Ground Rules

[Patrick]

Posters:
1.  Paste in the first 5 pages of your manuscript (about 1500 words).
2.  Be prepared, you may hear something you don't like.  Take all criticisms as constructive remarks.
3.  You don't have to listen to everyone who reviews your pages. But if you get many responses saying the same thing, then you should seriously consider it.

While we don't have an official rule about it, we are a collaborative community and thus encourage anyone who posts their work to return the favor and review the works of others.  Those reviewing the work of others generally receive more and better reviews of their own work.


Reviewers:
1.  Be kind, but firm.
2.  If you were browsing a book store and read these pages in a book, what would you think?
3.  The first 5 pages should draw a reader into the story.  Is there a hook?  If so, what grabbed you?
4.  Check for grammar, spelling and typos (because we all need help with these).
5.  Don't just criticize, offer suggestions for improvement.
6.  If it's good, say so.

[JeanneT]

Would it be all right to post 5 pages even if I have an agent? I'm just not sure my opening of my new novel works.

[wordsmith]

ADDENDUM TO REVIEWERS NOTES:
Critique does not mean find the faults in something.
If you are critiquing someone's FF, look not just for the things that aren't working for you, but make careful note of those things that do work.
Bear in mind, you can learn as much about your own work from critiquing others' works as getting critiques of your own work.

In short:
Be mindful it's a give and take association both for the reviewer and the reviewed. You gain as much or more from the 'give' half of the process as from the 'take'.

[rkollman]

Just asking - it looks to me there are a lot of WIPs posted here. Patrick, from the description I thought this was a page to critique finished works (since you send your FF with your query, and you don't query WIPs). Other sites are available to critique WIPs. My own work goes through much metamorphoses before the final page, and I for one would rather spend my time inputting suggestions to the FF for others' completed work. Am I being too literal on this site?   

[LateToTheParty]

Please excuse my ignorance and the novice nature of my question. I plan to post my first-five after I hammer out the query issues I have. Should I note and remove profanity? My work isn't a George Carlin bit, still I worry for giving offense or getting booted off the site. Thanks.

[Fitz]

If it's in the first five it should be here, no matter what it contains. Any disagreement?