Definition
Chapter opener
The chapter opener is the first page of a chapter, set with a sink of white space above the title and often a drop cap or small caps on the first line. It is the strongest design signal in a book interior.
Conventions worth keeping: chapters begin on a recto in traditionally designed books, the sink is consistent throughout, the first paragraph takes no indent because nothing precedes it, and the running head is suppressed on the opening page. Starting every chapter on a right-hand page can add a blank leaf between chapters and a meaningful number of pages to the book — which raises the print cost, and is the usual reason an indie edition drops the rule.
Related tools & guides
Front matter, chapter openers and scene breaks, set for you
Ceeryo generates the half-title, title and copyright pages, opens chapters on the right-hand page with the running head suppressed, and turns your blank lines and '* * *' into scene breaks — from the manuscript as you wrote it.