Vocal Vs Medium Vs Substack

There was an extended period of time where writing became close to impossible for me. Mental health issues took me down and made it hard to sit down and focus on the words and ideas that are constantly swirling inside my head, begging to be noticed. After getting back to the doctor and getting well, I am now in a creative space where I cannot wait to sit down and write. With that in mind, I am sharing my words everywhere, but which of the main platforms is best? Read on and find out.

What I Love and Dislike About Medium

You will notice that I have failed to use “Hate” in my subtitle. That was a purposeful decision, as it is an awful word that I am trying to use as sparingly as possible. That aside, Medium was the place I first turned to when I returned to writing in a big way. I loved the idea of writing about anything and everything that interested me. My initial focus was to run with the paranormal niche, and while those are my best performing pieces, there are so many other things I want to write about. Publications are a great way for me to do that and organize my specific interests.

What I have come to dislike is the constant shifting of the bar by Medium. I understand their reasons for limiting the number of posts, but in doing so, they are, in my humble opinion, hurting the real writers who want to bleed onto the page on a regular basis. Maybe employing a rollover article system would work. If I only wrote 1 today, shouldn’t I be allowed to write 3 tomorrow and maintain a 2 per day average? Just a thought.

In terms of earning, Medium is at the top of the list for me, as I think there is a real chance to make a decent little income here if I stick to it and remain consistent in posting.

What I Love and Dislike About Substack

I am less than a month in there and already have over 350 subscribers, albeit all of the free variety. There are so many great writers sharing their work on Substack, and it all makes you want to up your game as a writer. I am discovering people whose work I want to devour, which is why I decided to write a serial novel there. The level of support is astonishing, and while there are some bad actors in there, they are few and far between. Plus, you also get what is essentially a FREE killer website out of the deal.

I have a hard time thinking of anything I truly dislike about Substack other than it being a time suck. It is a creative wonderland when compared to Medium, where obvious AI posts are the order of the day. If you want to be a writer, shut down ChatGPT and just write. It may not be perfect, but it will be all yours.

When I joined Substack, the idea of making money there was not on my mind. It was all about audience building and networking with creatives. So far, so good.

What I Love and Dislike About Vocal

It is probably a little too early to add Vocal to the mix, as I have only recently added it into my writing and posting schedule. I essentially use it as another outlet for the things I write for Medium and Substack. Why not add another potential income opportunity into the mix. I love the idea of the challenges they have there, where you can win some real money, but there is a caveat to that, which falls into the dislike category.

In order to take part in the challenges, you need to be a Vocal+ member, which costs $9 per month. I would definitely consider it, but I am not doing or making enough there for it to be a viable option right now. Getting seen and read is also tough. I am beginning to make some headway, but it is slow going.

If you can build an audience on Vocal and can afford to upgrade to pro, there are some very good earning opportunities. I am tempted to pull that trigger, even if only for the writing challenges.

Which Platform is the Winner?

In terms of earning potential, it is Medium right now. For me and my writing goals, it is Substack that takes the trophy. I love spending time inside the heads of other fiction writers and learning about their process. That, to me, is more valuable than money.