Top Story Musings

I love getting a Top Story. Who wouldn't? And with the added incentive of $5.00 if you achieve it, there is even more motivation to write your best work and hope that someone out there reads it and likes it.

With the announcement this week of the first named people who are earning from their interaction with the Vocal Bonus Leaderboard, there is even more emphasis on showing your activity on Vocal, whether that is writing a comment or liking someone's work because who doesn't want to be rewarded? And when it lands in your pocket, that's got to be good, right? And you get to read original work by people who use this platform to share their work.

Bonuses all round!

The idea of Vocal as a community, I think is apparent. There is a lot of support here - we are all writers together, trying out our ideas, putting ourselves out there to get feedback, experimenting with form and creativity, maybe with a view to getting noticed or maybe, like me, doing something that I love and if I'm lucky, getting a little income from doing it.

There are a couple of people on here who regularly comment on my work and I know that they've read it from the comment they write. They may not have "liked" it but I am certain they have read it. I think that this is the most important thing.

I want readers to enjoy my work but mainly, I write because I love to. I love the process, I love the challenge, I love the sense of accomplishment when I've crafted something unique, from me with my chosen words.

But who doesn't like to look at their stats? I'd be lying if I said I didn't look. I wouldn't say I'm obsessive but I do like to have a cheeky peek occasionally to see which of my articles are receiving more visitors than others. And I like to read the comments and reply to them all, which is easier to do now that Vocal notifies you.

When I got my Top Story accolade yesterday for Boiling Sea, I was thrilled to see that I had lots of "likes" and some people had left really supportive comments and dare I say, compliments about my work. I was gratified that people had taken the time to write something and that they had engaged with my story. I told them this in a comment written specifically for them because I appreciated the fact that they had taken time out of their day to sample my words.

However, on closer examination of my stats, no-one had actually read the story.

No-one.

19 likes and counting but no reads.

I may be shooting myself in the foot here by writing this but I feel it needs addressing - why "like" it if you've not read it?

And, why comment if you've not read it? Have I misconstrued the intent behind the comment? Was it just "Amazing" to press the "like" button?

I don't know about you but for me, pressing the like button is a sign of involvement, an indicator of appreciation. If I "like" someone's work, I have read it. Sometimes I read and I don't "like" it. Sometimes I read and I "like".

I can't remember an instance where I have "liked" and not read.

So why?

My immediate thought was the Leaderboard - a flurry of activity seemed to indicate a direct correlation with the announcement. I might be right but I have received "likes" before but no reads.

You know, if you do read this and you know the reason why, please can you write your thoughts in the comments as I would really like to have a discussion about this? Maybe I should join the Discord group or something but I struggle for time as it is to sit and do this - fatuous excuse, I know, but true nonetheless.

You don't have to "like" this but if you've read it, leave me a comment and let me know.

Update: I have now received 5 reads, 19 likes for Boiling Sea which is, for me, a better result - thanks for reading it. In the interests of integrity, I felt it needed to be disclosed. It could well have been a delay in the stats being updated? Not that I'm obsessive about stats at all. No, not me.

And if you read Boiling Sea AND dropped "Amazing" in the comment box then I take it all back. Thank you.