The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing

Courtney Kocak

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/16d. Total Eps: 71

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

Recent rankings

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Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - books
11/06/2025
#82

Spotify

No recent rankings available

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https://www.instagram.com/courtneykocak
46 shares

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RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 83%

Publication history

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Latest published episodes

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What to Expect When You're on Submission: Hannah Howard

Season 1 · Episode 69

Monday, June 9, 2025 • Duration 18:11

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 pod to share her insights on surviving the publishing rollercoaster, aka what it's like when you’re on submission and you get your happy ending twice. She opens up about navigating rejection, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and offers a generous dose of encouragement for writers in the thick of it. This episode is part explainer, part pep talk, and not to be missed by anyone trying to publish a book. Follow Hannah on Instagram @hannahmhoward.

The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network and Business: https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar
Land Big Bylines by Writing for Columns: https://writingworkshops.com/products/land-big-bylines-by-writing-for-columns-zoom-seminar
The Multi-Passionate Writer's Life: https://writingworkshops.com/products/the-multi-passionate-writers-life-zoom-seminar-with-courtney-kocak
How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought: https://writingworkshops.com/products/how-to-build-a-platform-for-writers-who-shudder-at-the-thought-zoom-seminar
Creating Your Podcast: https://www.roadmapwriters.com/products/creating-your-podcast-0
Podcasting for Writers: How to Start, Sustain & Grow Your Podcast: https://writingworkshops.com/products/podcasting-for-writers-how-to-start-sustain-grow-your-podcast-4-week-zoom-workshop

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Sarah Fay on Her Fast Track to Publication with "Pathological" & Why Substack Might Be Better Than an MFA

Season 1 · Episode 68

Monday, June 2, 2025 • Duration 01:03:12

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, chronicles her 25-year journey through the mental health system. In this episode, Sarah shares how she manifested her dream agent, her surprisingly fast path to publication (during the pandemic no less!), how she found the structure for Pathological, why she decided to serialize her second memoir, and more. Plus, she offers tips for thriving on Substack (and why it might be better than an MFA), along with practical advice on book PR. Follow Sarah on Substack @sarahfay.

The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

Carmen Rita Wong on Writing Her Memoir "Why Didn't You Tell Me?" as a Mystery

Season 1 · Episode 59

Monday, March 31, 2025 • Duration 01:03:00

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 so freaking good! In this episode, Carmen shares how her magnum opus finally came together after decades in the making, plus writing and publishing wisdom she's gleaned through publishing FIVE books. She also introduces us to the concept of flashbulb memories... There are so many gems in this episode, so grab a pen and some paper because you’re gonna want to take notes! Follow Carmen on Instagram @carmenritawong.

The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network and Business: https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

Omar Mouallem on Blending Faith, History, Travel & Memoir in "Praying to the West"

Season 1 · Episode 58

Monday, March 24, 2025 • Duration 57:31

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 the Americas. In writing the book, Omar couldn’t explore its subject matter without also reexamining his own relationship with the religion he had grown up with—and grown apart from. In this interview, he takes us through the entire book-writing process, from his early days as a ghostwriter to landing his book deal, securing extra funding for his global research trips, and working through the editing process with Simon & Schuster. Follow Omar on Instagram @omar_aok.

The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

Land Big Bylines by Writing for Columns: https://writeordiemag.com/workshops/p/land-big-bylines

Allie Rowbottom Shares Her Writing & Publishing Processes for "Jello Girls" and "Aesthetica"

Season 1 · Episode 57

Monday, March 17, 2025 • Duration 01:06:57

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 Girls, which I love, and the new novel Aesthetica, which is incredibly zeitgeisty in its subject matter and has been getting rave reviews. Not only is Allie Rowbottom a super hot lit queen who can string together a hell of a sentence, but she’s also really nice and generous with information in this interview. She shares a top-secret tip for writing good fiction, how she handled writing about her family, THE most thoughtful and honest takes on publishing, and more in today’s episode. Follow Allie on Instagram @allierowbottom.

The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

Hannah Howard on How Her Food Memoirs Became So Much More

Season 1 · Episode 56

Monday, March 10, 2025 • Duration 53:47

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 Plenty: A Memoir of Food and Family, that transcend the genre and are also about relationships, motherhood, and finding your tribe. We discuss how an MFA application process helped her crystallize her vision for what became her first book, the difference between first and second books, her experience in a low-residency MFA program (she went to Bennington), reactions she’s gotten to writing about ED, how her niche is expanding into parenting, and more. Follow Hannah on Instagram @hannahmhoward.

The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

The Story Behind the Story: How Nicole Maggi’s Latest Novel “A Murder in Zion” Came to Be

Season 5 · Episode 55

Monday, March 3, 2025 • Duration 13:13

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, which hits shelves tomorrow! Inspired by a docuseries about crimes in national parks, Nicole set out to write a mystery series set against some of the country’s most breathtaking landscapes. We dive into the highs and lows of publishing, how a close friend became her agent (and how they navigate their multi-faceted relationship), her perseverance through a challenging personal year, and the thrill of finally finding the perfect home for A Murder in Zion. Follow Nicole on Instagram @nicolemaggiauthor.

The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

How Bassey Ikpi Did the Magic with “I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying”

Season 5 · Episode 54

Monday, February 24, 2025 • Duration 01:02:38

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 books. She grew up thinking authors were magicians, but it turns out she knows how to cast the spell too! In this episode, Bassey shares how the book proposal was a totally different book but working on it amid a mental health crisis led her down a more authentic path. Bassey talks about having an emotional memory, emotional accuracy vs. chronological accuracy, how she found her agent, the importance of a good editor, her book getting optioned for TV, what’s on her bucket list, and so much more... This episode is a juicy one! Follow Bassey on Instagram @basseyworld.

The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

From Query Hell to Big Five Book Deal: Emily J. Smith on Her Path to Publication with "Nothing Serious"

Season 5 · Episode 53

Monday, February 17, 2025 • Duration 19:12

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 @emjsmith.bsky.social.

The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar

Podcasting for Writers: How to Start, Sustain & Grow Your Podcast: https://writingworkshops.com/products/podcasting-for-writers-how-to-start-sustain-grow-your-podcast-4-week-zoom-workshop

Writing a Revealing Book About Your Day Job: Andrew Bomback on "Doctor"

Season 1 · Episode 52

Monday, February 10, 2025 • Duration 07:14