Romance Fan

Romance Fan

****- (Rated by 6 people, viewed by 173 people)

It's a blog to talk about upcoming releases by specific romance authors. I just put up a new layout that's much better than the last one, but I don't feel it's quite right.

Updated 13 Nov 2008: A new color scheme and some layout modifications. I'm much happier with that portion. I am taking the suggestions about better organizing my content. Thank you!

Added by MelissaSue24 in Other

Romance Fan has 6 Reviews

Below are the reviews left by other members on Romance Fan. Jump to review form?

  1. [img: avatar]
    Tohru gave it ***** on 16th Nov 2008 and said:

    Wow, I love the concept of your site. Its very original and something I haven't seen before.

    The layout is neat and clean. Its also in one of my favourite colours of all time so you get extra credit for that!

    I like how you've organised the authors into categories, this makes things easy to find as I don't have to search through loads of pages.

    Your "About" page is clear and to the point. So there are no problems there. :)

    The grading system was a good idea and its interesting to see what books you really rate high.

    The author page was useful too as your visitors can find out more about specific authors.

    Overall I rally enjoyed browsing around your site. Keep up the great work!

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  2. [img: avatar]
    Annaleigh gave it ***** on 14th Nov 2008 and said:

    Ooh, this is certainly something I haven't seen before (and I really get a kick out of romance novels)!

    The colors/css are very nice, a sort of sea foamy green and pink (with lavendar/lilac hearts); good color scheme.

    I think the 'how to use the site' section could be changed to an 'about the site' page, rather than having it right there.

    (Ah, you have an 'online' page, perhaps move it there?)

    I like how the books are arranged by author and how there is a review section by grade. The sidebar is very well organized, but as you add more books, you may want to move 'the authors' and/or 'the reviews' section to another page as you might not have enough room for everyone to see it without having to scroll down for a really long time.

    (Oops, you do have an authors page. But, why put in on the sidebar if you have a separate page for it also?)

    I also really like how you list a few upcoming releases, for those readers who have read everything there is to read, or are waiting for the next book in a series and are unsure when it is going to be released.

    The fan listing section is a great idea, too, for those who are more fond of a specific author (whether for writing ability, technique, characterization, etc.).

    I like the fact that your site has user interaction, it's always good to see what other people think about books you've read and/or books you want to read.

    Overall, this is a pretty good site.

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    MelissaSue24's Response:

    Thanks! I rearranged the online section and separated it back into two pages, which how it used to be, heh. I also moved the authors around so they're more compact.

    I hope to add more about the authors at a later time, which is why they're kind of linked in two different ways. One is a master list and one is just the categories that have already been posted. Once I find the time to start the author pages, I'll be able to organize that better.

    Thank you so much :)

  3. Mari gave it ***-- on 13th Nov 2008 and said:

    Layout: Not bad-I can read everything easily and the hearts are cute. However, there are a few things I would change. I think the content area needs some more padding. The words are very close to the sidebar and it looks a little bit cluttered. I'm also not a huge fan of the color scheme. The gray you're using for the bottom part of the page doesn't really match the other colors, and since it and the bright blue are both light colors there's not much of a contrast. I like the pink, especially for the romance theme, but I don't think the blue and gray are very pretty and I think there are colors that would match better.
    Content:
    I've never seen this type of site before! It's a cool, original idea.

    I read over a few reviews and they seem really good. You've included a short explanation of the plot and your thoughts on the book. I'm impressed by the amount of reviews and new release posts you've written. You really keep your readers updated!
    I was a little bit misled by the "Reviews" navigation link. Before I realized the reviews were listed in the sidebar (this is my fault-I should have read the "How to Use This Site" section first) I went to the "Reviews" page expecting to see the reviews but only finding explanations about the reviews. This isn't really a big deal, but it might be less misleading to change the link to "About the Reviews". Or maybe you can link to the reviews from that page?
    The "Authors" and "Fanlistings" pages are nice and a good source for those who want to find out more about an author or are a fan of an author.

    Overall I think your site is really well done. You've included lots of information, from author links to fanlisting links to releases, and your reviews seem well-written. I think you can improve on the layout, but besides that, great job!

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    MelissaSue24's Response:

    I'm sooo glad I posted the site here because all of the reviews have really pinpointed all the problems with the site. I knew I wasn't totally happy with it, but I couldn't figure out what was bothering me. I've made tons of updates to the look and the layout. I hope it's less confusing.

    Thanks!

  4. [img: avatar]
    worldangel gave it ***-- on 13th Nov 2008 and said:

    Very useful content. I am an avid reader myself and am always looking for review sites like yours to inform me which book is worth my time. If I can suggest something about the content, I would love it if you can include some reviews on modern chick lit books as those are my passion. To give you some ideas, I love authors such as Sophie Kinsella, Jane Green and Mike Gayle esp.

    I like it that you include the estimated reading time. Very considerate for visitors. But it can get a bit tricky to estimate as different people read at different speed, no?

    I like it that you have a page for all the authors you have reviewed so far and the links are provided for us to go directly to their site. But maybe you can make the site pop up in another window so that we can still browse through your site while we are waiting for the author's site to load? And I have this habit of opening a few tabs at the same time lolz.

    The header has a nice pink and image, but I am not too crazy about the blue. And the gray background is not very attractive too. You might want to consider choosing more bright colors to attract the readers.

    As for the Forums tab, is it not working? I kept clicking on it but it doesn't seem to be moving to a new page...so I guess you are in the midst of constructing it? I would suggest that you take it out or at least put a page saying that it is under construction so that your visitors do not keep clicking under the impression there is something to look for there.

    I think your site has a great potential to attract a lot of readers, because it has a very specific niche that it caters to. So keep up the good job and I will be checking back every now and then to read the reviews :)

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    MelissaSue24's Response:

    Thanks so much! I had intended to get the forums finished over a month ago, which is why they've always been in the layouts. I just never found the time and there doesn't seem to be much of an audience so far.

    I thought about making the author links external but I've read some opinions that a lot of people don't like that, and that they'd rather control their own browsers, so I don't do that anymore.

    I don't really read chick lit much and most of what I have read doesn't really fit my romance genre (most of them are very girl oriented and the romance isn't usually the main target, which is always my favorite thing).

    Thanks so much!

  5. [img: avatar]
    Aisling gave it ***-- on 12th Nov 2008 and said:

    What an original topic! I've never seen this one before, and I must say I am intrigued!

    Okay, so, first, I'm not a big fan of the colour scheme you have going on. I understand the pink, for romance, but I think hues of red would be much more striking for such a site. The wishy-washy blue just isn't doing it for me, and the combination with the pink reminds me of a child's bedroom! You definitely need something with more... passion.

    That said, the actual layout of the site is not bad. I would like to see a slightly larger font.

    The content seems to be all in well-working-order. The authors list is extensive. Although, lists are kind of boring. Perhaps you could spruce this up by adding a short description about the author next to each of their names? Even a little blurb about their literary style could work. Just something to make this a bit more interesting, and tell YOUR visitors what the author is like, before they go off to visit the author's own site.

    Having a fanlistings list is nice too. :)

    Your Site section is standard. I would like to know what plug-ins you use! The Reviews page is also pretty standard. I'm excited to see this site expand and evolve!

    You don't have a forum, so, don't link to it. Think of how excited one could become finding that you have a forum, and then discovering it doesn't actually exist? It is a waste of time clicking that link, and it's a disappointment to your viewers when they do not find anything!

    I only was able to glance through your releases/reviews, and they look to be quite nice, short and sweet, and a good starting point for anyone looking for a romance novel! I, personally, don't read much romance anymore (although I adored Lurlene McDaniel in junior high school-- have you heard of her?), but I'm such a sucker for love stories, that I probably should! And I will definitely reference your site before my next trip to the bookstore!

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    MelissaSue24's Response:

    Ah, Lurlene McDaniel! That brings back such fuzzy memories! I agree that the color scheme isn't quite right, but I tried to match up colors for like an hour and my head finally exploded, heh. I intend to devote more time to that over the weekend. I just hated the one layout from before.

    Thank you so much for the color scheme comment, it really pinpointed exactly what I didn't like about the new layout (but if you'd seen the purple and gold from before, I imagine you'd agree this is a much better look, lol.)

  6. Olivia gave it ****- on 12th Nov 2008 and said:

    First Impressions: Oh yay! Something very different that I haven't seen before. You must be a very dedicated reader to keep up a site such as this.

    Authors: Dang, I don't know any of these authors! For a second I thought you'd written a page for each author, but instead you've linked their official sites. It would be quite a nice touch if you added a little paragraph of what you think of each author and their work!

    Fanlistings: Ooh, a listing for the authors' fanlistings. I feel like this sort of page could be listed at the end of the navigation, as to allow the visitor to browse your site a bit more before letting them head off somewhere else! :D

    Online: It's odd that you're explaining the site purpose on this page. Perhaps this page could be renamed as 'About' and be placed earlier in the navigation. Hmm. I do like that you've added these little notes about the site and it's purpose.

    OH! I've JUST realised that the bulk of the content is through the links of the authors from the sidebar. How very silly of me!

    Each link goes to a list of the author's books, and then on to your review of the book. You've done a lot of work here which is wonderful.Some pages of the books just have a description of the novel and others a full review by you. Why is this? Your reviews have dept and make a great read. :)

    Oh I see. The reviews are linked below. Got it! I love that you've graded them rather than rated them as it were. Classifications is a good way of judging books :)

    Final Comments: What a fantastic idea for a site! You're obviously have a great passion for these novels and others who share your love will have a great appreciation for the site. It's evident you've put hard work and research into the site. I would however suggest re-organising the system as I found it a tad confusing. See what other visitors suggest before do so though - may just be me being silly! I'd love to see more reviews and perhaps a page for articles by you, saying why you love the books so, or who your favourite author is and why. The potential for the Forums will be exciting as long as you have enough dedicated visitors to engage in good book discussions. Good luck! :)

    UPDATED 12 Nov 08:
    Edit: Wow, appalling spelling mistakes on my behalf, I do apologise!

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    MelissaSue24's Response:

    Oh, thank you so much for the feedback! It never occured to me that the fanlistings link is oddly placed as I'm the owner of those listings, but I see now that I don't actually mention it, heh.

    The purpose of the site is really to keep track of release dates and the reviews were kind of an additional thing, but I love writing them and hope to be able to do more. I plan to add tons more to the authors section, but it's been tough finding time.

    Thank you so much for the response and the suggestions. I'm already thinking of how to make it better! I love this site!

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