Ryan Pote: On the Collaborative Nature of Publishing
In this interview, author Ryan Pote discusses blending genres with his debut novel, Blood and Treasure.
Ryan Pote is a 12-year veteran Navy helicopter pilot who was part of a joint interagency special operations task force, deployed throughout Central and South America. He was medically separated after sustaining injuries during an emergency landing. Ryan currently works for the Department of Defense. Before the Navy, he worked as a scuba diving instructor in Hawaii and as a microbiology lab tech conducting algae-biofuels research. He holds a Masters degree in history from Ashland University. He lives with his wife and children in New England. Find him online at RyanPote.com, and follow him on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
In this interview, Ryan Pote discusses blending genres with his debut novel, Blood and Treasure, his advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Ryan Pote
Literary agent: Mark Tavani, David Black Agency
Book title: Blood and Treasure
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: July 22, 2025
Genre/category: Crossover/Thriller
Elevator pitch: The destruction of the International Space Station and the discovery of an ancient scroll are inextricably intertwined in this debut crossover thriller from a former Navy helicopter pilot.
What prompted you to write this book?
To write something I hadn’t seen done yet. To break away from the endless copycats and create my own genre fusion, my way.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Five years. I came up with the character in two previous, unpublished manuscripts. I wrote this novel in early 2023 and sold it to Berkley almost one year after I finished it. Since then, it didn’t change per se, but it got deeper in many ways. My agent had some very good critiques early on about the opening, so I added several chapters and rearranged some events to make it flow much better.
I also changed the title, which then imbued the novel with a theme of blood and treasure (which is now driving the whole series). It was already there, but the right people help you pull it out. Then, I had to make some serious plot changes for the publisher before I even signed the contract, then it went through multiple rounds of editorials, but only because I turned it back early, so it had time to be reviewed again. Each person had unique insights and gave me room to make new revelations that I layered more and more. My film agent, Sanjana Seelam at William Morris Endeavor, read it and gave me some insightful steers. This was where I basically deconstructed the book (at copyright stage at this point) and almost turned it into a completely different novel with how deep the revision was. It was here where I developed the story into more of a crossover with deeper treasure hunting elements worked into the story.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Yes. A lot of what I’d “heard” about traditional publishing was very, very misguided. Everyone is super nice. Beyond nice. I retained creative control and got to implement whatever changes I felt the book really needed. I was very much involved in the cover development and helped steer it to where it ended up. I got to choose the audiobook narrator from eight auditions. I was much more involved in the entire process, and I always felt that it was my book. Everyone loves to collaborate. If you’re interested in collaborating and letting other people pick apart your work, to help you make it better, then you will have a great experience in publishing. But I also learned that everything takes a really long time in publishing. Especially for a fast writer like me, I had to learn to keep busy writing other projects to stay fresh and focused.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Yes. Always. For my process, I usually write very fast, but this book just poured out of me. I wrote the entire thing—from first word to final draft—in nine weeks.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope readers feel they got their money’s worth. Everyone who reads a book reads a different book, because of our unique perspectives. I hope that each reader has some part of this book grab them and linger with them a little while afterwards. If I’ve done that, then I’ve succeeded.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
There’s a ton of advice about breaking into this industry. Don’t listen to ANY of it. Listen to your gut. The industry wants new. They want fresh. Write something special, and don’t give up until you sell it. My book didn’t change; my attitude and my representation did. Don’t settle.
