The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing
by Courtney Kocak
The Bleeders is a podcast (and support group!) about book writing and publishing. Transparent conversations with authors, agents, and people in the publishing industry about how to write and sell books. The title is a nod to the famous (potentially misattributed) Hemingway quote: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Sign up for The Bleeders companion Substack! https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome
Episodes
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Memoir Masterclass: Writing, Revising, Publishing & Platform-Building with Ronit Plank
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Ronit Plank, author of the memoir When She Comes Back and the short story collection Home Is…
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Think Your Book Is Done? It Probably Needs Three More Drafts & Other Writing Advice from Brad Listi
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Brad Listi, author of Be Brief and Tell Them Everything, host of the long-running Otherppl...
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Don’t Be Above Plot: From 100+ Agent Rejections to a Big Five Book Deal with Emily J. Smith
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is novelist and essayist Emily J. Smith, author of the debut novel Nothing Serious. After years…
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How to Become the Go-To Expert, Sell the Book & Do Your Own PR with Tawny Lara
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is author, writing coach, and sobriety expert Tawny Lara, the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to...
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How TikTok, Substack, AI & the Creator Economy Are Changing the Business of Being a Writer with Jane Friedman
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is publishing expert, author, and newsletter pioneer Jane Friedman, a 25+ year industry veteran...
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The Long Road to Girl Gone Wild: From First Essay to Publication & Promotion with Antonia Crane
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Antonia Crane, author, academic, and one of my all-time favorite memoirists. In this special...
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The Evolution of Publishing: Traditional, Hybrid & Self-Publishing in 2026 with Brooke Warner
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press, author of Write On, Sisters!, renowned former...
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Girl Gone Wild: The Story Behind My Memoir—Interviewed by Lili Gourley
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today the tables are turned—host Courtney Kocak sits down with Trio House Press junior editor Lili Gourley to...
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Before & After the Book Deal: The Truth About Publishing Success with Courtney Maum
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Courtney Maum—novelist, memoirist, and author of Before and After the Book Deal—and she talks...
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How Sari Botton Blew Past Gatekeepers to Build a Writing Life on Her Own Terms
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Sari Botton, writer, editor, and publisher of the Substack hits Oldster and Memoir Land,...
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Building a Book Like a Startup: Ali Kriegsman’s Playbook for Self-Publishing Success
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is author and entrepreneur Ali Kriegsman, joining The Bleeders to talk candidly about her path...
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The Agony & Ecstasy of Going on Submission with Chloe Caldwell
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is author Chloe Caldwell's second interview for The Bleeders podcast. In this episode, Chloe...
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“Brutalities” Author Margo Steines on Being a Teen Dominatrix, Pregnancy After ED & More
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Margo Steines, author of Brutalities: A Love Story. In this episode, we discuss Margo's...
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What to Expect When You're on Submission: Elle Nash
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Elle Nash, author of Animals Eat Each Other, Nudes, Gag Reflex, and Deliver Me. In this...
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How I'm Emotionally Fact-Checking My Memoir
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome In today's episode, host Courtney Kocak shares her experience attending a college reunion and how it's…
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What to Expect When You're on Submission: Dedeker Winston
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Dedeker Winston, author of The Smart Girl’s Guide to Polyamory and co-author of Multiamory:...
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Antonia Crane on Her Sex Work Memoir "Spent" & the Stories Writers Keep Retelling
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Antonia Crane, author of Spent. Follow Antonia on Instagram @antoniacrane. The Bleeders is...
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What to Expect When You're on Submission: Hannah Howard
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Hannah Howard, author of the memoirs Feast and Plenty. In this episode, Hannah returns to the...
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Sarah Fay on Her Fast Track to Publication with "Pathological" & Why Substack Might Be Better Than an MFA
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Sarah Fay, memoirist, writing coach, and Substack strategist. Her debut memoir, Pathological,...
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What to Expect When You're on Submission: Greg Mania
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Greg Mania, author of the memoir Born to Be Public. In this episode, Greg shares his winding...
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An Anarchist’s Guide to Writing & Publishing with "The Sapling Cage" Author Margaret Killjoy
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Margaret Killjoy, a prolific author and podcaster whose latest book, The Sapling Cage, kicks...
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Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on Writing "The Sex Lives of African Women" from Blog to Book
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest comes all the way from Africa! Ghanaian author Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah has such a cool story about...
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How Deborah Derrickson Kossmann Won Her Way to Publication
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Deborah Derrickson Kossmann, author of Lost Found Kept: A Memoir. In this episode, we dive…
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Elle Nash on the North Star of Writing to Her Taste
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Elle Nash, author of Animals Eat Each Other, Nudes, Gag Reflex, and Deliver Me. This episode…
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Trusting Your Book to the Art of Translation with Victoria Kielland
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Victoria Kielland, Norwegian author of My Men, which was translated to English by Damion...
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You Don't Need a Publisher: How Elle Griffin is Serializing Her Novels on Substack
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest Elle Griffin set out to query her gothic novel and, in the process, made some disappointing...
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Alissa Wilkinson Throws a Dinner Party for Her Food Writing Inspiration with Her Book "Salty"
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest Alissa Wilkinson wrote her book Salty during the first year of the pandemic, which left its mark...
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Carmen Rita Wong on Writing Her Memoir "Why Didn't You Tell Me?" as a Mystery
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Carmen Rita Wong, and she has a doozy of a story—it’s memoir meets family mystery, and it’s…
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Omar Mouallem on Blending Faith, History, Travel & Memoir in "Praying to the West"
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Omar Mouallem, author of the historical travel memoir Praying to the West: How Muslims Shaped...
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Allie Rowbottom Shares Her Writing & Publishing Processes for "Jello Girls" and "Aesthetica"
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Allie Rowbottom. Allie is the author of the memoir/family history/cultural commentary Jello...
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Hannah Howard on How Her Food Memoirs Became So Much More
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Hannah Howard, author of two food memoirs, Feast: True Love in and Out of the Kitchen and...
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The Story Behind the Story: How Nicole Maggi’s Latest Novel “A Murder in Zion” Came to Be
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Nicole Maggi, who joins me to share the origin story of her latest novel, A Murder in Zion,...
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How Bassey Ikpi Did the Magic with “I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying”
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Bassey Ikpi, author of I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying, one of my all-time favorite…
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From Query Hell to Big Five Book Deal: Emily J. Smith on Her Path to Publication with "Nothing Serious"
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Emily J. Smith, author of Nothing Serious. Follow Emily on Instagram @emjsmith and Bluesky...
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Writing a Revealing Book About Your Day Job: Andrew Bomback on "Doctor"
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Andrew Bomback, author of Doctor and Long Days, Short Years: A Cultural History of Modern...
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Writing LA’s Juicy History & Publishing Without an Agent with Paul Haddad
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Paul Haddad, generously sharing the research, writing, and publishing process for his latest...
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Frances Badalamenti on Her Freeing Evolution from Memoir to Autofiction
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Frances Badalamenti, author of Many Seasons, I Don't Blame You, and Salad Days. Follow…
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How to Write a Novel with Author Matt Bell & His Craft Book "Refuse to Be Done"
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Matt Bell, who wrote his novel-writing craft book Refuse to Be Done between drafts of his...
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Samantha Mann on How the Beloved "Putting Out" Prologue Came to Be
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Samantha Mann, author of Putting Out: Essays on Otherness and editor of the anthology I Feel...
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From Podcast to Book: Cara McGoogan on Adapting "Bed of Lies" into "Blood Farm"
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Cara McGoogan, host of Bed of Lies and author of Blood Farm. Follow Cara on Instagram and...
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How to Make 2025 Your Best Writing Year
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's episode features advice from Halley Sutton, Hannah Howard, Bridgette Bianca, Shelby Hinte, Chelsea...
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The Best Rejection I Ever Got with Laura Cathcart Robbins
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Laura Cathcart Robbins, author of Stash: My Life in Hiding. Follow Laura on Instagram...
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How to Write Erotica with Rachel Kramer Bussel
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Rachel Kramer Bussell, author of How to Write Erotica and editor of over 70 anthologies of...
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Zachary Zane on the Book Proposal for "Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto" & How He Built His Writer Platform
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Zachary Zane, author of Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto. Follow Zachary on Instagram...
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How to Promote Your Book with Eleanor C. Whitney
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today's guest is Eleanor C. Whitney, author of Promote Your Book, Riot Woman, and Quit Your Day Job. Follow...
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The Five-Year Revision: Lexi Kent-Monning on Writing & Publishing Her Debut Novel "The Burden of Joy"
Today’s guest is Lexi Kent-Monning, who details the five-year journey of revising and submitting her debut novel, The Burden of Joy, which found its home at the small press Rejection Letters. In this episode, Lexi shares how she rediscovered her love of writing at age 33 and took her writing…
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The Origin Story of Jon Small's Debut & What He's Learned About Indie Publishing
This is Jon Small's second interview for The Bleeders podcast. In this episode, Jon delves into the creative process behind his debut book, Write About Now, which is based on his podcast and features inspiring origin stories from his guests. He shares the challenges of obtaining permissions, the...
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The Agony & Ecstasy of Going on Submission with Chloe Caldwell
This is four-time author Chloe Caldwell's second interview for The Bleeders podcast. In this episode, Chloe shares two submission stories — one a nightmare and one a dream — along with advice for other writers on submission. Follow Chloe on Instagram @chloeeeecaldwell and buy the re-release of…
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Manifest Your 2024 Writing Goals Through Daily Practice with Kellianne Benson of 750words.com
The new year is upon us, which has got me thinking about my writing-related resolutions, and how to accomplish them. So today’s episode is all about writing practice — the daily grind of it, the unsexy truth about how we manifest our writing goals by showing up and allowing ourselves to get words...
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How Chelsea Martin Strikes the Balance Between Prolific & Perfectionist
Today's guest is Chelsea Martin. I adore indie queens like Chelsea. She has been incredibly prolific thus far in her literary career, and I love her "just do it" approach to publishing. We talk about how to balance perfectionist tendencies with being productive and putting out a lot of work, how…
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About this show
The Bleeders is a podcast (and support group!) about book writing and publishing. Transparent conversations with authors, agents, and people in the publishing industry about how to write and sell books. The title is a nod to the famous (potentially misattributed) Hemingway quote: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Sign up for The Bleeders companion Substack! https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome
Hosted by
Courtney Kocak