Forget Insta-Famous. Aspire to be Vocal-Famous.

Lana Turner had the drugstore; James Bay had Youtube; Winnie Harlow had Instagram, and for many of us writing online, we're hoping someday someone will write So&So had Vocal.

As explored in my piece "Channel Your Inner Oprah," which presents a compelling set of arguments for tipping your fellow authors,

"We're staring into a future writers' dystopia, and, unlike here on Vocal, there won't be a nice, fat challenge prize as a reward for successfully dipping our toes into the waters of that storyline. If we don't start meaningfully supporting each other, the writers of tomorrow could well be bots instead of people!"

When it comes to garnering paid readership, traditional outlets like newspapers and magazines have been facing the forces of extinction for years (at least in paper-format anyway). It's not enough anymore to simply write well-written words and a good headline. Unless you've got a killer visual hook and an exciting twist, the average reader isn't going to pick up your work off the shelf or click on your link. Heck, even on Vocal, you have to make things shiny to get noticed. Don't believe me? Just glance over the Resources section detailing how to win a challenge.

Put Your Best Work Forward.

It's no secret that agents and publishers scout for talent in all its forms online, and there are a ton of places to drop your latest creation. However, unlike other content-publishing websites that allow you to build-up a portfolio, Vocal adjudicates pieces before posting them, thus giving you a bump in credibility. Yes, the mysterious algorithm is sorting through your work along with the live humans, but at least it is being evaluated prior to being published.

Essentially, you've got three streams of Vocal Users: those attempting to garner reads for a business project or earn an income, those who enjoy writing, entering challenges and write for the thrill of it all, and those, like myself, who are aspiring authors and are hoping to be discovered without pounding the pavement selling their self-published work. Some of us fall into more than one category, or all three, and all of us hunger for attention.

Networking Matters.

Top stories capture only a tiny fraction of the talent which publishes here each and every day. If you want to be read, you need to network. Genuinely unique, polished writing slips through the cracks, and before you blame the algorithm or the editors, take a second and consider the sheer volume of material that gets published every day. Branch out and look for other avenues, such as a Facebook group.

Consider joining The Vocal Social Society and you'll discover a treasure trove of highly creative, inspirational and entertaining creators, all of whom post their stories, offer constructive criticism and support each other (and Vocal) in a positive feedback loop. Pun intended. ;) Note to friends: If I start naming names, I'm sure to leave someone out, and I'll end up Quick-Editing for weeks!

Update: Entering a Vocal Challenge? Don't go it alone! Join Great Incantations today.

Vocal is for Everyone. Make it Work for You!

For anyone publishing quality writing online, Vocal could be your big break, and that's true for creators of all genres, backgrounds, and experience-levels. Vocal-famous is the new Insta-Famous. And when it comes to next-steps, the heads of Vocal are listening—that's how Quick-Edit came to be—but for everything else up-and-coming, you need to speak up and show support where they can hear you. Heart your favourite creators. Tip them. Heart pieces that showcase features you want to see next.