Gimmicks and Ploys Can Backfire for Authors

There are no words to describe how much I hate cliffhangers, and remarkably, even some of the top authors use them. I'm sure, in some cases, they're encouraged to do so by their publishing houses. However, if their purpose is to make the reader want to buy the next book in the series, it does the opposite for me. I would never purchase the next book after reading a novel ending in a cliffhanger, and it's doubtful that I'll ever read that author again.

Unless the description states that this book ends in a cliffhanger, I think it's devious and dishonest. I buy a book expecting it to be a complete story, and I feel cheated when it's not. The Vella program, with its serials, is different because readers know they are getting installments. Regular book offerings aren't the same, however.

If an author writes a good novel that draws readers in, she or he won't need such ploys as ending in cliffhangers. I think such gimmicks are used by people who don't think their books will sell well. But if they write a good story, readers will want to continue reading their books. And if the story is weak, a cliffhanger won't be enough to make them want to read the next one. Therefore, cliffhangers don't help anything and usually hurt a great deal. Good writing sells books, not underhanded attempts to manipulate the reader.

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