Vocal Media: Highly Recommended
My experience with Vocal Media over a year and why I recommend it to others.
You can sign up to Vocal Media for only $1 today via the link below:
https://vocal.media/vocal-plus?via=shamar
In the article above, I weighed up the pros and cons of Vocal Media after eight months of active publishing. I’ve now been on the platform for one year and I can safely say I can highly recommend the platform.
I’ve decided to re-write the article and mainly talk about the pros as the platform has significantly improved and changed since I published the article above. Additionally, I’m finding that more people are asking if Vocal Media is good and if it’s worth it. My answer used to be no, but I’ve since changed my mind and the answer is now yes.
What is Vocal Media?
Vocal Media is a writing platform that has been around for a small number. When I first started it was a very quiet platform and not many people had a hype about it.
Now, it’s drastically growing and at a seriously fast rate. At first, there were hardly any social media groups for this platform. There are now three active Facebook Groups and a Quora you can join to share your work
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It is not the same as Medium in the slightest. You do not have to pitch to publications or ask to write for any. You just publish through one portal and then that’s your work on their website. It used to take a few hours to get your work published but now it can take up to 24 hours, which is fast compared to some publications on Medium.
There are different categories that you can submit your work to called Communities. Journal, Human, Blush, Science, Technology. There are loads, 36 to be exact.
Challenges
These challenges can win you anything from $5,000 — $250. Bulk money. I’ve won two and still counting. There is currently a challenge where you can win $20,000 if you come first place. Will I be participating? You bet.
Money is always a plus, but I had only entered the competitions a few months after I started writing. I am not here for the money, I am here for the joy and freedom of being a writer.
How competitive are these challenges? When I first starting entering challenges, there used to be only approximately 50 entries. Now, there are hundreds and for the $20 there are nearly 1,300 entries. Many folks are attracted to writing for Vocal due to the money from the challenges. Let me warn you again, it’s not easy to win and it will only get harder the more people sign up.
There are guidelines and other creators to help you win but the chances are slim.
Creator Bonuses
Introduced only this week. Creator bonuses are tips from Vocal Media editors when you reach certain milestones. For example, if you hit 1000 views, first 10 published pieces, you’ve posted a brilliant piece, things like that.
I recieved my first $5 bonus on February 16th. It’s not a lot, but it all adds up. One of the greatest points about creator bonuses is that you can receive any amount, not just $5. I’m yet to see Vocal Media tip more than $5, but I’m sure that a lucky someone will change that soon.
Top Stories
Similar to curation within Medium, but a lot less frequent. There is no guidelines to getting a Top Story on Medium, if the editor likes your story then you will make the front page.
Secondly, you also receive $5 for being a Top Story. It used to be $10 but that was when they only picked 5–10 a week. Now, there’s an unlimited amount of creators who can be a Top Story.
Pay-per-view
With Medium, you only accumulate dollar signs when writers internally view your work and they’re part of the Partner Programme. On the other hand, Vocal Media payout regardless if you’re a member of Vocal+ or not and whether it’s an internal or external view.
If you have a strong social media platform, here is where you can shine. The only downside is that it’s not made clear what is classed as a view. From experience, it seems that the the reader needs to stay on the article for approximately two minutes but don’t take my word for it.
You can save your funds
Similar to Medium, Vocal Media pay through Stripe. However, instead of getting automatically paid at the end of each month you have the option to cash out when you want. I for one prefer this option.
All tips, creator bonuses, challenge wins, and money from articles is accumulated and stored in your ‘Wallet’.
One major con
Medium is a community with writers supporting each other from all angles. I’ve now been on the platform for one year and I can safely say I can highly recommend the platform.
You can receive the odd nasty response, but it’s fairly rare.
Oppositional, the creators in Vocal can be fairly nasty. Why is this? It’s because of the challenges. Yesterday, Vocal released the winners of a recent Bitcoin challenge which I did not participate in. This morning, I logged onto Facebook to find other creators slating the winners writing stating they ‘expected a more engaging piece to win’ and the ‘writing was all over the place’ and ‘the third winner was good, the second was okay but the first was awful.’
You need tough bones for Vocal Media. Be prepared to lose and to have your writing jealousy and envy tested.
Second major con
A lot have people have picked up quickly that the editors have their favourites. They make this clear by creating ‘Spotlight’ pages, where they interview and promote certain writers, and by continuously curating certain writers.
It will also become clear to you that particular creators will always win challenges, but I’ll let you see that for yourself.
Many writers on Medium who also have Vocal Media argue that they do not have as much success. Admittedly, it is harder to be more successful and generate more views.
But that’s their experience. If you keep up with it and you believe in your writing, then you can be successful. You can read about how Vocal Media changed my life here. You can also find a beginners’ guide on Vocal Media here.
I encourage you to make a profile, you have nothing to lose. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.
I’ll see you on the other side.
