Calling All Writers

What is Vocal?

Vocal is a platform that storytellers and creators can use to write long-form stories about...well, pretty much anything and everything! Vocal members enjoy an easy-to-use template that enables them to enrich their stories with photos and embedded media so audiences can enjoy captivating posts.

Each post is moderated by a Vocal staff member to ensure it complies with the platform's Community Guidelines, and once a creator's piece is approved and published, it is up to that creator to share their work on other social media platforms to gain readership and connect with others.

Why does this matter? Well, having an engaged audience of readers will allow you to monetize your writing as a Vocal creator. The bigger your network, the better opportunity you will have to make money from readership.

Do I have to spend money to use Vocal?

No! You do not have to pay to join Vocal. You can have a free Vocal membership and start writing and sharing your work as soon as you'd like, or simply explore the Vocal communities and find content you enjoy reading. However, Vocal does offer a paid-membership option and there are a few distinctions between a free Vocal account and a paid Vocal account, otherwise known as a Vocal+ account.

For starters, if you have a Vocal+ account, you earn more money per 1,000 reads. Secondly, both Vocal and Vocal+ members have the opportunity to earn monetary tips from other readers, but keep in mind that the Vocal team collects a small percentage of that tip: 7% for Vocal members, but only 3% for Vocal+ members. Also, one of the biggest differences between a Vocal membership and a Vocal+ membership (and what sealed the deal for me in becoming a Vocal+ member) is that only Vocal+ members can enter writing challenges for a chance to earn prize money.

I've seen a lot of comments online from skeptics who think Vocal is an "inside job" when it comes to selecting challenge winners, or that it's a scam. Well, I'm here to tell you I've won a writing challenge to the tune of $1,000 without knowing any of the judges, and the money is very real!

How much does becoming a Vocal+ member cost?

Generally, a membership costs $9.99 a month (or $99.99 if you purchase a year membership), however, Vocal will oftentimes run introductory rates and if you sign up right now through my personalized link, you will receive the current promotion of $4.99 a month for 3 months, plus a $10 bonus into your newly opened account - that's 5 bucks for a three month subscription where you can enter an unlimited amount of challenges - totally worth it).

To recap the benefits between Vocal and Vocal+, here's a chart, provided by Vocal:

Why join Vocal+ today?

As a Vocal creator, I'm super excited about the below upcoming writing challenge and I want everyone who loves to write to be able to enter this with me!

It's one of Vocal’s biggest writing challenges to date and it's taking place right now through the end of the year (December 29, 2021 to be exact). Entitled the VOCAL+ FICTION AWARDS CHALLENGE, every Vocal+ member can submit their best fictional short story (must be between 600-4000 words) in any style, genre, or topic of choice. Unlike many challenges on Vocal which must adhere to a certain genre or include a specific item, the sky's the limit on this one.

A total of 25 winners will be selected and awarded $5,000 each. Additionally, the winning entries will be compiled into a publication of short stories by Vocal Creators, a first-of-its-kind book set to be published next year.

Click on this link to join Vocal+ today.

Why I joined Vocal+ ...

I've always loved writing. It's been both a passion and a former career, when I worked as a copywriter for many years. But in the last decade or so, I slowly stopped writing. It happened gradually over time, as life got busy and I switched career paths. Before I knew it, I couldn't remember the last time I sat down to write.

When Vocal came onto my radar and advertised a writing challenge entitled IF THIS, THEN THAT, I was intrigued. The challenge was to write about current streaming shows that were reminiscent of previous shows so audiences could find content they were sure to enjoy. The grand prize? $10,000!

I dusted my wireless keyboard, set up a makeshift writing station, created a Vocal+ account, and began writing. I titled the piece for this challenge Ooh, Have You Seen This? (Admittedly, a terrible title.) It garnered only 45 reads, and while it was a fun, conversational piece, it lacked the elements of story, which I’ve come to realize is the key to getting ahead in any Vocal challenge. (Take note!)

Suffice it to say, I didn’t win that challenge, but something wonderful happened in the process. I started to write again. I got out of my stuck-at-home-due-to-Covid funk and began to get back to my creative roots. I mainly entered challenges (which were available every week), and also published some personal stories I had been working on.

About two months in, a challenge surfaced called the TRUE CRIME CHALLENGE. The objective was to write about a particularly captivating true crime case, and include as many details as possible, without getting too gory. I initially wasn't going to enter. It felt too dark of a space. And then I recalled this chilling, strange crime that had occurred nearly 70 years ago that I had first heard about through the film Heavenly Creatures, and I thought "Oh Hell, fine. I'll give it a try." About a week after I published my entry for the challenge, I checked my morning emails and discovered a message from the Vocal team that I had received a $1,000 bonus for winning first place! I couldn’t believe it! Shocked, speechless, and grateful.

Final thoughts and how to join Vocal+

Publishing a piece of writing online and asking people to read it can feel awkward and vulnerable. It’s my least favorite thing to do. In fact, many of my stories have very few reads because I haven't gone out of my way to share them. I oftentimes feel like my stories are sloppy, not well written, or simply uninteresting. It’s one thing to win a challenge about an already existing story. It’s entirely different to create intriguing content from scratch and put yourself out there. But I continue to push myself to keep writing and see what transpires. It's been a positive change, and I have Vocal to thank for that!

If you’ve been wanting to write but didn’t know exactly what to write or where to begin, I encourage you to start here. Write about whatever you feel compelled to write about, or let the challenges guide you.

Speaking of challenges, the VOCAL+ FICTION AWARDS CHALLENGE is not the only one you can enter! There are a few open right now with upcoming deadlines. You can enter as many challenges as you'd like. And in case you are wondering, no, if you win one challenge it does not disqualify you from winning another. In fact, there are a couple of Vocal+ members I follow who have won more than one challenge.

You can join Vocal+ right here.

In the meantime, big dreams, coffee, and happy writing!

P.S. If you have other friends that would enjoy exploring Vocal and taking on writing challenges, please share this with them too. :)

P.P.S. Promotional rate mentioned above is current as of October 29, 2021, but is subject to change.