Sorry, Vocal, but it's not all about you

What are my Vocal aspirations for 2024?

To love you less,

Follow you less,

Rely on you much, much less than I did in 2023.

Don’t get me wrong. Vocal, to me is the best thing since sliced bread. Love ya to bits, Vocal team. Love my newfound Vocal buddies even more. I would go so far as to say that Vocal+ is the best investment I have made in my writing career since I attended a Robert McKee screenwriting weekend in London, way back in the 1990s. I would have subscribed to your recent funding round were it not for the obstacle of transatlantic financial regs. In short, it’s not you it’s me.

What do I mean by this? Well, first off, these are some of the things I like about Vocal.

Great platform for hosting and publishing written and visual work

Easier to use than WordPress, and much more cost effective

Great prize challenges - beats paying $20 to enter a public competition

Small-scale revenue generator - enough to cover the cost, and-some

Self-funding promotional platform

Lots of communities around the communities (like FB Vocal+ Assist)

Most important of all, a source of inspiration and community-based encouragement.

All well and good, but how does this fit my aspirations as an author? I have been a writer, sometimes editor, since the 1980s, some 40 years ago. Then, my focus of attention (and main source of income) was print publishing, magazines in particular. I still consider ink and paper to be the real deal, with online being, at best, a support mechanism, at worse, a time-costly diversion.

In 2021 and 22, I published two books and contributed short stories to four other books, not including the promotional booklets that I like to use to showcase my work. In 2023 I did not publish a single book, despite declaring on another forum in January that I was planning to publish at least one book that year. Who's fault is that? Well, I could say Vocal's, but I have to accept responsibility myself. Although I only accept responsibility to the extent that it was my fault that I put most of my writing effort into writing for Vocal publication, at the expense of outward looking print publishing activities.

My mission for 2024: to publish at least one real book

All of which leads me to the conclusion that, this year, my mission is to publish as least one actual book, a print and pulp publication that will be offered for sale on Amazon and/or other platforms. These days, I can't be bothered with traditional publishers and agents. I am too old, too impatient, and too independently-minded to send begging letters and wait for months for a negative response. Is this defeatest? Not in the least. I like publishing books, it is all part of my hobby and history, and it is what I am professionally trained to do (albeit in a magazine format, rather than in books). Maybe one day I will actually sell more than a couple of dozen copies. Perhaps one day some big-wheel publisher will offer me that coveted $30,000 advance for my WIP! I won't hold my breath.

This does not mean that I am going to abandon Vocal and associated communities. Certainly not. Even if I were to find favor from an established, respectable publishing house, the first thing they would want to know about is any following I have on social media. My best evidence for online footprint would be my Vocal stats, likes and top story and challenge successes.

Again, this online footprint costs me nothing. It generates a small revenue stream (not enough to retire on). As a part-time pastime it is not only the least-cost hobby I have, it is entirely self funding, while funding a bit of other outgoing promo too, and it supports that promo by helping to build a following. In City of London (one-time financial district) speak, it washes its face. When I promote my work through a local Facebook group, for instance, the work is hosted on Vocal and the local interest helps to boost internal Vocal interest and vice versa.

All of which will help to support the launch of my next book, a project that is targeted for a springtime launch (subject to whim and change). This is one of my publishing goals for 2024.

Vocal Aspirations

So much for my external writing and publishing aspirations for 2024. My Vocal aspirations can be summarised easily enough. In 2023, I was delighted to have won a runner up prize in each of two challenges: Nourished and Critique, both non-fiction. My main ambition is, and has been since day one, to produce a work of fiction that is judged to be good enough to be honored in the winners' line-up. A runner-up listing will be fine by me, though I wouldn't turn down a first or second-place slot if it were offered to me (Vocal curators please note).

Aspirations for the Vocal channel

1. Write a challenge-winning (1st place, second place, or runner-up) short story
2. Write and submit more poetry
3. Help and support other Vocal creators more
4. Not allow Vocal community interactions to impede my author trajectory.

Beyond this goal, I am intending to do some more work within the poets community. I have been encouraged by the various poetic challenges I have participated in. Never before have I attempted to write a haiku, or a Limerick, and before the Villanelle challenge was launched, I'd never even heard of this format. It took me several weeks to work out the structure and to have the courage to pen an entry (or, rather, 'keyboard' one). For that, I have to thank other Vocal creators such as Stephanie J. Bradberry for showing me the way. As I have said before, I am nobody's poet but part of my need to develop as a writer is to have a better understanding of the lyrical nature of writing, whether poetry or prose. By working on the poetic form, I cannot but improve my story-writing skills and grow my authorly practice.

I am nobody's poet

This is, without doubt, the real value of Vocal. The community value. The coming together of a wide range of creators, each with their own areas of expertise, knowledge and experience. I like to think that, as a 64-year old writer, with a 40+ year career behind me, I too have something to offer. This will also be a component of my aspirations for 2024. To provide as much support and help as I can to fellow creators.

In short, while my author development trajectory is inextricably linked to my profile as a Vocal creator, I am going to spread my wings a little wider, flap them about a bit, maybe even launch myself into the wild blue yonder.

It's been a great 18 months as a Vocal creator and Vocal+ member, so I hope you will understand, my Vocal darlings, if I love you a little bit less, and find some other lovers to share my literary aspirations with.

O ~ 0 ~ o ~

With many thanks to the Vocal team and to all my friends and co-creators within the Vocal and associated communities.

O ~ 0 ~ o ~

Love, peace and prosperity to all in 2024. May you enjoy the blessings you deserve and may the muse be with you.

Ray