Why I Prefer Vocal to Medium

I started writing on both Vocal and Medium earlier this year. I’d been meaning to get a Medium account for a while, but I’d only recently heard of Vocal thanks to an advertisement about one of its fiction writing contests. Since I prefer writing fiction to non-fiction, Vocal seemed like a good place for me (although, you can post fiction on Medium as well). I posted my first story to Vocal, and a few months later posted my first story on Medium.

Since then, I’ve posted more to Vocal because they consistently have writing contests that intrigue me, and while I haven’t won any of them, it’s been fun to write to the different challenges. Medium hasn’t offered the same sort of incentives to keep me writing for them, but there have been other factors that have turned me off from Medium. The main reason I prefer Vocal to Medium has to do with how I earn money from each site.

Pays Per Read

On both platforms you earn money when someone reads your story, but there are caveats for both. On Vocal, the amount you earn per read is a fraction of a cent, so it takes a lot of reads to earn enough to make it worth it. Medium pays more per read, although the exact amount varies, but you only earn money when a member of Medium’s Partner Program reads your story. The first story I posted on Medium has a few dozen reads, but I’ve earned nothing from that story because the right people didn’t read it. Vocal, on the other hand, makes every read count. It doesn’t matter who reads your story, you will earn something for that read. Also, everyone on Vocal earns per read, but on Medium you have to sign up specifically to monetize your content.

Other Options for Earning

Both Vocal and Medium offer other ways to earn money as well. On Vocal, you can earn money through bonuses for reaching certain milestones, such as publishing your fifth story. You can also earn tips from readers, which is how I’ve made most of my money on the platform so far. Medium’s only alternative earning option is referred memberships. When you convert a reader to a paying member, you get half of the referred member’s membership fee for as long as they are a member. Vocal also has a referred membership option, the Vocal Ambassador Program, but you only get a one-time payment.

Medium’s membership referral program might earn more money in the long run, but you have to turn readers into paying members, which may not be easy for most people. And I don’t care much for the idea of trying to sell Medium memberships to my readers. I’d rather focus on creating and promoting new content.

Eligibility Requirements

This is what really turned me off from Medium. Earlier this year, Medium changed the rules for their Partner Program. Their Partner Program is the only way you earn money on Medium; it’s what allows you to earn per read from a Medium member or through membership referrals. If you aren’t in the Partner Program, you can’t earn money on Medium. It used to be that anyone could sign up, either for a free account or a paying membership. But now Medium has introduced eligibility requirements. A writer must have a minimum of 100 subscribers on Medium to qualify, as well as have at least one story published. They also have to post new stories every six months.

For new writers like me, that subscriber requirement is discouraging. I don’t have anywhere close to 100 subscribers yet, and it’s a daunting task to try to build an audience without seeing any immediate payment, even if it’s just ten cents a month. I signed up for the Partner Program before these changes went into effect, so I’m still technically a member, but I will lose that privilege at the end of the year.

Vocal doesn’t have any eligibility requirements to earn money on the platform. All you need to do is publish your content and share it.

Final Thoughts

A couple months ago I received surveys from both Vocal and Medium asking for feedback about the sites and what I think could be improved. Both surveys offered an incentive to get me to take the survey. Vocal offered a ten-dollar bonus added to my wallet. Medium offered to donate five dollars to a charity of my choice.

The differences in these incentives were stark. Vocal offered more money, and that money would go to me when I took the survey. Medium offered half what Vocal offered, and none of it would go to me. Since charity donations are tax deductible, this actually benefited them, putting more money back in their own pocket.

With this survey happening around the same time as the announcement of the changes to their Partner Program, the so-called incentive Medium offered left a bad taste in my mouth. While Vocal isn’t perfect, they seem to be focused on letting anyone earn on their site. Medium, however, is constantly trying to restrict their payouts to only the elite. If I were more established on Medium, I might not mind these changes—I might even welcome them. But as a relatively new user to both these sites, Vocal comes off as more welcoming. I will probably still write on both sites, but my focus has definitely shifted more toward Vocal. For new writers trying to gain a following—and to earn something while doing so—I think Vocal is the better place to start.