diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 1d090d88553..87f95416511 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -12,18 +12,17 @@ successful. These are some of the many ways to contribute:
 * :people_holding_hands: Community engagement and outreach
 
 If you get stuck at any point you can create an
-[issue](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues) on GitHub
-or contact us at one of the channels mentioned
-in the [Contributing Guide](https://www.pygmt.org/dev/contributing.html).
+[issue](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues) on GitHub or contact us at
+one of the channels mentioned in the
+[Contributing Guide](https://www.pygmt.org/dev/contributing.html).
 
 For more information on contributing to open source projects,
-[GitHub's own guide](https://opensource.guide/how-to-contribute)
-is a great starting point if you are new to version control. Also, checkout the
+[GitHub's own guide](https://opensource.guide/how-to-contribute) is a great starting
+point if you are new to version control. Also, check out the
 [Zen of Scientific Software Maintenance](https://jrleeman.github.io/ScientificSoftwareMaintenance/)
 for some guiding principles on how to create high quality scientific software
 contributions.
 
-
 ## Ground Rules
 
 The goal is to maintain a diverse community that's pleasant for everyone.
@@ -31,6 +30,14 @@ The goal is to maintain a diverse community that's pleasant for everyone.
 [Code of Conduct](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/.github/blob/main/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md)
 and we encourage all to read it carefully.
 
+## First-Time Contributors
+
+We welcome first-time contributors! If you are new to open source, we recommend starting
+with a small contribution, such as fixing a typo or adding a simple example. We hope
+that the contributing process will be a good experience for you. Please let us know if
+there is any way that it could be improved. After your PR is merged, feel free to open a
+new pull request to add yourself to the [`AUTHORS.md`](AUTHORS.md) file.
+
 ## Quick links
 
 * [Ways to Contribute](https://www.pygmt.org/dev/contributing.html#ways-to-contribute)