2024 on Vocal

Happy New Year!

I suppose many of us here on Vocal have at least a vague idea of what we want to achieve this year. Or are formulating a plan so you can enter the #200 challenge.

And with me figuring out where I want my Medium and Substack to go, it’s a good idea for me to figure out my goals for this platform.

So here is what I’m aiming to achieve on Vocal for 2024.

Gain More Active Subscribers

While I have over seventy subscribers, I’m unsure how many of them are actively reading my content, as a lot of my posts don’t receive high reads.

So, I want to focus on getting higher engagement with my stories, hopefully translating to higher monthly earnings.

Earn Some Pledges

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a single pledge.

It’s kind of a bummer, considering the positive feedback I receive for a lot of my stories. Not to mention all the Top Stories I had last year. So, I know my writing is of good quality.

And I’m not aiming for a hundred pledges or anything extreme and impossible. More like between five and ten by the end of 2024, which is plenty of time.

I believe that’s reasonable.

Participate in More Challenges

For several months or possibly longer, I have only entered two or three of the Vocal challenges, which usually isn’t like me; I love forcing myself to create unique pieces with the themes provided.

And hopefully, win a challenge.

But I’ve been busy with my work and personal life, and most of the challenges didn’t appeal to me or weren’t in a genre I write in.

So this year, I’m recommitting to enter challenges, even though I have yet to win first place, second place, or even an honorable mention in any I’ve done so far.

It doesn’t matter the genre; I’m pushing myself to be a better writer this year, and challenges have aided me in this regard.

Spring for the Annual Plan for Vocal+

Now and then, I get an email from Vocal staff inviting me to switch from the monthly payment plan to the annual payment plan.

So far, I have resisted the urge. Not because I don’t want to. Mainly because when the annual payment will happen after switching is kind of vague. And I only have so many funds in my account right now.

But the next time the offer pops up in my inbox, I might just say yes.

Be More Engaged with Other Creators/Stories

Engaging with fellow readers and writers.

I definitely have trouble with this aspect of being online, especially on Vocal and X. I’m not sure why, either. I guess it just doesn’t occur to me to be more active until after the fact.

So, I apologize if that rubbed you the wrong way.

I have been getting better at replying to comments for my stories. But it’s a weak point I plan to address further this year.

I also want to read more stories and engage with their creators as they do with mine. And not just to be on the weekly leadership board, although that would be a perk.

But to be a supportive Vocal member.

Will You Help Me?

No, this is not me begging, but a genuine question.

Vocal is a vast online writing community, and communities help their members whenever possible, whether in person or through the cornucopia of online platforms.

And as I’m becoming more involved, I implore you to do the same, whether you are a new or seasoned Vocal creator. So, I am asking you for help.

Will you?

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