There are many places online where you can write nonfiction articles and get paid.
But what if you write fiction? It’s a bit more difficult to find sites that pay for short stories.
Here are three story writing platforms that pay writers money.
1. Medium
On Medium, writers earn money by writing for the Medium Partner Program (MPP). Writers must lock their writing behind a paywall that only paid Medium members can access.
For $5 a month (or $50 annually), Medium members have unlimited access to all the content on the platform (free members can still reap the benefits of the MPP, but they are only allowed 3 unlocked posts a month).
Joining Medium used to be a quick and easy way to start earning money from writing stories, but recently the platform has increased the barrier of entry into the Medium Partner Program, not unlike how Youtube has increased its requirements for users to get paid as part of the Youtube Partner Program.
In order to monetize one’s writing, Medium users must first gain a minimum of 100 followers. They must also be an active user on the platform, posting stories at least once every 6 months.
I joined Medium in 2018, and had already gained the minimum number of followers by the time the new rules were enacted, but I recognize it’s a daunting task for new writers on the platform to have to jump through these hurdles before being allowed to make money on Medium.
Once monetized, writers earn money when other MPP users read their stories. This is counted as “Internal” traffic. “External” traffic — views from users outside of the Medium Partner Program — does not garner writers any extra earnings.
If you would like to become a paid member of the Medium Partner Program, you can use my referral link to sign up (I receive a 50% referral bonus for every new sign-up).
2. Vocal Media
Like its competitor Medium, Vocal Media has a free membership and a paid membership, known as Vocal+.
The Vocal+ membership is $9.99 a month (or $99.99 annually).
Users earn money through views; Vocal+ members earn $6.00 per 1000 views, free Vocal Media members earn $3.80 per 1000 views.
Unlike with Medium, Vocal Media has a payment threshold — a minimum payment amount users must reach before they can redeem their earnings. For Vocal+ members, the payment threshold is $20; for free members, the payment threshold is $35.
Both free and paid members are allowed to start writing stories and make money right away.
However, it should be noted that Vocal Media stories have a very poor organic reach. This means it’s very difficult to have stories from Vocal Media appear on the first page of a Google search.
In contrast, Medium has an exceptionally high domain authority, which means it’s much easier for writers to get traffic to their writing on Medium than on Vocal Media.
Another way writers can earn money through their stories is by entering Challenges — writing competitions run by Vocal Media. For the majority of Challenges, only Vocal+ members are allowed to participate.
Although the Challenges boast impressive cash prizes, the entrant pool is usually so large that entering a Challenge is almost akin to writing for a sweepstakes. It’s a fun way to try to earn a little extra money, but it’s not a reliable method to make money writing fiction.
If you would like to join Vocal Media and become a Vocal+ member, you can use my referral link (by doing so, I earn $20 for every individual who signs up).
3. Simily
(Simily.co — annoyingly, Google often autocorrects the name of this site to “simile”)
Simily is the newest story writing platform that pays writers.
Simily offers a free and paid tier to members. Paid members are charged $6.99 a month (or $69 annually).
Both free and paid members can start earning money on the writing platform immediately.
Simily pays 2 cents ($0.02) per view, and writers are able to redeem their earnings when they reach the payment threshold of $10. However, it should be noted that the Simily co-founders said that once the platform has seen considerable growth, this payment model will change.
While Medium is more favorable to articles, and Vocal Media caters equally to both fiction and nonfiction writing, Simily touts itself as a writing platform for fiction. Short stories and multi-chaptered works are sure to do well on this platform, as they don’t have to compete with as much of the same content that is usually promoted on Medium and Vocal Media.
That said, Simily suffers from the same issues of organic reach; it’s very difficult for writers to gain views on their writing without heavy self-promotion.
Writing Platforms to Avoid
Between Medium, Vocal Media, and Simily, it’s easy to find writing platforms where you can write online for money.
However, there are certain writing platforms that should be avoided at all costs.
GoodNovel, WebNovel, Stary Writing, Dreame, Ficfun are writing platforms that take advantage of novice writers. While these platforms promise writers the opportunity to make money online with stories, the writers are forced into predatory contracts that demand a novel length’s worth of writing to make pennies on the dollar.
These shady companies often try to recruit inexperienced writers, often by emailing the writer directly or by contacting them via DMs on competitor writing platform sites like Wattpad.