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 Today’s guest is Ronit Plank, author of the memoir When She Comes Back and the short story collection Home Is a Made-Up Place, host of the Let’s Talk Memoir 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 and listen to the Let's Talk Memoir podcast. Follow him on Instagram @ronitplank, and buy your copy of When She Comes Back on Bookshop.org, Amazon, or wherever books are sold! Get your copy of Courtney's debut memoir Girl Gone Wild from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 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 classes you might be interested in: 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 How to Make 2027 Your Best Writing Year Yet: Manifest Your Writing Goals Seminar: https://writingworkshops.com/products/how-to-make-2027-your-best-writing-year-yet-manifest-your-writing-goals-zoom-seminar-with-courtney-kocak So You Want to Start a Podcast?: https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-podcast-workshop-courtney-kocak Edit & Elevate: Revision Intensive: https://writingworkshops.com/products/edit-elevate-revision-intensive-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