Fiction writers are always in need of money, right? If you’re more into writing short stories and flash fiction, not quite ready to write a book to self-publish yet, or just looking for an easy way to get some extra cash doing what you’re best at, you’ve probably wondered if there’s any way to get paid for your stories. No publishing, no ghostwriting, no signing a contract, just people reading and you getting paid.

It seems too good to be true. I searched for many years for a place where I could do this, and now, I’ve come up with three options. But now, the catch:

None of them is perfect.

After testing all three of these sites, I’ve concluded that none of them is ideal. You’ll either have to make some sacrifices or work very hard to promote your work, just about as hard as you would work to market a novel (at least when you’re starting out).

But many people have made these sites work for them, and you can, too. Stick with me and I’ll show you how.

Vocal

Vocal is a platform where writers post in different “Communities” and get paid a very small amount for every view on their story. Any kind of story, fiction or non-fiction, is welcome.

Pay

Regular member: $3.80 per 1,000 reads
Vocal+: $6 per 1,000 reads

Pros

• Fairly large user base (over 700,600) 
• No paywall for any stories 
• Readers don’t have to sign up 
• Stories can be chosen as a “Top Story” where you get paid a $5 bonus and the story is put on the site’s front page 
• Interactive community

Cons

• Vocal+ members are favoured
• Competitions are only for Vocal+ members 
• Competition judges seem biased (winning stories often aren’t the best compared to other entries)
• 400-word minimum for stories
• $35 minimum payout for non-members 
• Very small pay per view
• Every published story is reviewed first (though recently, this has taken only minutes for me)

Simily

Simily is the new kid on the block. While in a way similar to Vocal, Simily encourages the community aspect of the website with “Groups” of writers who create similar content. They also pay per view of your story.

Pay

$.02 per read from a paying member

Pros

• Active community 
• Writing groups that are genre/subject specific 
• Made by writers, for writers

Cons

• New, with little reach 
• Notorious site issues 
• Readers have to make an account to read stories 
• You only get paid if a paid member reads the story
• Free membership is limited in terms of reading (only 5 stories per month)

Medium

Definitely the most popular on this list, Medium is another site where writers can post about anything they want, be it fiction or non-fiction. Once you qualify for the Partner Program, you can get paid per view on your story.

Pay

~$24 per 1,000 views if you are part of the Partner Program and if you allow your story to be behind a paywall

Pros

• Huge user base (100 million) 
• Can decide whether or not to put stories behind a paywall once in the Partner Program (although you don’t get paid if you don’t) 
• Easy to use, simple formatting 
• Can post anything you want 
• Benefit of a big platform with a wide reach

Cons:

• To make money, you first have to meet qualifications for the Partner Program 
• Only stories behind a paywall are eligible to earn money 
• Fiction isn’t as popular on the platform 
• It can take a long time to gain followers (which you need to join the Partner Program)

How to Make Money on These Sites

As you can see, none of these sites is perfect, and much like your decision of whether or not to use Grammarly, choosing between them is up to personal taste.

However, these three sites do have something in common, and that’s how to “work the system.” You can’t just post stories and hope that you’ll gain reads/followers; it does happen, but only in rare cases. If you really want a good shot at making decent money on these sites, there are a handful of things you should do:

• Post consistently 
• Maintain post quality 
• Interact with other writers and read their stories 
• Promote your stories on social media 
• Enter competitions on the site when/if possible
• Aim to get your stories promoted by the site (by posting relevant and high-quality content)

If you write consistently, do it well, and want some side income, one or more of these sites might be worth trying. But if you’re serious about making long-term money with your writing, consider self-publishing! I can help get your book in tip-top shape. 

Have you tried Vocal, Simily, or Medium? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

Happy writing!
—E.J.

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If you enjoyed this post, I hope you’ll consider buying one of my books, donating to the blog, reading my stories on Vocal, and/or taking a look at my RedBubble shop so I can continue to produce 100% free content!

Photo by Ibrahim Rifath on Unsplash