# How Sari Botton Blew Past Gatekeepers to Build a Writing Life on Her Own Terms

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bleeders-about-book-writing-publishing-5493360/how-sari-botton-blew-past-gatekeepers-to-build-a-writing-life-on-her-own-terms
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bleeders-about-book-writing-publishing-5493360/how-sari-botton-blew-past-gatekeepers-to-build-a-writing-life-on-her-own-terms.md
Podcast: [The Bleeders: about book writing & publishing](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bleeders-about-book-writing-publishing-5493360)
Published: 2025-12-28T19:00:07+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/how-sari-botton-blew-past-gatekeepers-to-build-a-writing-life-on-her-own-terms--69149971
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69149971/bleeders_e77_sari_botton_12_28_25.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2801

## Resource

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 Sari Botton, writer, editor, and publisher of the Substack hits Oldster and Memoir Land, joining The Bleeders to talk candidly about her unconventional path through publishing, why she ultimately chose ownership, longevity, and creative control over chasing traditional industry validation, and how she built a thriving ecosystem around her work. In this episode, Sari breaks down what it really takes to build a sustainable writing and publishing career outside the gatekeepers. She shares how she launched bestselling anthologies like Goodbye to All That and Never Can Say Goodbye after being repeatedly told “you can’t do that,” what it was like working at Longreads during a pivotal moment in digital publishing, and why Substack ultimately gave her the freedom she’d been seeking all along. We also dig into her debut memoir And You May Find Yourself... and the realities of publishing creative nonfiction, including the emotional and ethical challenges of writing about real people, the importance of blurring and revision, and why small presses—and even self-publishing—can sometimes offer more protection and creative freedom than major publishers. This conversation is a must-listen for writers questioning what success in publishing actually looks like in the creator economy. Subscribe to Sari’s Substacks Oldster , Memoir Land , and Adventures in "Journalism." Follow her on Instagram @saribotton, and buy your copy of And You May Find Yourself... on Bookshop.org , or wherever books are sold! The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Blu…

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