Think Your Book Is Done? It Probably Needs Three More Drafts & Other Writing Advice from Brad Listi

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 Brad Listi, author of Be Brief and Tell Them Everything, host of the long-running Otherppl podcast, and founder of the new literary learning platform Deep Dive. After decades in the business, Brad has a delightfully candid perspective on what it takes to build a writing career these days—and why talent and hard work are only part of the equation. In this episode, Brad takes us through his publishing journey, from his MFA and selling his debut novel in his twenties to launching the influential literary community The Nervous Breakdown, building an audience through podcasting, and writing his latest book, Be Brief and Tell Them Everything. We get into rejection, the myth that platform automatically translates into book sales, and the financial realities of being a writer. Plus, Brad shares what 1,000 author interviews have taught him, why reading should be part of the job, and his unfiltered advice for writers trying to get published. Subscribe to Brad's Substack and listen to the Otherppl podcast. Follow him on Instagram @otherppl.podcast, and buy your copy of Be Brief and Tell Them Everything 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: 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 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