I Wrote 50 Vocal Stories. What I Learned and Earned.

Fame! Wealth! Glory! These are not the reasons I’m a writer or why I signed up with Vocal. Good thing, too, because unrealistic expectations can really bite you in the ass and I already have enough to worry about.

I write because I can’t imagine not writing. I write because I can earn a living doing something I really, really like to do. It’s a precarious living. It’s unpredictable. It’s a roller coaster ride of doubt and confidence, instability and freedom. It’s not for the faint of heart. Persisting in this gig has at least taught me that I’m persistent. I’m good with that.

I may also be courageous. Before I terrifyingly went full-time, writing was a side hustle, a part-time gig, a one-off contract, a “do it after dark” kind of thing for many, many years. You may know what I mean. We may or may not admit what we do to the people we know. Yet, we are brave enough to persist in the face of fear, doubt, obstacles, lack of support, and criticism. I’m good with that, too.

When I signed up for Vocal in mid-February I was attracted by an ad for a writing challenge. I like things that challenge me. I did not believe, not for one single second, it was a challenge I could win. Fiction isn’t my strength. But, I was intrigued by the writing platform.

I did a little lookie-loo, paid a discounted 5 bucks to join the site, wrote some stories and articles, took some time to analyze and reflect, and then wrote an article that made Top Story. In it I reflected on the history of online writing, why to join Facebook groups, and why I joined Vocal.

I joined because Facebook showed me an ad for a writing contest involving Moleskine and $20,000. I didn’t believe I could win – I’m not a terrific fiction writer – but I saw enough on the site to make me think it could be a good place to become a better fiction writer, share some of my other work, have a little fun, and maybe earn a few dollars. I was right.

I’m still right. Don’t you love being able to say things like that? Yeah, my expectations were fairly low. Once burned, twice shy, and all that, and I’ve been around the online writing block long enough to wear a canyon into the pavement. But, they were realistic expectations, and I see people becoming disillusioned with Vocal because their goals are fuzzy, vague and nowhere near the realm of reality.

Why to Not Join Vocal

• Making decent money on “pay-per-click” type websites is like winning the lottery. You a millionaire yet? Yeah, me either. Don’t join if your main expectation is to make money.
• If you don’t relentlessly promote your work you won’t get reads. Don’t join with the expectation of a lot of people reading your work unless you’re willing to do that. Consistently and regularly.
• Winning a writing contest is a lot like winning the lottery, and it always has been, since before the dawn of the internet age. Yes, you put a lot more work into it than just buying a ticket, but you’re up against a lot of other talented people, and even judges who try hard to be objective are subjective. It’s human nature. If you can’t handle not winning, don’t join.

What I Learned

• Vocal is the best platform for taking risks, trying new things, and experimenting with tone, style, content, and genre. It’s also the best platform for beginning and hobby writers to share their work, network and get feedback, become better writers, build a portfolio, and maybe even become professional writers. Remember, you aren’t writing on this platform for the pay, so these are the things that matter.
• Vocal’s main source of revenue is membership fees. That means it can’t actually afford to have a majority of writers making a lot of money from reads because they don’t promote the site to readers. Their customers are also their creators. So, see above.

What I Earned

I know. This is what you’ve been waiting for and why you’re still reading. In 4.5 months I earned a total of $132.02. The vast majority of that money was earned for things other than people reading my articles. There are plenty of writers on Vocal who have earned more and/or have more total reads, and I have never placed in a challenge, so you might consider my experience as an average. Take a look:

I’m fairly certain I have now earned every bonus that it’s possible to earn. Note the importance of having a couple of top stories to my earnings, and note the total amount I’ve earned from reads. $12.02. Those top stories deeply affected my read stats, as well.

Takeaways

$29.34 per month does not a living make. You can’t count on getting a top story, which skews earnings and reads in your favor, but not always. I could double my output and potentially double my earnings. That still doesn’t make writing on Vocal worth it financially when I make more than that for one article I write in a few hours for a client.

I joined Vocal because it offered a half-off discount of $4.99 per month for 3 months of Vocal+. A couple of months later I was offered a few months of free membership. So most of what I’ve earned is profit. If the day comes when I earn less than what I pay to belong to Vocal I’ll put on my former accountant hat and re-evaluate my membership.

I don’t expect to win a challenge. This has no bearing on my talents as a writer.

It bears repeating: don’t write on Vocal for the money. Do write on Vocal for other, less tangible, but potentially important benefits.

Vocal is part of my overall writing strategy. I am having fun experimenting and learning what does and doesn’t work for me. I have virtually met some amazing people and awesome writers. When I have writer’s block in my “real” work, I write something for Vocal. Reading on Vocal helps me “keep up” with what’s going on in society. What people choose to write about is almost as important as what they actually write.

So, for me, Vocal is a useful distraction. That’s way better than a mindless distraction.