The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing

About The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing

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 (https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome)

Publisher

Courtney Kocak

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

25 May 2022

Latest episode

18 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

73 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Oct 2026

   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): https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Ronit Plank, author of the memoir When She Comes Back (https://bookshop.org/a/85623/9781945060199) and the short story collection Home Is a Made-Up Place (https://bookshop.org/a/85623/9798887840109), host of the Let’s Talk Memoir (https://ronitplank.com/lets-talk-memoir-with-ronit-plank/) podcast, and a writing instructor and editor. Funny enough, Ronit started out as a fiction writer who thought nonfiction seemed too easy—only to become a champion of the genre. In this episode, Ronit talks us through her transition from acting to writing, her evolution from memoir skeptic to memoir evangelist, and the years of revision that went into When She Comes Back, which chronicles how she dealt with her mother’s departure to follow the cult guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh featured in Netflix’s Wild Wild Country. We discuss how she leveraged the cultural conversation around her memoir’s subject matter, the benefits of small press publishing, and how she built her platform alongside a supportive literary community. Plus, Ronit shares how she produced her audiobook, her experience with book publicity and what she’d do differently next time, and more. Subscribe to Ronit's Substack Let's Talk Memoir (https://ronitplankletstalkmemoir.substack.com/welcome) and listen to the Let's Talk Memoir (https://ronitplank.com/lets-talk-memoir-with-ronit-plank/) podcast. Follow him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/) @ronitplank, and buy your copy of When She Comes Back on Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/85623/9781945060199), Amazon (https://amzn.to/4ispxQI), or wherever books are sold! Get your copy of Courtney's debut memoir Girl Gone Wild from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://bookshop.org/a/85623/9781949487541) or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://amzn.to/3M7EYR5). The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak (https://www.instagram.com/courtneykocak/) and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/courtneykocak.bsky.social). For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com (https://courtneykocak.com/links). Courtney is teaching some upcoming classes you might be interested in: (https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/how-to-make-2026-your-best-writing-year-yet-manifest-your-writing-goals-zoom-seminar-with-courtney-kocak) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/land-big-bylines-by-writing-for-columns-zoom-seminar)<a href="https://writingworkshops.com/products/edit-elevate-revision-intensive-zoom-seminar-with-courtney-kocak"...

2. 

   28 Sept 2026

   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): https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is Brad Listi, author of Be Brief and Tell Them Everything (https://bookshop.org/a/85623/9781632461360), host of the long-running Otherppl (https://www.otherppl.com/) podcast, and founder of the new literary learning platform Deep Dive. After decades in the business, Brad has a delightfully candid perspective on what it takes to build a writing career these days—and why talent and hard work are only part of the equation. In this episode, Brad takes us through his publishing journey, from his MFA and selling his debut novel in his twenties to launching the influential literary community The Nervous Breakdown, building an audience through podcasting, and writing his latest book, Be Brief and Tell Them Everything. We get into rejection, the myth that platform automatically translates into book sales, and the financial realities of being a writer. Plus, Brad shares what 1,000 author interviews have taught him, why reading should be part of the job, and his unfiltered advice for writers trying to get published. Subscribe to Brad's Substack (https://bradlisti.substack.com/welcome) and listen to the Otherppl (https://www.otherppl.com/) podcast. Follow him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/otherppl.podcast/) @otherppl.podcast, and buy your copy of Be Brief and Tell Them Everything on Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/85623/9781632461360), Amazon (https://amzn.to/4dIUFsz), or wherever books are sold! Get your copy of Courtney's debut memoir Girl Gone Wild from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://bookshop.org/a/85623/9781949487541) or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://amzn.to/3M7EYR5). The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak (https://www.instagram.com/courtneykocak/) and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/courtneykocak.bsky.social). For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com (https://courtneykocak.com/links). Courtney is teaching some upcoming classes you might be interested in: (https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/how-to-make-2026-your-best-writing-year-yet-manifest-your-writing-goals-zoom-seminar-with-courtney-kocak) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/land-big-bylines-by-writing-for-columns-zoom-seminar) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/edit-elevate-revision-intensive-zoom-seminar-with-courtney-kocak) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/how-to-build-a-platform-for-writers-who-shudder-at-the-thought-zoom-seminar)<a...

3. 

   13 Aug 2026

   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): https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome Today’s guest is novelist and essayist Emily J. Smith, author of the debut novel Nothing Serious (https://amzn.to/4fQRBw4). After years of writing, rewriting, and more than 100 agent rejections across two novels, Emily finally found the agent who understood her vision—and sold her debut to a Big Five publisher within weeks. In this episode, Emily pulls back the curtain on her long road to publication, including why she abandoned her first novel, what she learned from agent feedback, and how embracing plot and suspense helped her break into publishing without sacrificing her literary ambitions. We get into working with a developmental editor, landing a Big Five deal, advances and rights, the emotional minefield of cover design, and what publishers actually do—and don’t do—for debut authors. Emily also shares the realities of funding your own book tour and publicity, building a platform when you hate social media, growing her Substack, and the personalized outreach that helped generate press and word of mouth. Plus, Emily reflects on the widening gap between blockbuster books and smaller deals, why getting a traditional book deal can feel more like a foot in the door than a guarantee of support, and the publishing lesson she wishes she’d learned sooner. Subscribe to Emily's Substack Unresolving (https://emjsmith.substack.com/welcome). Follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/emjsmith/) @emjsmith, and buy your copy of Nothing Serious on Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/85623/9780063385849), Amazon (https://amzn.to/4x0V7Kq), or wherever books are sold! Get your copy of Courtney's debut memoir Girl Gone Wild from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://bookshop.org/a/85623/9781949487541) or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://amzn.to/3M7EYR5). The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak (https://www.instagram.com/courtneykocak/) and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/courtneykocak.bsky.social). For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com (https://courtneykocak.com/links). Courtney is teaching some upcoming classes you might be interested in: (https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/how-to-make-2026-your-best-writing-year-yet-manifest-your-writing-goals-zoom-seminar-with-courtney-kocak) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/land-big-bylines-by-writing-for-columns-zoom-seminar) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/edit-elevate-revision-intensive-zoom-seminar-with-courtney-kocak) (https://writingworkshops.com/products/how-to-build-a-platform-for-writers-who-shudder-at-the-thought-zoom-seminar)<a...

Who has been a guest on The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Elle Nash
• Hannah Howard
• Sarah Fay
• Greg Mania

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

24 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

53

Social presence

94

YouTube

0

Engagement

82

Contact The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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• 

  The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

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• 

  Otherppl with Brad Listi

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  Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast

Questions about The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing