10 Things I've Learned after Four Years (and 1K reads) on Vocal

It's hard to believe that I joined Vocal four years ago. In those four years, I've grown a lot as a writer (and as a person). I've met many amazing people here, and I've grown to love this community of insanely talented people.

Today, I'd like to talk about the journey thus far. Join me as I reflect on my four years here and maybe wax poetic about the future while I'm at it; we'll see.

Bradley Ramsey's Official Vocal Stats

Back in 2021, a colleague of mine knew I was trying to find other writers and publish my work online. They knew I had ideas, but I didn't have the time or skills to set up a whole website.

So they suggested Vocal. Specifically, one of the platform's writing challenges.

The rest, as they say, is history.

It was slow at first, and that's something a lot of people don't realize. Those first couple of years, I was lucky to get five reads on a story, let alone a Top Story award.

Someone recently told me that "overnight success takes years," and yeah, I'd agree with that. Being successful is about so much more than luck (though luck helps).

Success comes from hard work, passion, and consistency. If you've got those three things, then it's only a matter of time before you see the success you deserve.

So, let's talk about what I've learned.

10 Lessons I've Learned in 4 Years on Vocal

I hope you like my leaderboard above. I'm proud of all my stories, but those seven are the ones that have stood the test of time. Interesting to see how, as a horror writer, some of my best stories are the ones that have nothing scary about them.

Now, without further delay, here are 10 lessons I've learned in my time on Vocal:

1) Shorter is Better

People's attention spans on the internet are, for lack of a better term, not great. There are plenty of people out there who will happily read chapters and chapters of your work, but maybe not online.

I'm guilty of this as well. As someone who works from home, I like taking a quick break to read a Vocal story, but if it's thousands upon thousands of words, I just don't have the time in many cases.

I discovered this in my early years. I've got a few stories that are pushing 5,000 words, and they have *checks notes* about five reads each. Does that make them bad?

The sweet spot is between 2K and 2.5K words.

No, at least, I don't think so. I really thought this one would have done better, for example. Now, I hear you asking, "Surely there's a sweet spot, right?"

Why yes, there is, but don't call me Shirley (sorry I love that joke). The sweet spot in my experience is 2,000 words or less. If you can get it around 1-1.5K words, even better.

Ever notice how many Vocal contests cap things out around 2K words? Turns out there's some wisdom to that limit. So be mindful of length as you publish on here.

That being said, if you're really wanting to do something longer, I have a solution for you...

2) Publish in "Chapters" for Longer Works

As you all know, Vocal has a number of communities where you can publish works. This past week, I published in "Chapters" for the first time, and it was great (I even got a new Top Story)!

Publish your longer works as a series in the Chapters community.

Chapters is a community where people expect serialized works. They are used to reading stories in chapters or parts. It's the perfect home for your story that just refuses to stay under 2.5K words.

So, keep that in mind when you get your next great (and big) idea!

3) Go Wild with Your Ideas

When I got started on Vocal, I gave myself the freedom to write whatever I wanted. Yes, I specialize in horror. Yes, the novel I'm writing is also horror, but I like Sci-fi! I like Fantasy! I like mixing genres together into a glorious narrative smoothie.

I like mixing genres together into a glorious narrative smoothie.

So, I did. From the beginning, I just went wild with ideas. I experimented with unique premises, threw down crazy poems with wild rhyme schemes, and just had fun.

And isn't that what it's all about? What's the point of being creative if you're just going to box yourself in with arbitrary rules? Have fun, fellow writers. Write the weird thing. We won't judge. Well, maybe some people will, but I won't!

4) Be a Part of The Community

Writers and writing communities are composed of some of the best people you'll ever meet. Seriously, I'm talking top-tier humans doing some of the best work I've ever seen.

Are there bad apples? Yes, but that's the nature of reality. It's very rare, though, so don't be afraid to put yourself out there and get invovled with your fellow Vocal authors!

Don't be afraid to put yourself (and your work) out there!

A great way to do that is by commenting each week in the Bonus Leaderboard article that the Vocal team publishes (here's a link to the last one). You can introduce yourself, share your work, and highlight other writers you've enjoyed reading.

But beyond that, get into the comments everywhere! Read new stories, articles, and poems. Share your thoughts, give them your feedback (be nice), and just have conversations.

If I, a terminal introvert, can do it, then so can you!

5) Don't be Afraid to Promote Your Work

There's a bit of a stigma around the internet when it comes to self-promotion. In some spaces, it's seen as people being desperate or salesy, and here's the thing: it can be.

However, there's something to be said about being proud of your work. If you're dropping links to Vocal stories in every thread on every social media platform, yeah, you're going to annoy people.

But if you're conversing with other writers or readers, then dropping a quick link relevant to the conversation is fine! Sometimes, you'll also find threads where people ask to hear about your work.

You have to become your own biggest fan before you can attract an audience.

When you post something new, share it! Drop the link and a little background about why you're proud of it. If you keep things balanced, then you don't need to worry about promoting your work.

There were times in my early years on Vocal when I wouldn't get a single read on days when I didn't promote my work around the web. You have to be your own biggest fan before you can attract others. Remember that.

6) Seek Inspiration Everywhere

If I could bottle inspiration and sell it, I'd never have to work another day in my life. Too bad I haven't figured out the formula yet, but I look for inspiration everywhere in the meantime.

I watch TV shows and movies. I read books. I play (a lot of) video games! There are so many ways to get inspired, so be on the lookout for new ideas everywhere you go.

Be on the lookout for new ideas everywhere you go.

For some people, it's going on a hike. For others, it's listening to music. Some people get inspired by meditating; there's no right or wrong way to do it!

Well, I guess breaking the law is where I'd draw the line, but beyond that, the sky's the limit!

7) Do the Challenges!

I got started on Vocal because of the challenges. They're fun, and while they require a Vocal+ subscription, it's a small price to pay (literally, it's only $9 a month I think) to have the chance to win prizes and get noticed for your work.

I got started on Vocal because of the challenges.

They're always adding new ones, so be sure to check out the Challenges page to see if something strikes your fancy.

8) Be Mindful of Your Formatting

The reader's experience is super important, especially when you're asking somebody to stay and read your whole story. I've learned over the years that giant blocks of text are a great way to give your reader a headache, for example.

Notice how all my paragraphs are around 3-5 lines before I start a new one? That's no accident. It helps readers focus on each line without forcing them to sift through your text like it's a crossword puzzle.

Notice how all my paragraphs are 3-5 lines?

The same goes for other things like dialogue and big moments in your story. For dialogue, it's always good to start a new line.

"Like this," Bradley said, absolutely shattering the fourth wall.

I also sometimes like to put a single line on its own so it stands out from the pack. Another style choice of mine is using italics to denote when the characters are thinking something inside their heads. Like so:

Yeah, they'll love that idea.

Now, these things aren't set in stone. They are elements of my style. You can feel free to do what you think is best (and what your readers like), but I've had a lot of success myself with these elements.

9) Join the Vocal Discord

Did you know there's a Vocal Discord? Neither did I, at least, not for a while. It's a good place to check out new stories, connect with other writers, and just give yourself an avenue to share your work.

Did you know there's a Vocal Discord?

Now, if you're not a fan of Discord for whatever reason (or you don't want to download another app, which I get), this isn't a required element of your success. That being said, it's nice to have.

10) Whatever you do, Keep Writing

This one is perhaps the most important lesson I've learned on Vocal or elsewhere. There are going to be times in life when things are stressful. I know; I wrote a whole article about it.

But whatever you do, please, please, don't give up. Writing is such a beautiful art form, and your art deserves to exist in the world for everyone to read and enjoy.

Your art deserves to exist in the world for everyone to enjoy.

You may not see a lot of momentum at first, but don't let that discourage you. One day, you're going to see those reads flowing into your stats page. Not only that, but you'll have a ton of new writer friends to cheer you on.

Overnight success takes years, remember? Don't compare yourself to other writers, don't get down on yourself, and don't let imposter syndrome get the best of you.

Be yourself. Be consistent. Show up and tell your stories. Want to know why?

Because no one else can do it quite like you.

Thanks for reading, and tell me about your Vocal journey so far in the comments!