The first 100 words of your manuscript are as important as all the words that follow. They comprise a first impression. They set the tone and introduce your writing style. If poorly chosen, they may be the only words an editor reads. The purpose of The First 100 Words is to share one editorial staff’s insights into that narrow literary domain, to chart the pitfalls and headlong plunges that inspire frontline readers to reject manuscripts, often without bothering to finish them.