The Big Reason Why Agents and Editors Often Stop Reading

[SheilaT]

5. As I understand it,

what makes the agent or editor keep on reading is more or less that the writer doesn't make some truly bonehead mistakes in the first few paragraphs. And that the story is interesting enough to keep the agent/editor engaged.

Again, attending a workshop of some kind where agents and editors read the first page of a work, and tell if they'd keep on reading or if they'd stop, and why, is incredibly useful.

I recently had the first page of something of mine read aloud and ll the agents/editors (there were five or six of them) would stop reading less than half way through that first page. Rather discouraging, but I was essentially withholding an important piece of information a bit longer than I should have. Which is one of my flaws as a writer. So I realize that if that particular story is going to be successful, I have to put that very important bit in the first paragraph.

I may never be a published writer, but I've learned a lot.