My First Month Writing on Vocal: From a Shaky Start to Reaching 1700 Reads.

I started writing on Vocal on November 1st, 2020

It's currently December 3rd, 2020

My summer holidays ended on September 1st and, like many others, my dreams of going to college in 2020 were cut short by Covid-19. I planned on studying English, Criminology and Music - something I still hope to do in 2021.

I was forced to come to terms with my situation. Finding a steady job where I live, without a car, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a global pandemic proved to be pretty much as difficult as it sounds.

My love for music flourished (even though my band 'polxroid' was stumped without any live gigs) as I had tons of time to write and play. But what about my love for writing?

I turned to freelance writing pretty quickly and, to be honest, it was horrible. I joined sites such as Freelancer and Fiverr and was forced to work with uncooperative and rude people, writing stories I hated, for virtually no pay. I did this in the hopes of garnering decent reviews, experience, etc. so I could start making a decent paycheque.

After two months nothing had changed. I was burnt out, exhausted and annoyed. It was soul destroying. The joy I'd always gotten from writing was being replaced by sheer dread at the thought of the awful projects I had to finish just to make back the money I'd payed into the apps.

It's important to note these sites in themselves aren't the problem. I know quite a few people who have had great success with freelancing on specific apps like Freelancer and Upwork, but these sites were not for me.

I'd recommend to anyone interested to give them a shot but go in with both eyes open. Stay safe and remember - no amount of money can replace your wellbeing.

I began researching other ways to get payed for my writing. I found quite a few underrated methods that I tried and had moderate success in. Most of these methods were ideal for me but I was still tied up with certain Freelancer projects so I couldn't commit to many of them.

If you're interested in finding more ways to make money from your writing, check out this article below:

I found Vocal on the 31st of October, 2020. It was half 3 in the morning (I can still remember feeling the heavy weight of tiredness laying firmly behind my eyes) and I was at a particularly low point. Wasting my time, energy and money, writing things I hated for little to no pay had left me burnt out and feeling pretty sick.

I wasn't familiar with the site but that night I finally decided to write a story I was actually passionate about for once. I let the words flow, not caring about tight word-counts or time schedules and when I finished, I felt a soft twinge in my stomach - an emotion I'd later identify as pride.

My laptop died seconds after I submitted the mistake-ridden, bare bones story I simply entitled 'Grace'. I can still see the faint outline of a smile etched along my mouth as I looked at the tired face staring back at me on the black screen. It was genuinely the first time I'd smiled whilst writing in months.

The next day I discovered four whole individuals had taken the time to read my poorly written 1200 word story. From start to finish. I also discovered I'd made a whole 2 cents off of my story. I had no idea you could get paid.

Vocal was the sole reason my passion for writing didn't dissipate tragically this winter. In the past month I found the surge to keep writing - I finished the god-awful projects I'd signed onto and found myself writing an article on Vocal nearly every day.

I never cared about the money but it felt great to see the views slowly build up, as well as see my skills as a writer grow and develop. I saw what people wanted to read, what they didn't. My titles got better, more pictures found their way into my stories - my view count grew and grew.

After reaching well into the triple digits from around twenty articles, I decided to write an article to help others do well on Vocal.

This article became a staff pick and exploded. It currently has over 800 views, which is absolutely monumental to me. Although this was enough to push me past the 1000 reads point (which many associate with the $3.85 dollar equivalent - not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, but trust me, it can go a long way.) I would've been more than happy if three people had got something from it.

1000 people had taken the time to read my stories and that was worth more than any paycheque. I was beyond proud of myself and grateful to Vocal. I received seventy likes and even got a tip which pretty much made my week.

To everyone who supported my stories, from Vocal, to the people who tipped and liked and to you, the casual reader, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

So how did I reach 1700 reads?

A week ago the impossible happened. Absolutely stoked I'd reached such a milestone I decided to write a story to help others get there too.

Vocal choose this as a staff pick too, barely half a week since my previous one. Both of these stories becoming staff picks was the most pivotal reason I reached 1700 reads on Vocal. I received kind comments and several people reached out to me to express gratitude and ask for more tips - it was incredible.

For this story I've received around 55 likes and almost 700 reads. My wallet got bigger and my view count reached highs I could never have dreamed of. And they're only rising.

My first month on Vocal has been many things but most importantly it's been great. My persistence, passion and love for writing finally paid off after months of struggle. And it's all thanks to you. This is my final thank you (I've definitely said my fair share of them today).

Please know I'm more than grateful for the opportunity to write and help others achieve their goals through my writing. Vocal provided the platform but it's all of you that let me continue. All of your reads, likes and tips are seen and very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Like this? Wanna see more? Just click the little picture of me and you'll find tons of content just like this. Feel free to leave a like or even a tip. Oh, and Merry Christmas! - Ciarán