love the look of your blog – first thing i would do would be to jump on your About page and add some words – just a glimpse of who you are and what the blog is about and perhaps a pic of yourself – that to me is the most important page on the blog so good to get it right soon…

      But ja, otherwise it is looking great
      love brett fish

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hi brettfish ^^ Thank you so much for your feedback. I just updated my About Me section. Totally forgot about that part. Most important part, that is. I guess I just got too excited about blogging. lol Well, hope you look into it and tell me what you think. I’ll try to upload a photo in there soon.

        just me… mar

        Like

    1. I think your blog is nice. The visuals is pleasing to the eye. I think the only thing I would suggest is if you updated your “About the Author” page 🙂 It helps readers understand who you are and what you’re theme is all about. I wish you the best of luck. Cheers!

      Like

  26. I’ve been playing around with some topic ideas, really just stuff that I like to talk about. My blog doesn’t have a defined topic e.g. cooking or travel, but is a mix of the things I love and my experiences as a single 40 something living in Durban. I recently expanded on My Happy Place page and included my search for the perfect Flat White coffee in Durban. I’m knew to writing reviews so any tips and advice would be helpful. you can check out the page at

    My Search for the Perfect Flat White

    and my first review is linked on the page or you can check it at at

    In Search of the King of Flat Whites: Cafe Jiran

    Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Your blog ROCKS! Everyone should check it out. Love that you’re doing it and love how amazing it is. Not that i should be surprised but i just don’t see you write regularly [although your blog post for me being one of the most popular at the time should have been a clue] but yes keep on my friend… loving it
      love brett fish

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I like it! Your blog style is very clean and concise. The theme you chose makes it easy for readers to navigate and I enjoyed reading your “About” page 🙂 I think you’re doing great. Just keep doing what you’re doing. I wish you the best of luck 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Matt, I really liked your blog, it looks clean and easy to navigate. I’m not sure about changing names of people it depends what you’re sharing and if they mind or not. If it is their stuff you are sharing then I’d ask their permission and if they are ok with it then use their name otherwise change the name to protect the innocent ;).
      Good job though and I look forward to reading more of your posts.
      Sammi

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hello,
      I loved it! Your blog is awesome. Very neat and easy to navigate. I enjoyed it very much. As for the name changing, I think you should. Just for the concealment of privacy. Definitely going to give you a follow 🙂 It would be awesome if you could also give my blog some feedback! Anything is appreciated. Cheers!

      Like