Hello, lovelies. Happy Friday! :)
I arrived home today to find a negative review of 'Hemlock,' and I wanted to ask your opinion on something.
As you're probably aware, bad reviews don't tend to trouble me that much. Horses for courses, to each their own, and all that jazz. But what bothered me about this one is that the reader states he/she was enjoying the story until s/he reached that cliff-hanger ending. As a result, I've lost him/her forever. Sadly, they'll definitely never be darkening my door again.
Q: Are cliffies really such a deal breaker?
Now I was raised on 'Lord of the Rings.' It didn't bother me in the slightest that the book was published in three installments. Maybe because I didn't have to wait for my next 'fix'? (Not that I'm comparing myself in any way to the fabulous Prof' Tollers--I'm not worthy to stuff the man's pipe, let alone anything else--but the arrangement of the 'Traveler' series is much like LOTR. Multiple books = one story.)
The thing is, from the very beginning, I knew 'Traveler' was going to be a hefty book. That's the only reason I decided to break it down into more manageable chunks. Profit was NEVER a consideration. After all, when I set out, I had no idea if anyone would want to read my scribblings, so my decision definitely wasn't based on money. It was this: would anyone want to take a chance on a 1,000 page epic, penned by an unknown author? I probably wouldn't, but that's just me.
And still 'Traveler' keeps on growing. The story cannot be resolved in just one book. I can give you a 'happy for now', but that 'happily ever after' is still a long way off.
So here's my question: I've always had a disclaimer on my Amazon author page advising readers to steer clear if they hate cliffie endings. Should I place this disclaimer in the product description (in bold lettering?) instead?
What do you think? I'm listening.
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Apparently 'I stalked Colonel Fitzwilliam because it seemed like fun.' So, tell me, what did YOU do? :) -
It gives me great pleasure to announce that, following a brief and rather dismal dalliance with Kindle Unlimited, my 'Tales of a Travele...
Hello!! Maybe to be safe, right before the blurb you could put
ReplyDelete***CLIFF HANGER****
So that everyone see's it?
Bold letters help, but you know some people will read it any how and still not be happy.
On that note. Book 3? How many will be in the series? I love Vadim and I'm caught up with Anselm. Don't judge me to harshly, he won me over.
Have a GOOD one!
Hello, Amy! Thanks for commenting, hon. Here's what I did. I stuck this 'NB: Not a standalone novel. Book one of an ongoing series' at the end of the blurb. Will that do, do you think?
ReplyDeleteYou like Anselm? Yay! That's exactly the reaction I wanted. Even poor Martha was tempted a couple of times, I think. Yes, he's bad on the outside, but inside... :)
How many books? Well, there's definitely one more after Anselm's standalone book, but beyond that, who can say? I still have a lot of loose ends to tie up before I reach that HEA, but I'm hoping the next book in the main series will be the final installment. Watch this space! :)
Have a great evening.
I read your first book if I'm honest as it was free then bought the 2nd as I was hooked. Part of me never wants it to end. Cliffhanger was a change to often predictable ending in books. Keep doing what you are doing you will never please everyone I thought these books were like a breath of fresh air and they made my laugh, cry want to go walking in the Lake District, just in case!!!! I hope there is loads more to come.
ReplyDeleteHello, Anon! Thanks so much for commenting. You've made my day. I'm thrilled you enjoyed my scribblings. And thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I need them! :)
ReplyDeleteThe sole reason I made book one a freebie was to grab some readers. I mean, there are so many books out there, why would anyone choose to spend their hard-earned pennies on a self-pubbed author no one ever heard of? I know I wouldn't. Well, not unless the author had been recommended by a friend. At least this way, if someone hates my book they're only out of pocket by a few hours.
Cliffhangers are like Marmite, I guess, and I happen to love them.(What can I say? Instant gratification was never my thing.) For me, the journey is always so much more interesting than the destination. Perhaps that's why I love LOTR so much. Even so, I'm always rather sad when I reach the part in the book where Aragorn gets his crown, and Frodo ships off into the sunset with old Bilbo and Gandalf. I often wish Tolkien had ended the story in Minas Tirith, right after Frodo and Sam chucked the ring into the broiling depths of Mount Doom. The story fell a bit flat for me after that.
Sorry. I'm rambling, aren't I? Before I shut up and go away, I promise you this much; there's still lots more to come from Martha, Vadim, and Anselm. LOTS more.
Have a great evening!
I must say, I loved your first book! I could not put it down and finished it within two days of starting it! I got your book free off of amazon and because of the slight cliff hanger, I had to buy the second book ASAP! I honestly don't mind cliff-hangers because it makes me want to read the next book as soon as possible because I want, no NEED, to know what happens next! Cliff-hangers only frustrate me when the next book in the series is not out yet just because patience is not my virtue! :P
ReplyDeleteHello, Diana. Thanks for stopping by. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed 'Hemlock.' And, yes, I know what you mean about those cliffies. Waiting for the next book can seem an eternity, almost like waiting for Christmas. Then, even worse, when the book finally does appear, it can be such a let down... just like some of those prettily-wrapped presents beneath the tree!
ReplyDeleteI admit, for a long time, I worried about how 'Wolfsbane' would be received. It's a much darker tale than the first book in the series, and I knew when I hit publish that it wouldn't please everyone. But so far, thankfully, most reviewers have said they liked it. Okay, it hasn't got quite so many shiny five star ratings as 'Hemlock', but that's fine. I'll take that. Besides, the story ain't over yet.
Thanks again for chatting to me, Diana. Good or bad, I love hearing what readers think.
Have a lovely evening. :)