Interview with Ian Nathaniel Cohen

Author of The Brotherhood of the Black Flag

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I’m originally from Miami, FL, but I now live in Maryland near Washington DC.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

There’s not all that much of one. I was desperate to get out of Florida, gave my current employers a resume at a career fair, and something on there got their attention. I’ve been in the area ever since.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I’ve always loved Hollywood swashbucklers, as well as the literature and folklore they drew from, and I’ve wanted to write my own at least since elementary school. I’ve accumulated rough ideas for characters, settings, and plots over the years until I eventually had enough to piece together into a full story.

Once I had all of those pieces in place, I just had to do something with them and turn them into a book. It helped that some other writing projects I’d previously done, some of them rather ambitious, had been warmly received by people I’d shared them with, and that was a nice bit of encouragement.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLACK FLAG is a historical adventure thriller set during the Age of Piracy. Michael MacNamara, a disgraced British naval officer, joins forces with a pirate turned pirate hunter on a high-seas quest for redemption. Their travels pit them against treacherous seas, bloodthirsty buccaneers, and an international conspiracy that threatens thousands of lives – including the lovely young widow they both love.

While THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLACK FLAG is aimed at adult audiences, it’s not inappropriate for young adult readers – I’d give it a PG-13 rating if it was a film. If you’d let your kids watch an Indiana Jones or Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, this is about on that same level.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Besides people who like adventure fiction, in today’s politically charged climate, the book’s warning against blind loyalty ought to resonate with a lot of people. It’s all too easy to take someone’s words at face value because they’re telling us something we want to hear or playing to our prejudices, and BLACK FLAG demonstrates what can happen if you don’t exercise due diligence.

Also, anyone whose life path hasn’t gone the way they thought it would and will find themselves asking “well…now what?” will be able to empathize with McNamara’s plight. Maybe you got your lifelong dream job but aren’t able to do it anymore, or you were never able to get it in the first place and you don’t know what to do next. McNamara has certain benefits in his favor, true, but it’s still a struggle people can relate to.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

I don’t think I was prepared for how pricey editing services could be, and I have to admit, it almost made me hesitate going forward with publishing altogether, indie or otherwise. I wasn’t about to publish without having my book professionally edited, and I was fortunate to find someone via a Facebook group who charges affordable rates, and they were a delight to work with. I don’t begrudge them their fees – editors work hard, and they obviously need to be able to make a living from their work. However, I can see how it might be discouraging to new authors who don’t have a lot of money to spare.

On a more uplifting note, I’m also pleasantly surprised at how many books I’ve been able to sell via Twitter. Most of my Twitter sales come from readers asking for something new to read and fellow indie authors wanting to support fellow writers.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Start the self-publishing process a lot sooner, and plan the roll out much better – give advanced copies to book blogs, find out about as many contests as possible, and learn as many ways as possible to get as much traction for your book as you can.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I think most writers would want to reach as many readers as possible, and I’m certainly no exception. THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLACK FLAG has something for everyone, and again, while I targeted it at adults (mostly on account of the protagonist’s age), it’s certainly accessible to middle school/high school-age readers.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Marketing and audience building for sure. That kind of thing has never come naturally to me, and I don’t think I’ve gotten any better at it over the years.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

On the writing front, I’d like to think I have a good ear for dialogue, and I wonder if part of that comes from being a movie buff. Hearing dialogue spoken aloud may have shaped my sense of what sounds natural and what doesn’t. Dealing with dialogue in a historical setting, which requires more formality than modern-day casual speech, makes achieving this sense of sounding natural a challenge.

In terms of marketing, one of my better efforts is using song parodies when promoting my book on Facebook and Twitter as an attention-grabber, and it’s worked a fair amount.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Probably engaging with people, particularly online, or enticing them to read my work – not even my blog. On my Facebook page, it’s interesting to notice the difference in responses to my sharing a writing meme vs. asking followers a question or soliciting feedback from them, and I think that has everything to do with knowing how to engage. I don’t say this as criticism of any of my Facebook followers, whose support I very much appreciate, but rather of my own engagement skills.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I’m already working on a bunch. My next one will most likely be THE SHERWOOD CAPER, a medieval heist thriller starring Robin Hood, with a similar tone and style to THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLACK FLAG. I also have a murder mystery in the works set in 1930s New York, a fantasy series I’m collaborating with a old friend and beta reader on, and several graphic novel projects. No timeline on any of that, though.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

Self-published for now, although I may try traditional publishing for my murder mystery.