Hey, wonderful writerly people! It’s time for our monthly first-page critique contest 🙂
This contest is closed. Please try again next month. If you’d like to be notified when the next one goes live, consider subscribing to the blog (in the sidebar).
How to enter:
Leave a comment if you’re working on a first page (in any genre except erotica) and would like some objective feedback. As long as the email address associated with your WordPress account/comment profile is up-to-date, I’ll be able to contact you if your first page is chosen. Just please know that if I’m unable to get in touch with you through that address, you’ll have to forfeit your win.
Two caveats:
▪ Please be sure your first page (double-spaced in 12-point font) is ready to go so I can critique it before next month’s contest rolls around. If it needs some work and you won’t be able to get it to me right away, let me ask that you plan on entering the next contest, once any necessary tweaking has been taken care of.
▪ This contest only runs for 24 hours, start to finish, so get your comment in there!
Three commenters’ names will be randomly drawn and posted tomorrow morning. If you win, you can email me your first page and I’ll offer my feedback.
We run this contest on a monthly basis, so if you’d like to be notified when the next opportunity comes around, consider subscribing to our blog (see the right-hand sidebar).
Best of luck!
PS: If you want to amp up your first page, grab our helpful First Pages checklist from One Stop for Writers. And for more instruction on these important opening elements, see this Mother Lode of First Page Resources.
Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.
I would love for someone to give me detailed feedback on my first few pages.
Feedback on my first 5 pages would be so helpful. I want my chapter to set the scene of my domestic noir novel that I have been writing for many years. Any help would be grateful.
A huge thank you to everyone who entered. Random.org chose three lucky winners, and they are…
Susan M Burdorf
Trischa Buhler
Donalee Moulton
I’m happy dancing for you and will send the three of you an e-mail soon. Congrats!
Count me in too! I’d be thrilled to have you take a look at the first page of my fantasy book. Thank you for the opportunity and also for your very excellent blog!
Yes please! Would appreciate a first-page critique very much 🙂
What writer wouldn’t appreciate a knowledgeable person taking a critical look at their face page? I certainly would. Thank you for offering this opportunity, even if only for the chosen three.
Thank you again for the opportunity. I would love to hear your remarks.
I would love feedback on my first page!
Thank you for this great opportunity!
Your books have been invaluable and Id love to get your feedback.
Hi! Here’s hoping I have a chance to get feedback on my first page. I’d appreciate it. Thanks.
This is great! Thank you.
Thanks for this opportunity!
Would love your trained eyes on the first chapter of my murder mystery. Thank you for doing this
Thanks for this great opportunity! Good luck everyone!
I find working out where to start to be hardest so ask help is welcome!
Yay! The first time I’ve managed to comment in time!
how to. write a novel – page one and keep going. thanks for the encouragement.
I’m so conflicted about my first page. 😅 I’d love some help! 🙏🏻
Having someone read and comment on my first page would give me an additional boost of confidence.
What a great opportunity. Count me in!
I would love a critique of the first page of my historical fiction novel.
I never win anything so fingers crossed this is the entry that proves me wrong!
Thanks in advance,
Pippa
I would love to get feedback on my first page!
Thank you for any help you can give as have worked on my fantasy for many years and want to get it just right for people to enjoy.
Your feedback would be fantastic!
I would like to be entered – thank you!
Enter me, please. Thanks so much for this opportunity.
Thank you for the opportunity!
Yes, please! Love your work for us writers. Thank you!
Your feedback regarding the first page of my YA novel would be amazing and much appreciated. Thanks for the opportunity, Becca.
Love your site. Appreciate what you do.
I’m in!
Phenomenal First Pages!
Fingers crossed! Thanks for all you all do!
Thanks for this amazing opportunity! I’d love to have my first page critiqued.
Thanks for doing this contest!
Thanks for this help
I would love feedback on my first page!
Fingers crossed! Such a cool opportunity!
I’m preparing to enter a first 20 pages contest by the end of the month, so a first page critique would be amazing. Thanks for providing the opportunity
It would be greatly appreciated.
I’d love to have feed back on my first page. As always, thank you!
I would love your feedback on my opening!
Thanks for this opportunity!
Such a fabulous opportunity! I have my contemporary, romantic comedy novel completed and I’ve been querying agents with the first chapter, so your input would be very helpful and appreciated.
I’d love to share the first page of my high fantasy novel.
I’d love to have my first page reviewed!
It would be a privilege to be selected for a first pages critique and I would love it. Thank you for the chance.
Thanks for the opportunity!
I’d be honoured to receive feedback on my first page. It’s an upmarket speculative novel. Thanks for the opportunity
I’m fairly certain I hold the world record for Number of Openings Written for a Single Manuscript. I would love to have you critique the opening of my mystery-romance novel!
What an awesome opportunity! I’d like to enter my first page. My genre is romance (not erotica).
Can’t wait for Tropes thesaurus
Hi! Thanks for this opportunity. Would love to get your feedback on my first page.
Any feedback provided to me for my first page would be graciously accepted. Thank you. LF6
It would be amazing to win this! Thanks for the opportunity.
This is great, thank you!
This is great, thank you!
I love this contest
Thank-you! Love what you guys do!
Thanks for the opportunity.
Thank you for this generous opportunity!
Small town contemporary romance here – definitely loving the possibility of a first page spruce up! 🙂
I can’t wait.
Thank you!
Thanks for doing these and always giving back.
Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Thank you for this awesome opportunity! You guys are awesome!!
Sounds great — thanks for the opportunity.
I would love it!
Thanks for this opportunity!
What a great opportunity thank you for hosting! I’ve been tweaking my first page non stop! Be great to get some feedback!
Thanks for the chance to win.
Thanks for the chance to win!
I would love your feedback. It would be the first for me.
I would love it!
I”d love feedback on my first page!
Thank you for doing this every month!
would love to be considered!
Who needs Powerball when you’ve got Writers Helping Writers?
Would love to receive feedback! 🙂
I absolutely would love this! Thanks for your generosity in offering the opportunity!
I’d love the opportunity to have a first page critique. Thank you for offering this prize 🤓
Amazing. Would love feedback on the opening page of my novel.
I want to say that your Emotional Thesaurus has been around the world with me, and is always on top of my desk. It’s superb.
Obviously then, I would love your feedback to my first page.
I would appreciate the opportunity to have my first page critiqued.
I would appreciate any feedback on my Contemporary romance. Thanks for the opportunity.
Any feedback would be invaluable. Thanks!
I’m excited for this opportunity.
I got a book from the POV of people who can’t time-travel in a world full of it.
I’m doing final edits before sending off to an author friend so would love to make sure my first page is ready to wow her.
Would love some feedback on my crime novel
Hi
First Page of my WIP, the second in a planned trilogy (Bk 1 is also a WIP, Bk 3 not started, alas)
Great to get some objective and expert advice and steering on the way forward.
Hello, wonderful people! Planning to publish in October, so I’d love a professional critique on those all-important first pages!
Fingers crossed for a win this month!
Amazing! Thank you for offering this!
Great opportunity! Keeping fingers crossed.
I am writing Comedic Crime and would love to have my first page reviewed!
Hi, Is there somewhere where we can read the chosen page and the recommended feedback? It would be most informative.
Hi, Bonnie. This is a good question. I’ve toyed with idea of sharing feedback from the first pages because I know how valuable that could be. But it’s already so hard to see your beloved opening picked apart and marked up; because the people submitting first pages are also our readers, I don’t feel right about posting the criticisms publicly. There have been seasons where I asked permission to use examples from opening pages in workshops I’ve given on the topic, but I think that’s as far as I’m willing to go with public feedback. Thanks for asking this question, and best of luck with the contest!
I would absolutely appreciate any feedback. I’ve been working on my first book for about a decade now. I had to become a caretaker for my mom and ended up putting the project off for a long time.