Building a Book Like a Startup: Ali Kriegsman’s Playbook for Self-Publishing Success
About this episode
Ali Kriegsman discusses her journey through traditional publishing to self-publishing her debut novel and the strategies that led to her success.
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 author and entrepreneur Ali Kriegsman, joining The Bleeders to talk candidly about her path through traditional publishing, burnout, rejection—and ultimately choosing to self-publish her debut novel "The Raise" on her own terms. In this episode, Ali breaks down what it really took to launch a book without a traditional publisher: owning 100% of her rights, deciding not to invest in PR, building a highly visual TikTok-driven campaign, and treating herself as the CEO of her own book launch—and it WORKED. Ali even earned the Reese's Book Club stamp of approval! Ali opens up about the ego hit of not selling her novel on submission, the mindset shift required to embrace self-publishing, and how redefining success helped her rebuild confidence in her creative work. We also dig into the realities of book marketing, the trade-offs between traditional and self-publishing, genre confusion, rights ownership, audiobook decisions, and why writers have to decide what they’re optimizing…
More episodes of The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing
- The Long Road to Girl Gone Wild: From First Essay to Publication & Promotion with Antonia Crane
- The Evolution of Publishing: Traditional, Hybrid & Self-Publishing in 2026 with Brooke Warner
- Girl Gone Wild: The Story Behind My Memoir—Interviewed by Lili Gourley
- Before & After the Book Deal: The Truth About Publishing Success with Courtney Maum
- How Sari Botton Blew Past Gatekeepers to Build a Writing Life on Her Own Terms
- The Agony & Ecstasy of Going on Submission with Chloe Caldwell
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing podcast page.