My Thoughts on Exclusive Stories

THE LOW DOWN

I'm sure if you've been on Vocal in the last 24 hours you've become aware of the new "exclusive stories" feature that the Vocal team has launched on the site. It's something the community has been asking for for years: an update on the "pledges" feature that had little to no value for readers, nor the writers besides a very kind and generous monthly tip.

Now that an update is here, however, I've noticed a divide among creators on the platform. Some, like me, are excited by this new first step toward giving readers rewards for their monetary support, and giving writers another avenue to make money. On the other end, people are unwilling to put their work behind a paywall, and ask why this feature is here if we can already get paid through reads?

Well, I'm here to break this down from a writer's perspective, a long-time vocal writer, and to express my own personal views on how and why writers deserve to be paid for fair work.

______________________. . .________________________

VOCAL IS NOT MEDIUM

Let's clear one of the biggest fears out of the way: VOCAL IS NOTHING LIKE MEDIUM.

The cultures, communities, content, and top writers are a whole different brand from each other. I get it. The fear of seeing a bunch of content behind paywalls is very real and understandable, but Vocal is a platform made for writers, funded by writers, and is made great by writers! ( We were literally invited by the CEO to invest in Vocal. Who does that? It's awesome! ) There is a reason many of us barely use Medium anymore after coming to Vocal, and we should remember why that is.

On top of that ( and I may be biased here ) Vocal is more receptive to their creators compared to Medium. Yes, that is a low bar, but I truly do believe that the Vocal Team wants to put it's creators first, because when you fund ARTISTS over COMPANIES, incredible things are accomplished.

______________________. . .________________________

WHEN TO MAKE CONTENT EXCLUSIVE

Of all the things I will say on this article, this is the section I hope most people will pay attention to and take to heart. Exclusive content should NOT be the majority of your work.

Exclusivity should be just that, exclusive - something special that you wouldn't normally post whether that be because a general audience who doesn't know you wouldn't care, or because of the word count limit Vocal imposes on it's communities.

Putting all your advice or 'how to' articles behind a pay wall will not make you any friends, let alone readers, on Vocal. That kind of predatory marketing is rampant on Medium, and it's why many of us left that website.

We want community. We want connectivity. We want to lift each other up. Do not put those things behind exclusive content barriers!

So, what should you make exclusive, and how should you go about it?

When you want to write a long term project ( let's say, a poetry collection for example ) make your first, or several first poems FREE! Let the community know you are working on this new project, show it off, and then put the rest in exclusive content.

This is what published ( traditional and indie ) author's do all the time for their work. It's very common, and nothing about it is predatory. Your not hiding opinionated, market driven advice or 'get rich quick' schemes behind a paywall, targeting desperate creators. No, this is you recognizing the VALUE OF YOUR WORK! And you deserve to be paid, no matter what anyone tells you.

Other content that would work well is behind the scenes articles talking about how or why you come up with your ideas. As a reader, I LOVE reading about my favorite author's thoughts about their work, and how they came to write their stories.

If you have a big connected world between a lot of your stories, you could have character profiles, world histories, religions, and other content that otherwise wouldn't be shown off in your one-off stories behind exclusive content. ( think World Anvil! )

There are a lot of fun ideas out there for writers to jump on. At the end of the day, this is about rewarding your most generous readers, and enticing those who are able to to support you!

______________________. . .________________________

WHY DO ANY OF THIS WHEN WE ALREADY GET PAID BY READS?

When I saw this question pop up in the discussions...I was a bit dumbfounded. I don't know about anyone else, but I've never made more than a dollar a month on this platform from reads. ( My highest earning month? 80 cents. And this is WITH vocal+. )

If you are making more than $2.99/month off of Vocal with reads alone, then yes, you could argue there is no point in this, but thankfully this is an OPTIONAL feature that you do not have to engage with.

As far as tips, I have gotten a few over the years, but it is sporadic and unsustainable. Just ask any waiter in the United States. You can't live off of tips.

Monthly payments come with security, and while $2.99 is nothing to get excited about, it's still something for us independent writers to build off of. It's something to give us dreamers hope.

______________________. . .________________________

WRITERS DESERVE TO BE PAID FOR HONEST WORK

At the end of the day, this optional feature is not going to destroy this platform. Could it use improvements? Of course! I saw one idea that introduced Vocal+ members being able to give free subscriptions to others on the platform, much like Twitch does with their Prime subscriptions. ( I really, really like this idea, and hope Vocal will at least consider it. )

Writers, like any other profession, deserve fair pay for fair work. We already struggle in the publishing industry with big companies taking the largest pay cuts for our hard work, and having to pay out of pocket if we want to avoid going through those same companies. The arts have been pushed to the side for favor of quick, easy content that's easily replicated and regurgitated.

So, let's take this feature as a sign of better things to come for the Vocal platform, for writers, and for those careers and stories that have yet to blossom.

______________________. . .________________________

A Promise from Me:

As for my content, it won't change. Works centered on mental health, writing advice, one-off poems or free writes, short stories, community led projects and contest entries will all remain free.

The only content that I will put behind exclusivity will be long-form, multi-chapter projects and fun dives into my novel projects. RE:SURGENCE is a good example of what to expect.

The first poems or chapters of these projects will always be free, so that you can at least decide for yourself if you want to pay that monthly subscription fee to read the rest. And remember, you can always cancel if you just want access to one particular piece. ( I have done this for creators on Patreon! )

Thank you for listening to me ramble. <3 I hope everyone continues to share their amazing work with the world, and continues to foster a great community going forward!

Much love,

Amanda S.