Latest news: the review in question has disappeared.
Have you ever done anything you shouldn’t? No? Well, I thought so, but then you are not bad stubborn me, are you?
I have noticed over the last, few months, that while reviewers seem to appreciate my novels and leave kind and positive reviews, there is a movement out there to slam writers who feel arrogant enough to demand readers’ hard-earned cash for short stories. So even short stories that received fine reviews last year, now get these short, angry one-star reviews. As if the reader did not know the difference between ‘novel’ and ‘short story’, and 200 or 12 pages. Or as if they only realized afterwards that they had been tricked into paying $ 0.99 or £ 0.77 for the stuff.
So today I did what no writer should ever do. I talked back in class. And you will be horrified by my brazen behaviour, no doubt, because we all know writers should just bow and be grateful whenever someone deigns to review their books. But should there be one or two writers (or readers) out there who get what I mean, feel free to share this atrocious rebellion.
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Now I would never criticize a genuine review, but this review obviously does not concern “Heather Farm”.
Mr/Ms XXXXXXX has read some book of 8 or 9 pages and paid £ 1.49. “Heather Farm” is – as stated very clearly and correctly – not a ´book´ (in the sense of a novel) but a short story of c 12 pages (11.6 standard pages to be exact). Furthermore the price is the lowest possible (based on $ 0.99) – £ 0.77 – and it always has been.
So if you should want to try a short story of fairly normal length, dealing with love, suspense and the supernatural, please ignore the misleading information in the review above.
Best wishes,
Dorte Hummelshoj Jakobsen, one of a brand of writers who asserts her right to want to be paid for her work. It is your prerogative NOT to buy it, as long as you base your decision on facts, not fiction.
djskrimiblog 
Bravo! 😀
The customer is NOT always right – well spoken. No. Written … 😉
Thank you, Ellen! I was afraid I would be crucified because it is considered bad form for writers to talk back, but I am getting quite a lot of support. And when we checked her reviews, it was clear that she gave THREE short stories one star yesterday, mainly because she thought they were too short.
Well said Dorte. Hopefully more will follow your example.
This so-called reviewer obviously is a bit lacking in the brains department. I defy her to write a short story herself. It can be more difficult than writing a lengthy one as any writer can tell her. Of course you should be paid for your dedication to writing and your hard work in producing wonderful stories of any length.
Thank you, Tracy!
Barbara: haha, I thought much the same.
As they say, some reviewers are people who are bitter because they never wrote the book they wanted to write ;D
You want to be paid for the work you do?! It’s enough to make a cat laugh.
So glad to see how well you’re doing with your writing. 🙂
Thank you, Sandra.
I also laughed (wickedly, even) when that review had gone 🙂