headers, banners, and dividers

though not necessary, it’s good to have a title for your work. make sure it’s bold and doesn’t blend in with your notes (aka pairing, warnings, etc.). this also helps when someone wants to look up one of your works in your search bar

i don’t really make banners or covers for my works. but some good apps that i know of would be picsart and canva. if you’re looking for ideas, i definitely recommend going into canva

wondering how to make those really small, thin dividers? you can make them using picsart! to make a divider hit tools > free crop > brush > size (adjust it to your preference > then draw a line along the edge of your photo > save

using the divider you just saved, go back to picsart and edit it again > draw option > hit rainbow square at the bottom left corner > hit suction/droplet symbol right below the check mark > color in the white spots bc for some reason picsart glitches and makes dividers look white-ish

new blog? just opened an account?

this is gonna sound really frustrating. but... tumblr needs to check if you’re a bot or not. what does this mean? it’s likely that your first few posts won’t show up on the search bar. you may not even get to edit your header/pfp yet ://

this happened to me and there was no visibility on my account at ALL. what helped me get ‘verified’ is that i followed a LOT of accounts, liked a bunch of posts, made some posts here and there. now that lets tumblr know you’re not a bot

visibility

the tumblr tagging system usually only allows the first 5 tags in your post to show up. so, what can do you about this? only use FIVE or less tags in your post. wait about 15 minutes or more until you can add some more tags in your post, and they usually all show up like that

another important thing about using tags is not to generalize! especially if you’re using a popular tag. but also don’t specify it too much where barely anyone looks it up. for example, if you’re writing a gn piece about oikawa, i recommend you use the tags such as: oikawa x reader, haikyuu x reader, oikawa x gn!reader, haikyuu headcanons, etc

a good rule of thumb is to use character x reader tags first, then leave the full name or fandom tag last

FOR NSFW: tumblr doesn’t let any tags with nsfw show up. so, give your nsfw works another tag. maybe #namegetspicy idk, you figure it out

FOR WARNINGS: especially if you’re a dark content creator, i highly encourage you to add tw:xyz tags. if you already have a warning note at the top then that’s great. but even better for readers who prefer to actually block these tags that way they never get to see it

another important thing to note is that people have different timezones. it helps if you rb your work at a different time of the day, in case people missed it! (icymi) i’ve noticed that reblogging helps to make your post show up in the tags

interaction + feedback

first and foremost, you are not obligated to write for your followers, and neither are your followers obligated to interact with you. remember that everyone has their own individual lives, and they have their own things to do— so do you, too.

make friends! become mutuals with other writers, visit their ask box. i know it can be daunting having to initiate these things, but you might just turn out to have fun! you can’t expect people to interact with you if you’re not interacting (back). it’s... kind of a two way thing yk? no need to be afraid to interact with other writers. oh, and rb other writers works!

pspsps join tag games or do ask games. it’s fun and very interactive

it never hurts to ask for feedback. i usually do this in a more subtle way because i don’t really expect a full on analysis on my works. maybe a little, is this okay? or feedback appreciated. sometimes it takes a little bit of coaxing for the silent readers

formatting your posts and blog

i generally put in the title at the top in big, bold letters

then comes the header/divider. helps to make the post more... visually appealing ig?

it’s important to add warnings (if any) and the pairing. the audience is not all female, and it might be a little frustrating for male readers having to find out its an x fem reader piece like halfway through your fic

if you have multiple works posted, it’s really really helpful to have a navigation page!

you can organize the posts you make with tags! for example, if you’re shitposting, you can use a specific tag for that. if you have a nsfw related post (ESPECIALLY when your blog is open to the general audience) please make a tag for it

themes + colors

if you have a color in mind but don’t know which direction to go from there, i recommend looking up color + aesthetic

looking to use the same color? download a name color app that’ll give you a hex code for any color you want to use. then, you can type in that hex code for when you’re choosing a color for your tumblr bio

wondering how to make your header image small like mine? just choose a photo for your header and turn off the stretch image option

want to use a different text color that tumblr doesn’t offer? it’s not as complicated as you think. you’ll have to go on a desktop to do this and do some html (but trust me, it’s not very difficult). look up “HTML noob but trying my best - how to use colored text on desktop”

^^ i don’t have the link for the color text tutorial so you can try looking it up

how to make an aesthetic navi and masterlist

step 1: decide a theme! if you’re stuck, think about a character + color/season/mood or look up “[insert] aesthetic” to find some inspiration. or you can try looking at other blogs too

step 2: find a color scheme! it’s easier if you choose fewer colors. if you want to use the same color for both divider and text, download a color name app in order to get the hex code of that color.

step 3: add categories to your navi! most navigation pages include a link to masterlist, about/byi, and rules. your navi should have a title that indicates that it’s... a navigation page. you can add thin colored dividers with the same color to make it easier for followers to navigate

step 4: you can choose to create a ‘cover’ or a picture for your navigation and masterlist! again, i recommend you use the canva app as a starting point

extra: search up emoticon symbols to spice up your titles!

reminder for you as a writer

you’re not obligated to do any of these things. i’ve noticed that we tend to build pressure on ourselves when it comes to content and interaction. remember, this !! is !! for !! fun !! when you realize that it’s no longer fun, then know that it’s time to take a break. and there’s nothing wrong with a bit of self care.

^^ c/p from this post lol

at the end of the day, follower count and interaction doesn’t define you. again for the love of beings, you’re here on your own accord.

definitely said something along the lines of “...ok, but why are you giving me this?” or “thanks.” and that’s it gkfjdj

it starts to get frequent much to his dismay, and eventually you’re at his practice at least once a week to show your support

he doesn’t say anything about it, but OF COURSE, his teammates do

“oy sakusa, seems like you’ve got a fan”

“is that your s/o sakusa? ah i’m so jealous, i wish i had someone like them too”

please he just wants to curl up in a ball and be ALONEE

but does he ever try and stop you from coming over to his practice? no, never. he just... can’t find it in himself to push you away like,, why??

he especially doesn’t stop you from making this non-touching handshake for him while he’s on break and even though he finds it extremely childish and he’s so obviously grimacing at it— he’s got that handshake engraved in his mind

if one of his teammates try and do it with you it’s on sight he feels a little fire burning in his stomach but he SWEARS he’s not bothered by it at all. totally.

his teammate: hehe can i try that handshake you and sakusa do?

you: oh yeah sur-

sakusa on the inside: thats our handshake what makes you think you can every try it out with them😐🙄

ok there’s a lot of feelings he’s trying to repress. but imagine, you don’t show up to his practice at ALL for a week and it definitely bothers him

where were you? what happened? do you not like him anymore? did he do something wrong??

another week rolls by and that’s when he finally decides to call you (as soon as practice ended)

but there you were standing outside of the gym, with two matching masks hanging by your fingers 🥺🥺

if sakusa wasn’t sakusa he would definitely run up to you and tell you how worried he was because you went m.i.a

but instead all he gives you are raised brows and honestly that’s enough of a reaction

“...what’s that?”

you welcome him with a warm smile, a sight he’s long been waiting for. “masks!”

“i know they’re masks, but why are you holding them out like that?”

he’s already got the hint that it’s probably for you and him but he doesn’t want to assume😖

“they’re matching masks for us, if... that’s okay?”

he’s just like, “...okay” like the nonchalant person he is but on the inside he is doing somersaults. his heart is probably beating a million miles😳

because deep down he misses your presence and the little things you do for him

he goes to take off his mask and before he even gets a chance to put the new mask on himself, you’re already doing it for him

“...there, does it fit fine?”

and THAT really throws him off

you can’t see it but he is blushing!!! what is this you’ve done to him!!! this little contact you’ve made when you brushed his cheeks!!! now look at the two of you with matching masks!!!

“i made it by the way, i hope you like it” 🥺

he doesn’t miss a beat to respond, “i like it. thank you” :’)

no but like... he’s so happy and he’s feeling so light which is why he’s even more quiet as the two of you walk home

it doesn’t seem like a big deal but look at him wide awake at night— 3am, to be exact, thinking about how handmaking this mask might’ve been the reason why you were gone

he also thinks about his feelings for you (clearly this time) and what he could do in return

so what does he do??

gifts you another set of matching masks and puts it on for you, making sure the bands are tucked neatly behind your ear

“it’s not handmade but... i hope you still like it.” 🥺🤲

i kid you not sakusa has a special place where his matching mask goes and he does NOT have a good day if it’s misplaced gkfjdh