Employers spend an average of just 30 seconds scanning each job resumé.  If you don’t make an immediate positive impression, you won’t get called in for an interview.

The same half-minute scan holds true for your fiction.  One page is all you have to hook an agent or editor and entice them to keep reading.  Without a strong voice, a compelling hook and sharp writing, you’re doomed for a swim with the slushies.

It therefore makes sense to attend a first page critique.  The neighborhood kids may giggle over your tale, your friends might deem it wonderful, and your critique partners may even bless it as ready for submission.  But a professional opinion is your best literary litmus test.

A professional first page critique can answer these questions:

• Is your writing appropriate for the genre?  Does the voice match the target age range?  Is your picture book too wordy; is your…