Going fishing

deathwizard · Joined: 02 Nov 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Clemson, SC

You've got some really tasty bait, a shiny new hook, a snazzy reel, and a stout pole. But the sea's a big place. How do you get the fish to bite?

One way is to cast out a lot of lines, port and starboard. And vary the depths. Some baits should be freelined on the surface, some lightly weighted so that they drift a few feet down, others heavily weighted so that they drop dozens of fathoms into the darker depths. Okay, so I've read some Hemingway.

When you're an author who hasn't signed with one of the mega-publishers, selling a book -- no matter how good it is -- is sort of like fishing. You try everything in your power to attract attention. Chumming is especially effective. And in the end, you cast out a lot of lines.

Forums such as this one are invaluable, and much appreciated. They are yet another place to cast a line. And the odds are, hungry fish are swimming in these waters. But hungry isn't the right word. Intelligent is more like it. And open-minded.

Wait! Do I hear the drag thrumming on one of my reels???? Wink

_________________
Jim Melvin
Author of The Death Wizard Chronicles
A six-book epic fantasy
www.deathwizardchronicles.blogspot.com