i'm a first time grower, about a week away from my first harvest, and so far everything has gone smoothly. my advice is do as much research as you can, this site alone is a wealth of knowledge. plan your growspace carefully as it's sometimes difficult to change things later. keep it simple the first time around, less potential problems. and finally, possibly the most important, don't overdo it with fertilizer or water. "when plants are under fertilized more nutrient can be added, no harm done. overfertilization can kill a plant quickly".-the great ed rosenthal.
'the closet cultivator', by ed rosenthal, is a good place to start, if you're looking for a book.
best of luck with the grow!
(some pics of my plants in the pictures section if anyone wants a look)