Happy Launch to Me 🚀
Introducing my new podcast, The Bleeders
Hi Besties!
I’m very excited to announce that the first episode of my new podcast, The Bleeders, launched on Thursday — and since I’m releasing extra episodes this month to celebrate the launch, I dropped the second episode today.
1️⃣ I kicked things off with Samantha Allen, author of Real Queer America, and her upcoming novel Patricia Wants to Cuddle. Samantha shared so many nuggets of wisdom for writers. We talked shop about writing and publishing from start to finish, book advances, narrating her audiobooks and her Audible Original, her foray from nonfiction to fiction, and more.
2️⃣ And 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 since Halley’s currently in the home stretch with her second novel. 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.
✍️ If you’re a writer, make sure you’re signed up for The Bleeders companion Substack to be notified of new episodes along with additional content, including a “Where I write” photo series and some of my favorite online reading about writing.
🙌 Big thanks to James Cridland of Podnews and Lauren Passell of Podcast The Newsletter for shouting out The Bleeders premiere in their own brilliant newsletters!
➡️ I’ve been trying to implement as many of Lauren Passell and Arielle Nissenblatt’s stellar launch tips as possible. I will report back on my wins and things that didn’t work for me over the next few months. Stay tuned…
Your Audiograms Aren’t Attracting New Listeners, and Here’s What You Should Do Instead - Annalise Nielsen of Pacific Content reads the audiogram social media strategy for filth — e.g., “There are too many podcasts that suck” lol — BUT she also offers some alternatives with helpful examples.
How Creativity Can Bring In More Ad Dollars for Small Pods - I love Evo Terra encouraging scrappy indie podcasters to ditch CPMs and selling ads like the big guys and start adding value and generating revenue by taking a more bespoke approach.
Producer, Prince Ea Chat Show (full-time) at Stitcher Podcasts | Los Angeles, CA
Producer (full-time) at Earwolf | Los Angeles, CA
Reporters, Various Beats (full-time) at Lehigh Valley Public Media | Bethlehem, PA
WHQR Community Fellowship (part-time) at WHQR | Wilmington, NC
Associate Producer (freelance) at Gilded Audio | Remote
HEIDIWORLD: THE HEIDI FLEISS STORY - I’ve mostly been in launch mode, but my friend Alex informed me that “FYI Heidiworld podcast is 🔥” so I made time for Molly Lambert’s excellent podcast about infamous Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss. Heidi’s story is fascinating, and the character voices are perfection. Tune in for an intriguing tale of sex, drugs, celebrity, power, and how sexual hypocrisy is wielded.
This week we’re dug into our archives for a fan favorite featuring a Nova Scotia-based married couple and co-hosts of the Turn Me On podcast for a fascinating episode about their journey to becoming polyamorous. We discuss how they forged the relationship dynamic they wanted without having a model, relationship contracts, how their new partners fit into their daily lives, having different money values, how their parents feel about the lifestyle, poly jealousies, and WHETHER OR NOT THEY STILL F*CK!
This week’s recommendation comes from podcasting duo (and sisters!) Tarah Hill and Dr. Traci Davis of the ATL Podcast. They suggest Let’s Go To Court, a legal podcast hosted by two undertrained but absolutely law-obsessed hilarious lifelong friends, Brandi Egan and Kristin Caruso. Every week, the hosts discuss two juicy legal battles. Check it out:
And make sure to listen to Tarah and Dr. Traci’s podcast, After The Last Podcast, where your hosts dish on all things current events, nerd out on science, and so much more.
Thank you, Tarah and Dr. Traci, for reaching out to shine a light on besties in the podcasting world.
➡️ Here’s the link to submit for future editions.
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣
Are you a writer? Any guest recs for authors, agents, or other literary folks I should have on The Bleeders?
Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.