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I made £11,000 recycling clickbait articles cynically aimed at Vocal writers

. . . And you can too. Here's how.

By jamie hardingPublished about a year ago 3 min read
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I made £11,000 recycling clickbait articles cynically aimed at Vocal writers
Photo by Csaba Balazs on Unsplash

That’s right. £11,000 may soon make itself at home in YOUR bank account. How? Why, I’ll tell you how!

Here’s how:

You just need to keep reading and suspending belief. This is just further filler, not actually “how.”

But be sure to keep reading, because this sure-fire way to lure currency away from the other thousands of writers out there, itching to secure a lucrative side hustle that will have £££$$$ raining into your coffers like it’s raining men.

Except it won’t be raining men. That’s a poor analogy, lacking relevance and imagination. Hmm, maybe . . . It’ll be raining money!!! Or whatever the online version of raining is. Streaming? It’ll be streaming money! Well, transferring. Streaming’s something different. You probably know that. I won’t even mention crypto currency! (Mainly as I’m still not sure exactly what it is!!!)

Here’s more.

I will occasionally intersperse the information you seek with unnecessary and frankly irritating italicised phrasing and generic imagery.

By Tyler Nix on Unsplash

The fact is, you already know what you need to do. You’ve been told time and time again, yet time and time again you haven’t put in the work.

Just what the hell is wrong with you?!

What you need to do is simple. In fact, it’s so simple I’m doing it right now, while I’m editing this piece!

By Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

What you need to do is, keep edging people along, while it slowly dawns on them that maybe you're wasting their time.

That’s right!

But, just before they click away, angry at themselves for reading your pontification, put a tiny bit of half-hearted advice at the end of your piece.

And that is “how!”

Advice that promises writers how they can make a small fortune by simply propagating the delusion that £££$$$ is yours for the taking!

What’s that? I somehow hear you frown. An article that promises all the glitter and gold in online clickbaiting? Isn’t that exactly what this is?

Yes. It’s exactly what this is!!!

Oh. Weird. Okay . . . What should I fill my article with?

Oh, I’m getting to that!

I wish you would. I mean, I’m losing interest and I think I may have to stop poncing around and get on with—

Fine, I’ll spell it out right now!

Right now? Promise?

Yes. Here goes: what you need is a piece filled with links to websites that proffers no fresh information or insight into what these sites are after. Important: several of the links must be broken.

Oh. That seems ultimately dispiriting for all concerned.

It sure is! But . . . couldn’t you use all those thousands of £££ I mentioned above? Perhaps get yourself a holiday, pay off some bills . . .

By 金 运 on Unsplash

Well, duh. Definitely. But have you made “all those thousands of £££ that you mentioned above?”

Uh . . . well, no. I’ve yet to turn a profit, actually. But I have high hopes for this piece. Truth be told, I’d stick to writing something you know and want to write rather than crowbarring it into submission portals already bloated with articles ostensibly there to aid other writers, but actually bragging about how great they are at making money on Vocal.

Hey, that actually sounded almost profound! But—shouldn’t you have said that in italics? And isn’t the headline misleading and nonsensical?!

F**k you.

Wow, some profundity at last. Profundity in profanity.

please note: an earlier version of this article appeared over at Medium.

businessworkflowhumorhow toadvice
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About the Creator

jamie harding

Novelist (writing as LJ Denholm) - Under Rand Farm - available in paperback via Amazon and *FREE* via Kindle Unlimited!

Short story writer - Mr. Threadbare, Farmer Young et al

Humour writer - NewsThump, BBC Comedy.

Kids' writer - TBC!

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Comments (12)

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  • Alexis Knightabout a year ago

    This is fantastic

  • JBazabout a year ago

    I'm gonna be a MILIONAIRE. LOL well done.

  • Queen of Forgiveness™about a year ago

    It was the broken link for me.

  • Stephanie J. Bradberryabout a year ago

    Seriously funny. "I will occasionally intersperse the information you seek with unnecessary and frankly irritating italicised phrasing and generic imagery." totally epic. And broken links a must...I'm rolling on the floor laughing my butt off.

  • Donna Reneeabout a year ago

    LOL this was hilarious 🤣

  • Loryne Andaweyabout a year ago

    Yes! I especially despise clickbait news stories that belabor and repeat the background behind the people they are reporting on. 21 slides to see if the dog its way home?! Give me a break!

  • Gina C.about a year ago

    This was hilarious :) Thank you for sharing!

  • Shane Dobbieabout a year ago

    Excellent. Almost as frustrating as trying to find a recipe online - NO, I don’t need the history of carbonara, or your family photos of that time you went to Italy, I just want the recipe

  • Rick Henry Christopher about a year ago

    Quite the humorous article... but I still walk away empty handed. Where's my thousands?

  • A perfect serious post for so many sites, well written and great fun, though ironically my most-read Vocal story was a clickbait experiment that worked.

  • Lol, how do you even come up with these? Brilliant and hilarious!

  • Cathy holmesabout a year ago

    Hahaha. Great advise.

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