If you are an avid reader like me then I’m sure at some point you have read a book that has ended on a cliffhanger. The heroine or hero is just about to save the day when something surprising and game-changing happens. Or perhaps they are at their lowest ebb and while you hope they will fight their way back to the top, they are left in a perilous position when the book ends! It can be extremely frustrating to the reader, especially if the next book isn’t released yet or, even worse, hasn’t been written. For some, this can be a huge turn-off and I have seen books being given a 1-star rating simply because of a cliffhanger. Is it fair? Probably not, but the reader is entitled to his or her opinion.

There are pros and cons to writing cliffhangers and, if done right, they can ramp up the tension and have the reader salivating for more. With the advent of rapid release, cliffhangers can be enjoyable and no different than using them at the end of a chapter. The reader knows that the next book will be out quickly and they won't have to wait long for a resolution. If you are unfamiliar with the term 'rapid release,' this refers to a series of books released in rapid succession, usually within weeks of each other. It has been employed well by some authors and can help multiple books chart on Amazon as readers are buying them up to find out what happens.

If, however, your book ends on a cliffhanger but you have a long wait time between books, this can put potential readers off. Why bother reading the book if they have to wait a year to find out what happens next? The concept of a cliffhanger is usually seen in TV shows. Viewers would have to wait until the following week or worse until a new season starts to find out what happens to their favorite character. With services such as Netflix though, they need only wait until the next episode loads.

I personally don’t mind cliffhangers as long as they have a purpose and are not being used to just to sell the next book. They must fit the narrative. I also think that there should be a conclusion to some of the plotlines too, so the reader can have some closure. If you plan on using one in your next book, a good way to avoid negative reviews is to state in the blurb that the book ends on a cliffhanger. This way there are no surprises, other than the twist in your story. Be sure to let readers know when your next book is released too, then they can gauge how long they will have to wait for a resolution. Bonus points if you can come up with something new which hasn’t been done a million times before.

Remember to surprise the reader, entice them to want to read more, and always leave them on the edge of their seats.