: Re: Is the first page of a novel really that important? I am reading in a few blogs like this that the first page of the novel is really important if it has to get published. Is this true?

@Reiling826

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I am always surprised when aspiring writers ask this question. Because writers who ask this question forget their own reading experience.
How do you decide whether you want to read a book or not?
When you stand in a bookstore and haven't heard about a book you'll probably

look at the cover to get an idea of the genre
If the cover signals a genre, setting, characters, or level of quality you are not interested in, you will put the book away.

read the blurb to get an idea of the story
If the blurb promises the wrong kind of characterisation, stakes, or conflict, you will put the book away.

read the first page(s) to get an idea of the writing style and quality
If the first page(s) are written in a style that bores or irriates you, or if the opening doesn't make you want to know more, you will put the book away.

The opening is the third threshold a reader has to cross on their way to buying your book. You'll want that threshold to be as low and inviting as possible.

The best way to learn how to write is to observe yourself when you read.

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