We're Only In It For The Money

I chose "What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body" by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention (the of Invention was added by the record company so try and avoid offending the more genteel minds) bcause at times it is especially if it values money over friendship.

It’s half past midnight and I need to be up early to get in a taxi and go south hopefully on a train through the wreckage of Storm Arwen to start my holiday in Thirsk. I was wrapping up and checking Facebook and noticed posts asking about making significant amounts of money on Vocal and wondering whether that was a possibility.

While I thought it might be a possibility when I started I did want to make myself look like that was all I was after.

I think we all joined Vocal, attracted by the money offered in the Challenges. I certainly did. It then dawned on me that it was highly unlikely that I would win a challenge because these people were writers with a decent following and I was not, but thought I might get some recognition for a top story. While I got one, it didn;t generate any extra exposure and I think it was an accidental inclusion. I get some Awesome story bonuses but these give you no exposure at all although the five dollar bonus pays for half a month's Vocal subscription. I have a few theories on why I will probably never be a top story, I am English , I don;t write about mainstream things and don’t have a huge social media following so I am not rated at all by any Vocal judges or moderators.

I soon came to the conclusion that this was not a money making option for me but I then discovered the Vocal Facebook groups and found that these gave me an excellent audience. My normal friends won’t read what I write (well two or three do) although my blog has over 600k page views and my biggest YouTube video has over 90K views so someone likes what I do even if they are a robot.

These Facebook groups actually pay for my Vocal subscription by their reads , and it is my Vocal friends that are the treasure that I have discovered. I get enough reads to pay for my subscription. On top of that there are bonuses (see here) plus tips and referrals. So in eight months on here I have spent eighty dollars on subscriptions and cleared three hundred dollars from reads , bonuses and referrals and really that is all from the Facbook Vocal Groups listed at the end of this piece.

There are still people obsessed with Vocal as a money making machine and the ones who do that are often denigratory about the way I go about things while others demand to know my secret spell for getting reads. I tell them to write lots , share your work and people will read it.. Though I had two people get very nasty with me when I wouldn’t make their profile do what mine does. They were blocked.

So I am in Vocal to write my way for my small but select audience. If anyone else comes along that is a bonus.

I have said I don’t think I will ever get a top story or win a challenge but that is not a negative attitude because I am not aiming for that, I am aiming to please my readers and enjoy myself, and if that results in a top story then I will just be wrong and very pleased with the bonus.

I am just very happy with the number of friends I have made on Vocal and I hope new recruits realize that the writing is the important part, Vocal recognition isn’t really important, but your own enjoyment and satisfaction is.

Don’t let Vocal recognition and financial rewards get you down, let your Vocal Facebook Friends be your beacon.

My Favourite Vocal Groups

Vocal Social Society

The Vocal Creators Support Group

Vocal Cafe

Vocal Creators Social Media Support

Vocal Progressive Group For Writers And Readers

Vocal Media Creators Hub