December 30, 2024 • 9 mins
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 Martin, Emmy Olea, and Elle Nash.
The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @courtneykocak. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.
Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:
Today's episode features advice from Halley Sutton, Hannah Howard, Bridgette Bianca, Shelby Hinte, Chelsea Martin, Emmy Olea, and Elle Nash.
The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @courtneykocak. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.
Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:
- New Year’s Newsletter & Pitch Party Extravaganza: https://www.courtneykocak.com/teaching (Use code BLEEDERS for $100 off)
- Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network & Business: https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminar
- 60-Day Writer's Platform Coaching: https://writingworkshops.com/products/60-day-writers-platform-coaching-with-courtney-kocak
- Creating Your Podcast: https://www.roadmapwriters.com/products/creating-your-podcast-0
- Land Big Bylines by Writing for Columns: https://writingworkshops.com/products/land-big-bylines-by-writing-for-columns-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
- 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
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down
at a typewriter and bleed. Welcome to the Bleeders, a
podcast and support group about book writing and publishing. I'm
writer and podcaster Courtney Coosak, and each week I'll bring
(00:28):
you new conversations with authors, agents and publishers about how
to write and sell books. Today, we are celebrating the
new year with seven tips from authors who have offered
writing advice on this podcast that has stood the test
of time and really stuck with me ever since their
initial interviews. And I picked these tips because I think
(00:52):
they're going to help you orient yourself towards having your
best writing year yet. So first up is Hallie Sutton
with a piece of writing advice I think we all
need to hear.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
First drafts are bad. They're always going to be bad,
and you just have.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
To get through it.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I really think that a big part of writing is
like being able to endure the terrible first draft, to
just get to the point where you're making it better
and it starts to feel like something you love. Because
for so long, clearly with the second book, it just
was like felt so bad and all you can do
is just sit there and tinker with it and make
it better. But like, you have to keep working on it.
(01:34):
Otherwise you can fix anything but the blank page. And
so I have to keep reminding myself of that over
and over and over.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Yes, there is nothing wrong with a shitty first draft.
That is just part of the process.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Baby.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Tip number two is a brilliant book writing hack from
Hannah Howard.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
As I was feeling daunted by this big I think
my contract said sixty thousand words. I believe Feast is
like seventy five thousand words, which is pretty much like
a medium sized book. Just sounds like a lot of words.
Seventy five thousand words. But I was really good at
writing one thousand word essays, so I told myself, I
(02:14):
just have to write seventy five one thousand word essays.
And of course that's not exactly It's.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
A good hack though. Mentally, yeah, yeah, I have to say,
I have honestly thought about this so many times since
I interviewed Hannah. It's exactly right, exactly how she said it.
It's just bird by bird, one thousand words at a time.
That is it. That is all book writing is. And
I think when you think about it like that, it
(02:42):
is totally attainable, and it takes kind of the overwhelm away. Okay.
Tip number three comes from Bridge at Bianca, who just
spits the truth always and forever. What is one piece
of writing advice you wish you could give your former self?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Ooh, I don't long and hard. I came with a
three word answer. Okay, fuck everybody else, that is my answer.
That's the advice I would give myself because I gave
a lot of fucks by other people back in the day,
and if I just know fuck everybody else, things would
have gone so much better for me. And now I'd
(03:18):
have to remember that. And now I need to put
a sticky note behind me, but I'll make it a
little bit more friendly, forget everybody else on the wall
behind me so I can remember.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
That is a good one. I think this is such
a good reminder on so many levels. It's like, yes,
keep your eyes on your own paper, get obsessed with
your own work, and don't let anyone throw you off track.
And it sort of echoes tip number four, which comes
from Shelby Hinty, whose book Howling Women actually comes out
this year.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
I mean, I think definitely that I'm a person who
has to do it most days a week. If I
get too far away from it, it ends up feeling
really scary to me. But if I can do you know,
even just thirty minutes a day, but ideally an hour
a day, five or six days a week, then it
doesn't become something bigger than it is. So I do
(04:10):
like to have like a you know, I'm pretty strict
with myself about daily practice, but also the fun element.
I have to really work super hard not to think
about other people while I'm in draft mode. I definitely
have like people I am writing too, you know, like
people who I'm like, oh, I can't wait for them
to read this, and like they're gonna laugh at this
(04:30):
joke or whatever, And that really helps me with voice stuff.
But in terms of like publishing, I have to really
not think at all about what's going to happen next,
Otherwise it becomes you know, just unbearable, like not fun.
And I write because I think it is a super
enjoyable activity and I don't want to like corrupt it.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Tip number five comes from prolific indie queen Chelsea Martin,
and her advice offers a clue into how she's able
to be so prolific in the first place.
Speaker 6 (05:01):
I think there's like two kinds of people, people who
are like really in a hurry to publish, and people
who want everything to be perfect and have their perfect
publisher and their perfect huge advance and just wait forever
for that. And so I think like kind of trying
to avoid both of those extremes and just doing the
best thing that you can do for yourself in a
(05:23):
reasonable amount of time and then moving on to your
next project and like moving on with your life.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Tube number six is from Emmy Olea, and this one
has definitely been on my mind as I have a
really exciting book related podcast project that I am working
on early in twenty twenty five. I'm really excited to
share more details about this with you shortly, but for now,
here's the tip.
Speaker 7 (05:51):
When I finished writing the book, I started writing the
book proposal, I started collecting testimonials from friends. I got
a testimonial from Robert Morris Russell brand my friend Cohen,
I got a testimonial. Yeah, no, Well, I had met
(06:11):
Russell through mutual friends, and so we just kind of
have a little bit of report and I shared with
him that I was writing a book. He had gifted
me one of his books, and so that's how it
just started. And then I asked my friend udkush and
Woodcar to write a testimonial for me. He's also an actor,
(06:33):
and he called me. He's like, hey, Emmy, do you
mind if I passed this along to a friend of
mine who would be riveted to hear your story? And
so the book proposal had sample chapters. It did not
have the whole manuscript obviously. But then Alex Kumero called
me and said, hey, would you like to do a podcast?
(06:54):
I see something really really good here and it could
be a great time topics for a podcast. So I
thought about it because being a podcaster, even being a writer,
was not something that was in my horizon, Like I
did not ever see me becoming that. So I thought
about it and I was very nervous, and I said,
(07:16):
you know what, Sure, let's do it. You know, one
of my mentors always taught me, when the universe presents
you with opportunities, always say yes.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
And last, but not least, Tip number seven lucky number
seven from l. Nash One tip for writers trying to
get a book published.
Speaker 8 (07:35):
I would say, don't spray and pray when it comes
to doing queries.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
But also.
Speaker 8 (07:42):
The number one predictor of success in publication is perseverance.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
It's not talent, and she is so right. Just keep going, Bleaders.
That is all you need to do this year. Keep going,
keep working on your keep making it a priority, and
you will find your way. That is for sure. You're
gonna have a great year. I'm gonna have a great year.
We're all gonna have a great year, and I am
(08:10):
gonna keep bringing you episodes that will help us get there.
Thank you so much for joining me for this episode
of the Leaders. Ugh, writing is so much better with friends.
I'm your host, Courtney Cosack, and hey, let's connect on
social media. I am at Courtney Cosak last name Kocak
(08:30):
on Twitter and Instagram and pretty much everywhere else on
the socials. And make sure you're signed up for the
Bleeder's Companion substack. I publish so much great stuff over there,
much of it is exclusive to the newsletter, and it
is free to subscribe, and if you want to upgrade
(08:50):
to a paid subscription, I actually just posted a one
hour manifesting your twenty twenty five writing goals workshop, which
is free. Awesome if I do say so myself, it
really will get you ready for the new year. It
is one of my favorite workshops I've put together. There
is a link for that in the episode description. I
(09:11):
also have links to many of my other upcoming workshops
that are separate from the substack, also in the episode description.
And join me again next week for another all new episode.
In the meantime, Happy Bleeding
There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down
at a typewriter and bleed. Welcome to the Bleeders, a
podcast and support group about book writing and publishing. I'm
writer and podcaster Courtney Coosak, and each week I'll bring
(00:28):
you new conversations with authors, agents and publishers about how
to write and sell books. Today, we are celebrating the
new year with seven tips from authors who have offered
writing advice on this podcast that has stood the test
of time and really stuck with me ever since their
initial interviews. And I picked these tips because I think
(00:52):
they're going to help you orient yourself towards having your
best writing year yet. So first up is Hallie Sutton
with a piece of writing advice I think we all
need to hear.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
First drafts are bad. They're always going to be bad,
and you just have.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
To get through it.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I really think that a big part of writing is
like being able to endure the terrible first draft, to
just get to the point where you're making it better
and it starts to feel like something you love. Because
for so long, clearly with the second book, it just
was like felt so bad and all you can do
is just sit there and tinker with it and make
it better. But like, you have to keep working on it.
(01:34):
Otherwise you can fix anything but the blank page. And
so I have to keep reminding myself of that over
and over and over.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Yes, there is nothing wrong with a shitty first draft.
That is just part of the process.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Baby.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Tip number two is a brilliant book writing hack from
Hannah Howard.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
As I was feeling daunted by this big I think
my contract said sixty thousand words. I believe Feast is
like seventy five thousand words, which is pretty much like
a medium sized book. Just sounds like a lot of words.
Seventy five thousand words. But I was really good at
writing one thousand word essays, so I told myself, I
(02:14):
just have to write seventy five one thousand word essays.
And of course that's not exactly It's.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
A good hack though. Mentally, yeah, yeah, I have to say,
I have honestly thought about this so many times since
I interviewed Hannah. It's exactly right, exactly how she said it.
It's just bird by bird, one thousand words at a time.
That is it. That is all book writing is. And
I think when you think about it like that, it
(02:42):
is totally attainable, and it takes kind of the overwhelm away. Okay.
Tip number three comes from Bridge at Bianca, who just
spits the truth always and forever. What is one piece
of writing advice you wish you could give your former self?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Ooh, I don't long and hard. I came with a
three word answer. Okay, fuck everybody else, that is my answer.
That's the advice I would give myself because I gave
a lot of fucks by other people back in the day,
and if I just know fuck everybody else, things would
have gone so much better for me. And now I'd
(03:18):
have to remember that. And now I need to put
a sticky note behind me, but I'll make it a
little bit more friendly, forget everybody else on the wall
behind me so I can remember.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
That is a good one. I think this is such
a good reminder on so many levels. It's like, yes,
keep your eyes on your own paper, get obsessed with
your own work, and don't let anyone throw you off track.
And it sort of echoes tip number four, which comes
from Shelby Hinty, whose book Howling Women actually comes out
this year.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
I mean, I think definitely that I'm a person who
has to do it most days a week. If I
get too far away from it, it ends up feeling
really scary to me. But if I can do you know,
even just thirty minutes a day, but ideally an hour
a day, five or six days a week, then it
doesn't become something bigger than it is. So I do
(04:10):
like to have like a you know, I'm pretty strict
with myself about daily practice, but also the fun element.
I have to really work super hard not to think
about other people while I'm in draft mode. I definitely
have like people I am writing too, you know, like
people who I'm like, oh, I can't wait for them
to read this, and like they're gonna laugh at this
(04:30):
joke or whatever, And that really helps me with voice stuff.
But in terms of like publishing, I have to really
not think at all about what's going to happen next,
Otherwise it becomes you know, just unbearable, like not fun.
And I write because I think it is a super
enjoyable activity and I don't want to like corrupt it.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Tip number five comes from prolific indie queen Chelsea Martin,
and her advice offers a clue into how she's able
to be so prolific in the first place.
Speaker 6 (05:01):
I think there's like two kinds of people, people who
are like really in a hurry to publish, and people
who want everything to be perfect and have their perfect
publisher and their perfect huge advance and just wait forever
for that. And so I think like kind of trying
to avoid both of those extremes and just doing the
best thing that you can do for yourself in a
(05:23):
reasonable amount of time and then moving on to your
next project and like moving on with your life.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Tube number six is from Emmy Olea, and this one
has definitely been on my mind as I have a
really exciting book related podcast project that I am working
on early in twenty twenty five. I'm really excited to
share more details about this with you shortly, but for now,
here's the tip.
Speaker 7 (05:51):
When I finished writing the book, I started writing the
book proposal, I started collecting testimonials from friends. I got
a testimonial from Robert Morris Russell brand my friend Cohen,
I got a testimonial. Yeah, no, Well, I had met
(06:11):
Russell through mutual friends, and so we just kind of
have a little bit of report and I shared with
him that I was writing a book. He had gifted
me one of his books, and so that's how it
just started. And then I asked my friend udkush and
Woodcar to write a testimonial for me. He's also an actor,
(06:33):
and he called me. He's like, hey, Emmy, do you
mind if I passed this along to a friend of
mine who would be riveted to hear your story? And
so the book proposal had sample chapters. It did not
have the whole manuscript obviously. But then Alex Kumero called
me and said, hey, would you like to do a podcast?
(06:54):
I see something really really good here and it could
be a great time topics for a podcast. So I
thought about it because being a podcaster, even being a writer,
was not something that was in my horizon, Like I
did not ever see me becoming that. So I thought
about it and I was very nervous, and I said,
(07:16):
you know what, Sure, let's do it. You know, one
of my mentors always taught me, when the universe presents
you with opportunities, always say yes.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
And last, but not least, Tip number seven lucky number
seven from l. Nash One tip for writers trying to
get a book published.
Speaker 8 (07:35):
I would say, don't spray and pray when it comes
to doing queries.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
But also.
Speaker 8 (07:42):
The number one predictor of success in publication is perseverance.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
It's not talent, and she is so right. Just keep going, Bleaders.
That is all you need to do this year. Keep going,
keep working on your keep making it a priority, and
you will find your way. That is for sure. You're
gonna have a great year. I'm gonna have a great year.
We're all gonna have a great year, and I am
(08:10):
gonna keep bringing you episodes that will help us get there.
Thank you so much for joining me for this episode
of the Leaders. Ugh, writing is so much better with friends.
I'm your host, Courtney Cosack, and hey, let's connect on
social media. I am at Courtney Cosak last name Kocak
(08:30):
on Twitter and Instagram and pretty much everywhere else on
the socials. And make sure you're signed up for the
Bleeder's Companion substack. I publish so much great stuff over there,
much of it is exclusive to the newsletter, and it
is free to subscribe, and if you want to upgrade
(08:50):
to a paid subscription, I actually just posted a one
hour manifesting your twenty twenty five writing goals workshop, which
is free. Awesome if I do say so myself, it
really will get you ready for the new year. It
is one of my favorite workshops I've put together. There
is a link for that in the episode description. I
(09:11):
also have links to many of my other upcoming workshops
that are separate from the substack, also in the episode description.
And join me again next week for another all new episode.
In the meantime, Happy Bleeding
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