The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing

Today’s guest is feminist noir crime writer Halley Sutton. She wrote the first draft of her debut novel, The Lady Upstairs, while getting her MFA at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. So we got into the pros and cons of MFAs for writers. And we also talk book #2 and how that's different since Halley’s currently in the home stretch with her second novel, The Hurricane Blonde. Halley shared how Pitch Wars helped her first book find its footing, how she turned a rejection letter into an agent, the importance of a midpoint, and other sage advice for fledgling writers. Follow Halley on Twitter @halley_sutton and Instagram @halleysutton25.
Order Halley's new novel The Hurricane Blonde, which the NYTimes called "enthralling."
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a new podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW BLEEDERS YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR FULL-LENGTH INTERVIEWS. https://www.youtube.com/@bleederspodcast
The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @courtneykocak. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.
Hey writers! Trying to build your platform, but feeling a little overwhelmed, intimidated, or just plain lazy?⁠ I'm teaching a writer platform workshop through Write or Die Magazine and Chill Subs just for you on October 14th! In this 2.5-hour intensive, I will talk you through how to build a platform using podcasts, newsletters, social media, and more — and no, you don't need to start your own podcast. It recorded if you can't make it in-person, and you'll get a PDF of resources post-class. Sign up here: https://www.chillsubs.com/writeordie/workshops/how-to-build-platform-for

I found Marina through a Twitter thread she wrote about querying, so today, I’m bringing you the first Work in Progress, with an emphasis on publishing. Marina shares how she landed her agent, her top querying tips, how her fantasy novel Beheaded is doing out on submission, the importance of protecting your mental health, and more in today’s episode. This episode is very apropos for me at the moment because I’m about to start querying my book proposal—I hope you get as much out of this as I did! Follow Marina on Twitter and Instagram @mstevensonbooks.
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a new podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome
The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @courtneykocak. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.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 on the page, however messy they might be at first. I'm bringing back last year's conversation with the perfect guest on this topic: Kellianne Benson, community manager and director of 750words.com. Follow Kellianne on Twitter @kellianne.
In this episode, you’ll learn all about 750words.com — what it is, how it came to be, and how it’s helping writers — plus, Kellianne and I share our 2023 writing and publishing goals. Then I reflect on my 2023 writing accomplishments and failures and share my goals for 2024.
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a new podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW BLEEDERS YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR FULL-LENGTH INTERVIEWS. https://www.youtube.com/@bleederspodcast
The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @courtneykocak. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.
Sign up for Courtney's 5-week podcasting course starting January 13th through Roadmap Writers, Creating Your Podcast: https://www.roadmapwriters.com/products/creating-your-podcast-0
Sign up for Courtney's January 21st newsletter workshop with Chill Subs and Write or Die Magazine, Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network & Business: https://www.chillsubs.com/writeordie/workshops/start-a-newsletter
Sign up for Courtney's March 9th workshop with Chill Subs and Write or Die Magazine, How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought: https://www.chillsubs.com/writeordie/workshops/how-to-build-writers-platform

Omar Mouallem wrote the historical travel memoir "Praying to the West: How Muslims Shaped the Americas." However, he struggled to tackle that subject matter without finding a new relationship with the religion he'd grown up with and apart from. Omar dives into the whole book writing process, from getting his start as a ghostwriter to how he landed his book deal, how he found extra funding to cover the many trips he had to take around the world, and the editing process with Simon & Schuster. Follow Omar on Twitter @OmarMouallem.
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a new podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome
The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @courtneykocak. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.

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 to deal with a shitty publisher, the joys of having a good agent, and more. Follow Chelsea on Instagram @chelsea_martin_.
Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a new podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcome
The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @courtneykocak. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.