No Strings Attached

All of these points are well-taken, but the note about cliffhangers is something I run into much more often these days. So many people seem to have it mind that they want to write a trilogy, and insist upon each book leading to the next. But if that book does not also stand alone, or finish its own arcs satisfactorily, I will feel cheated. It's like bait-and-switch on the reader.