By Jenn Windrow

You’ve poured your heart into a novel, typed “The End,” and now you’re ready to share your work with the world. But before you hit “send” on that query to your dream agent, there’s a critical step you must not skip: polishing the first five pages until they shine like a diamond.

Why? Because in a sea of submissions, agents don’t have the time—or need—to wait for your story to “get good.” The first five pages are your one shot to hook them. Nail those, and you’ve earned their attention (and maybe even a request). Flub them, and your manuscript likely gets a pass.

As a developmental editor, I am hell on the first few pages of any client work I edit. I strive to help every author create an attention catching opening, that answers the who, what, when, where's, and why's. But still make the opening interesting enough to hook readers.

Here’s how to make sure those first five pages are strong enough to open doors.

1. Open with Purpose

Many writers think they need to start with a bang—explosions, murders, or dramatic dialogue. But what agents really want is clarity. They want to know:

• Who is the protagonist?
• What’s at stake?
• Why should I care?

That doesn’t mean giving everything away up front, but it does mean grounding the reader in your story. Don’t confuse mystery with vagueness. If your first page has no clear setting, no named characters, and a disembodied voice in a storm—agents may stop reading.

Tip: Choose a scene that introduces the protagonist in motion, facing a small conflict that hints at the larger one to come. Avoid starting with backstory or worldbuilding

2. Voice is Everything

Agents aren’t just reading to assess plot—they’re listening for voice. Your narrative tone, word choice, rhythm, and attitude all contribute to a unique voice that makes your story stand out.

Is your narrator sharp and witty? Stoic and poetic? Sassy and irreverent? Whatever it is, make it consistent and confident.

Tip: Read your first five pages aloud. Do they sound like you (or your character)? If it feels flat or generic, revise to inject more personality.

3. Trim the Fat

You’ve heard it before: cut the fluff. But when we’re close to our writing, it’s hard to see which parts are unnecessary. Here’s a quick list of what agents often flag in opening pages:

• Overuse of adverbs and adjectives
• Descriptions that go on too long
• Dialogue that doesn’t move the plot or reveal character
• Unnecessary internal monologue
• Flashbacks before we’re invested

Every word on those pages should earn its place.

Tip: Highlight every sentence that doesn’t either reveal character, move the plot, or create tension. Then cut or revise them. (This is also a great tip for self editing your whole book. If the words on the page don't move the plot forward, take your editing knife and cut, cut, cut baby.)

4. Tension is Your Best Friend

No tension? No interest. This doesn’t mean someone has to die or scream or run from a monster in the first paragraph. Tension can be quiet—unspoken fears, secrets, awkward silences, or a character on the verge of a decision.

Ask yourself: what question am I planting in the reader’s mind? The best first pages make the reader desperate to know what happens next.

Tip: End the fifth page on a mini cliffhanger—a decision, a discovery, a twist, or even a strong emotional beat that hints at deeper conflict.

5. Professional Polish

Before you send anything out, make sure your pages are clean. Typos, grammar errors, inconsistent formatting—these are distractions that can make an agent move on, even if your story is strong.

Tip: Run it through grammar software (like ProWritingAid or Grammarly), but don’t rely solely on AI. Print it out, read it backward, read it aloud, and—if possible—get a critique partner’s eyes on it.

6. The “Agent Test” Read

Finally, pretend you’re an agent. You have 200 queries in your inbox. You’re looking for a reason to say no—because you only have time to request a few fulls. Read your first five pages with that ruthless mindset.

• Does the opening make you want to turn the page?
• Do you clearly understand the protagonist and their world?
• Is something exciting is about to unfold?

If not, keep revising. Your story deserves the best chance.

Final Thoughts

Writing a novel is a huge accomplishment, but submitting it takes courage and strategy. Agents aren’t your enemies—they’re readers looking for something great. By focusing on the first five pages, you’re giving them a compelling reason to say, “Yes, send me more.”

Polish with intention, lead with clarity, and let your voice shine.

About Jenn Windrow

Jenn Windrow once attempted to write a “normal” book—and promptly bored herself into a coma. So now she sticks to what she does best: writing snarky, kickass heroines, broody supernatural men, and more sexual tension than a vampire in a blood bank.

She’s the award-winning author of the Alexis Black novels and the Redeeming Cupid series, where the undead never sparkle and the drama is always delicious. Jenn moonlights as a developmental editor, helping other writers wrangle their wild plots and tangle-free prose.

When not arguing with her characters or muttering about Oxford commas, she can be found binge-watching trash TV, wrangling the slew of animals that live in her house (husband and teenagers included), or telling herself she’ll only have one more cookie.

You can find her at jennwindrow.com or lurking on social media where she pretends to be an extrovert.

Header image by Nick Fewings - Unsplash