The Pros and Cons of Writing on Vocal Media
The perks outweigh the cons for me
I started writing on Vocal Media two months after I began writing on Medium’s platform. To date, I would say 96% of my writing is on the Medium platform. I assume if you write on Medium, then you already know its pros and cons.
The perks of writing on Vocal Media
- When you submit an article, you wait 24–48 hours before it’s accepted and published. (This is similar to submitting an article to a publication on Medium; however, on Medium, I did wait two weeks on one occasion for two articles to be accepted. Otherwise, it’s close to the same waiting time unless you self-publish). Sometimes, too, you have to make allowances for editors being out ill or there being a shortage of editors for a variety of reasons.
- You can pledge a monthly contribution of $2.99 to your favorite creator.
- There are Challenges (contests) you can enter that pay large sums. There’s one in February, for example, where the first-place winner will earn $20,000. My February entry for fiction. I have only written two pieces of fiction short stories in my life. There are others where a first-place winner gains $5,000. I see this as a large perk.
- You receive a $5 bonus after your fifth story is published.
- The editors will notify you if your story does not meet the 600 minimum word count.
- You receive a $10 bonus after your tenth story is published.
- You receive a $5 bonus for having a top story.
- You receive a $5 bonus for having liked 15 stories (you clicked on the heart, similar to clapping on Medium).
- Earnings are based on CPMs (cost per thousand) which is basically reads and the more you have (similar to Medium), the more you earn. A regular member earns $3.80 per 1,000 reads but if you’re a Vocal+ member, you receive $6.00 per 1,000 reads. Both internal and external reads count.
- You can leave or receive tips. You have to have a Stripe account associated with your member account in order to receive the tip that would go straight into your Stripe account. Vocal does have a small fee for processing the same.
- You receive a $50 bonus when your 50th story is published.
- You can subscribe to receive stories, similar to Medium.
- Once you publish a piece, you can perform your quick edit. If you need to make an edit with your title or subtitle, you can email Vocal and they will perform that for you.
- Everything is self-published into the appropriate category you select.
- Like Medium, you can promote your stories on Twitter or Facebook.
The cons of writing on Vocal Media
- The reach on Google may not start until the second page whereas, with Medium’s platform, the reach is on the first page generally.
- While Vocal has a nice clean page like Medium, the formatting requires more patience most notably when there are spelling or grammatical errors. With Vocal, it will highlight a word or area that needs attention, but you can’t click on it for an automatic change. You have to make the change yourself which is something you can adapt to if you choose to remain on the platform.
- Trial membership ($4.99) is the same as Medium’s membership rate. After the trial membership, the Vocal+ rate is $9.99/month. If you have already received bonuses, however, then you might already have a few of those months paid for. You decide if paying $5 more per month has value to you as a writer.
Notes
Under Vocal Media Settings/Creator Tools, there’s an indication of Comments — coming soon. Until then, if you like what you read, you can click on the heart which indicates you liked the piece, similarly if you “clap” on Medium (whether you clap once or 50 times on Medium, it’s noted you have one fan).
Whether you write on the platforms of Medium, Vocal Media, or even Newsbreak, you are a participant in marketing your writing whether that’s to a large extent or not. Medium is the only of the three listed above that does not include external reads in its earnings formula; calculations are based on the reading time of a registered Medium member so reading the work of members is strongly invited and encouraged.
Lastly, regardless of what platform you write on, you will make comparisons. You always have a choice to remain or leave. You decide which platform gives you the most value whether intrinsic or economic. It takes a lot of motivation and determination to succeed as a writer, but if you’re a writer reading this, you already know this.
© Cathy Coombs
About the Author
I have a B.A. in English Journalism & Creative Writing which confirmed my love of literature. Driven to read and write, I churn decades of living experience into redefining perspectives.
Some of the publications I write for include The Writing Cooperative, Illumination, Synergy, Illumination’s Mirror, The Mystery Box, Writing Prof, New Writers Welcome, The Shortform, and What is Love to You. I also write for Vocal Media and Newsbreak. Quick link to my articles on Medium.
