Oct 16, 2017 / Community Pool

Community Pool

Where WordPress bloggers support each other with feedback and advice.

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

The Community Pool is for peer feedback and advice. Looking for more specific information? Check out some of these resources:

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).

Looking for more information about custom domains, advanced design options, and other enhancements for your blog? Find the WordPress.com plan that’s right for you.

Are you a new blogger looking to share your very first post? We have a special forum for bloggers just like you in our weekly First Friday posts.

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

  • 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, as well as for not starting numerous threads in a single Pool.
  • 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. Also note that including multiple links in your comment might automatically put it in the moderation queue, which will delay its publication.
  • Please keep all comments civil and constructive. The idea is to have fun — it’s a pool, after all!
  • 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.
  • If you haven’t looked at our Commenting Guidelines in a while, now might be a good time.
  • No running on the deck.

Looking for free, self-guided courses to help you get started with your blog (or revive a dormant one)? Check out our current offerings at Blogging U.

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  4. Hi everyone,

    I have a creative writing blog where I write short stories which I have written for a creative writing course I’m currently taking. I will also in the future be adding new content such as posts about the craft of writing and book reviews. I also do lots of arts and crafts with my kids so I’m sure some of that will feature to. Come and take a look!

    My newest post is a first attempt at looking at character in writing. Let me know what you think and whether you would like to see more posts like this in the future. Any feedback is welcome as always.

    Character (part 1)

    Thanks in advance

    Kristina

    Liked by 7 people

    1. I literally read the post twice. Simple writing. I definitely think it is a perfect length for a post. It wasn’t too short that I was wanting more and it wasn’t long that I was ever wishing that it would end (which I have trouble with, because I always worry my posts are far too long).

      Liked by 2 people

  16. Afternoon Swimmers

    I write a mental health blog and have recently switched over to a Premium account, so I’ve been tweaking things here and there. I’m relatively new to the blogging world (I’m eligible for my 3 month chip). I’m currently writing a segment of posts on Social Media use in teens to help educate parents. I’d appreciate any feedback you can give me. Thanks so much

    Live Streaming Apps: Parents, Who’s Watching Your Kids?!

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I thought the list was valuable, as a parent and a fellow human. I commented and tweeted a link. One thing you may want to do is link your twitter account to your blog. That way, when someone (like me) tweets it out, you’ll be notified of the share.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I am so glad we got there early enough for a pre-sale croissant! 😉

        It was my second breakfast of the day, but sale shopping is hard work!

        Liked by 2 people

  20. Hi guys!!!! im a new blogger…it’s been a week…also I’m Christian…my most recent post is on a ‘touchy subject’…I get that I may not share the same beliefs as others but I’d love your feedback on my writing or other posts on my blog.Thanks. I love the blogging community…yall are awesome! Wish I’d start sooner… https://caterpillartobutterflyblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/16/this-secret-sin-touchy-subject/

    Liked by 11 people

    1. Welcome to blogging. I definitely got the feeling from this post that you’re wrestling with how much to reveal. That’s a fair feeling. You may want to read some Glennon Doyle Melton. She’s an advocate for getting out there, being authentic and speaking your truth. Not everyone will like what you have to say–and that’s okay. The point of blogging is engagement and connection, learning and growing–not pleasing everyone or amassing a huge following. Be you.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Thank you. I’m pretty nervous about been so open about the little things that I’ve kept hidden, we all have stuff that we’d prefer to keep hidden so we’re not judged too harshly…especially struggling with self esteem issues..but sharing has also become so liberating! It makes me feel a lot less burdened…
        Thanks for the feedback! I certainly appreciate it!

        Liked by 3 people

    1. Wow. I commented and tweeted a link. This is powerful stuff. Also, I know of a blogger, Steph Parrell over at Scale it Simple, looking for guest posts about self-love and self-care. If you’re looking to do any guest posts about your journey and find a different audience, check over there with her.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. This is really powerful writing. I left a comment on your blog and started to follow you.

      By the way, have you thought about adding a follow with wordpress button to your blog? I followed you through the WP reader, but that way takes a little more effort. You might have even more follows if you add the WP button…

      Liked by 3 people

    4. Thank you for sharing such a personal story! It was beautifully crafted and quite powerfully stated. I feel as if I say much more, I’ll ruin the serenity. So thank you. 🙂💫💙

      Liked by 3 people

    1. I already love this post.

      I’m just leaving a comment so that more people know that it’s a good idea to click on this link. 😉

      Liked by 4 people

    1. It looks nice and I love the name!

      My comments are more about the blog set-up than your writing…
      – It might be worth changing the settings so that your homepage is a list of your actual blog posts, as it looks a little empty at the moment. You can always re-add a landing page later if you want to.
      – Also, maybe remove the text widgets (or write something in them) and fill out your about page…

      Having so much empty space detracts from the blog posts that you have already written.

      Liked by 5 people

    2. Hiya, love your main photo! That’s awesome! I agree with Josypheen – the thing you need to work on here is the blog set up. When viewers click the link they just see ‘welcome to my blog’ and your photo. Which is lovely but doesn’t easily direct them to a blog post. Also, you have text widgets set up but it just has the default text in them, so you should remove them or fill them in with stuff 🙂

      Welcome to blogging and I’m looking forward to seeing more posts 🙂

      Liked by 4 people

  26. What started out as an intimate blog intended for sharing my adventures across the country with family and friends has taken on higher meaning and greater dimension. After seven months of 100 posts, 10,000 views, 4000 visitors from over 100 countries, and a new family of nearly 1000 followers has eclipsed all that I could have imagined.

    It has changed how I look through a lens and how I craft a story. It has transformed my posts from informative to entertaining. The discipline has made me a fluent writer and sharper photographer, for which I am thankful.

    Your collective thoughts and comments are a driving force to improve my content, and I am grateful for the feedback and acknowledgement.

    I’d like to think that this evolution and subsequent statistics are because of my new and loyal audience, and I thank you dearly.

    Additionally, my apologies to Leah, who must now contend with my newest obsession.

    My latest chapter, “Nature under Glass”, is another “stream” of words and pictures about caring for our planet: http://wp.me/p8wK33-71m

    As always, your comments are always appreciated.

    Liked by 9 people

    1. Those are some amazing stats. Good for you. 🙂

      I just followed you and left a comment. So you have one more person to add to your original family and friends.

      I think it is really interesting that many of us seem to have more interaction and more loyal readerships from complete strangers than we get from our real life friends. It’s not too surprising that it makes you re-evaluate the style of your posts…

      Liked by 6 people

    1. Lovely post and good work on that featured image as well – it’s really beautiful! Well done on your first piece, don’t forget to post this in ‘First Friday’ as well!

      Liked by 2 people

  29. Hey Writers!

    I hope everyone is having an amazing Monday! I’ve recently published my latest post “What Makes You So Special?”
    It’s a departure from my usual writing (I usually just focus on ‘forming relationships’) which looks at the consequences of dating multiple people (not a role model here).
    Tell me what you think! If it’s a bit iffy it’s because I’m slightly too scared to re-read one of my more emotional pieces…

    What Makes You So Special?

    Liked by 8 people

    4. Oooh I really liked this post. It’s interesting, despite being pretty horrific.
      I left you a comment and started following you.

      Liked by 3 people