diff --git a/frontend/components/Editor/Editor.js b/frontend/components/Editor/Editor.js
index dc0e0e6da..a7c3201a0 100644
--- a/frontend/components/Editor/Editor.js
+++ b/frontend/components/Editor/Editor.js
@@ -67,6 +67,16 @@ type KeyData = {
     }
   }
 
+  componentDidMount() {
+    if (!this.props.readOnly) {
+      if (this.props.text) {
+        this.focusAtEnd();
+      } else {
+        this.focusAtStart();
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   componentDidUpdate(prevProps: Props) {
     if (prevProps.readOnly && !this.props.readOnly) {
       this.focusAtEnd();
@@ -121,6 +131,8 @@ type KeyData = {
   // Handling of keyboard shortcuts outside of editor focus
   @keydown('meta+s')
   onSave(ev: SyntheticKeyboardEvent) {
+    if (this.props.readOnly) return;
+
     ev.preventDefault();
     ev.stopPropagation();
     this.props.onSave();
@@ -128,6 +140,8 @@ type KeyData = {
 
   @keydown('meta+enter')
   onSaveAndExit(ev: SyntheticKeyboardEvent) {
+    if (this.props.readOnly) return;
+
     ev.preventDefault();
     ev.stopPropagation();
     this.props.onSave({ redirect: false });
@@ -135,6 +149,7 @@ type KeyData = {
 
   @keydown('esc')
   onCancel() {
+    if (this.props.readOnly) return;
     this.props.onCancel();
   }
 
@@ -193,7 +208,8 @@ type KeyData = {
           <Editor
             key={this.props.starred}
             ref={ref => (this.editor = ref)}
-            placeholder="Start with a title..."
+            placeholder="Start with a title…"
+            bodyPlaceholder="Insert witty platitude here"
             className={cx(styles.editor, { readOnly: this.props.readOnly })}
             schema={this.schema}
             plugins={this.plugins}
diff --git a/frontend/components/Editor/Editor.scss b/frontend/components/Editor/Editor.scss
index 808cd0f01..fc26f9493 100644
--- a/frontend/components/Editor/Editor.scss
+++ b/frontend/components/Editor/Editor.scss
@@ -30,6 +30,18 @@
     }
   }
 
+  h1:first-of-type {
+    .placeholder {
+      visibility: visible;
+    }
+  }
+
+  p:first-of-type {
+    .placeholder {
+      visibility: visible;
+    }
+  }
+
   ul,
   ol {
     margin: 1em .1em;
@@ -41,6 +53,10 @@
     }
   }
 
+  p {
+    position: relative;
+  }
+
   li p {
     display: inline;
     margin: 0;
@@ -113,8 +129,10 @@
 .placeholder {
   position: absolute;
   top: 0;
+  visibility: hidden;
   pointer-events: none;
-  color: #ddd;
+  user-select: none;
+  color: #B1BECC;
 }
 
 @media all and (max-width: 2000px) and (min-width: 960px) {
diff --git a/frontend/components/Editor/components/Heading.js b/frontend/components/Editor/components/Heading.js
index 49149a015..a219135a1 100644
--- a/frontend/components/Editor/components/Heading.js
+++ b/frontend/components/Editor/components/Heading.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import styled from 'styled-components';
+import { Document } from 'slate';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 import slug from 'slug';
 import StarIcon from 'components/Icon/StarIcon';
@@ -41,8 +42,8 @@ const StyledStar = styled(StarIcon)`
   }
 `;
 
-function Heading(
-  {
+function Heading(props: Props, { starred }: Context) {
+  const {
     parent,
     placeholder,
     node,
@@ -52,10 +53,9 @@ function Heading(
     readOnly,
     children,
     component = 'h1',
-  }: Props,
-  { starred }: Context
-) {
-  const firstHeading = parent.nodes.first() === node;
+  } = props;
+  const parentIsDocument = parent instanceof Document;
+  const firstHeading = parentIsDocument && parent.nodes.first() === node;
   const showPlaceholder = placeholder && firstHeading && !node.text;
   const slugish = _.escape(`${component}-${slug(node.text)}`);
   const showStar = readOnly && !!onStar;
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function Heading(
     <Component className={styles.title}>
       {children}
       {showPlaceholder &&
-        <span className={styles.placeholder}>
+        <span className={styles.placeholder} contentEditable={false}>
           {editor.props.placeholder}
         </span>}
       {showHash &&
diff --git a/frontend/components/Editor/components/Paragraph.js b/frontend/components/Editor/components/Paragraph.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a3d43ba7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/components/Editor/components/Paragraph.js
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// @flow
+import React from 'react';
+import { Document } from 'slate';
+import type { Props } from '../types';
+import styles from '../Editor.scss';
+
+export default function Link({
+  attributes,
+  editor,
+  node,
+  parent,
+  children,
+}: Props) {
+  const parentIsDocument = parent instanceof Document;
+  const firstParagraph = parent && parent.nodes.get(1) === node;
+  const lastParagraph = parent && parent.nodes.last() === node;
+  const showPlaceholder =
+    parentIsDocument && firstParagraph && lastParagraph && !node.text;
+
+  return (
+    <p>
+      {children}
+      {showPlaceholder &&
+        <span className={styles.placeholder} contentEditable={false}>
+          {editor.props.bodyPlaceholder}
+        </span>}
+    </p>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/frontend/components/Editor/plugins/MarkdownShortcuts.js b/frontend/components/Editor/plugins/MarkdownShortcuts.js
index 745bea0d3..1d4533c65 100644
--- a/frontend/components/Editor/plugins/MarkdownShortcuts.js
+++ b/frontend/components/Editor/plugins/MarkdownShortcuts.js
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ export default function MarkdownShortcuts() {
           return this.onDash(ev, state);
         case '`':
           return this.onBacktick(ev, state);
+        case 'tab':
+          return this.onTab(ev, state);
         case 'space':
           return this.onSpace(ev, state);
         case 'backspace':
@@ -184,6 +186,17 @@ export default function MarkdownShortcuts() {
       }
     },
 
+    /**
+     * On tab, if at the end of the heading jump to the main body content
+     * as if it is another input field (act the same as enter).
+     */
+    onTab(ev: SyntheticEvent, state: Object) {
+      if (state.startBlock.type === 'heading1') {
+        ev.preventDefault();
+        return state.transform().splitBlock().setBlock('paragraph').apply();
+      }
+    },
+
     /**
      * On return, if at the end of a node type that should not be extended,
      * create a new paragraph below it.
diff --git a/frontend/components/Editor/schema.js b/frontend/components/Editor/schema.js
index 3d96a8e08..0ae017e6c 100644
--- a/frontend/components/Editor/schema.js
+++ b/frontend/components/Editor/schema.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import Image from './components/Image';
 import Link from './components/Link';
 import ListItem from './components/ListItem';
 import Heading from './components/Heading';
+import Paragraph from './components/Paragraph';
 import type { Props, Node, Transform } from './types';
 import styles from './Editor.scss';
 
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ const createSchema = ({ onStar, onUnstar }: Options) => {
     },
 
     nodes: {
-      paragraph: (props: Props) => <p>{props.children}</p>,
+      paragraph: (props: Props) => <Paragraph {...props} />,
       'block-quote': (props: Props) => (
         <blockquote>{props.children}</blockquote>
       ),
diff --git a/frontend/scenes/Document/Document.js b/frontend/scenes/Document/Document.js
index 46f353328..7a2f09807 100644
--- a/frontend/scenes/Document/Document.js
+++ b/frontend/scenes/Document/Document.js
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ type Props = {
     const isNew = this.props.newDocument;
     const isEditing = !!this.props.match.params.edit || isNew;
     const isFetching = !this.document;
-    const titleText = get(this.document, 'title', 'Loading');
+    const titleText = get(this.document, 'title', '');
     const document = this.document;
 
     return (