Vocal is a platform for human storytellers. You write and publish stories across Vocal's topic-specific communities, build a readership, and get paid for your work through multiple earning streams.

1. Create an account Sign up at vocal.media/signup. It's free and takes about two minutes.

2. Connect Stripe Before you can publish, you need to connect a Stripe account. This is how all earnings move - tips, bonuses, and read payments flow through Stripe to your bank. Head to your Wallet to set it up. It only needs to be done once.

3. Write your story Open the editor and write. The editor auto-saves your work as you go, so you won't lose anything. When you're ready, pick a community for your story and hit Submit.

4. Get reviewed Our moderation team reviews every submission within 24 hours. If your story meets the Community Guidelines, it goes live. If it needs changes, you'll get specific notes on exactly what to fix.

5. Build your audience and earn Once your story is published, readers can find it through communities, search, and social sharing. Reads, tips, and creator subscription earnings add to your Wallet.

Free account Publish stories, collect tips from readers, earn Creator Bonuses, and enter Challenges. No monthly cost.

Vocal+ ($9.99/month or $99/year) Everything in Free, plus read-based earnings, Exclusive Stories for paid subscribers, lower tip fees, a lower withdrawal minimum, and exclusive access to more Challenges.

When you log in, your Action Center on the homepage shows you exactly where you are in the setup process and what to tackle next. It's a simple checklist: connect Stripe, complete your profile, publish your first story. Follow the steps and you'll be fully set up in under 30 minutes.

Your story lives in one of Vocal's communities - topic-specific spaces where readers who care about that subject discover new content. Futurism, Poets, Criminal, Wander, 01, and dozens more. When you submit a story, you pick the community that fits best. If your pick isn't quite right, our moderators will move it to the right place.

Earnings accumulate in your Wallet. Once you hit the minimum balance ($35 for free accounts, $20 for Vocal+), you can request a withdrawal and the funds are sent to your bank via Stripe within 3-5 business days.

Everything you need to go deeper is in our Creator 101 guides.