A Short Story Dispenser is a little like a library: you curate the reading material you wish to offer. In order to help you in this task, all works available are gathered in collections. It is up to you whether your library is filled with children’s stories only, a compilation of crime stories and comics, or a mix of everything. We even go so far as to let you select the format (poetry, short stories, comics) and the tone (Children’s, Contemporary, Light, Moderate, or Heavy) that you like best.
Our collections’ greatest strength is the variety of stories they offer. It is impossible not to find stories fitting one’s taste.
General collections
Each of the works in our Short Fiction category depict their own universes, into which you can dive for five minutes of reading at most. These stories, anchored sometimes in our reality and other times in imaginary worlds, are created and written by authors who mastered the art of telling a full and compelling story in a brief format. With a wide range of literary genres (romance, fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, and more), there’s something here for everyone to enjoy.
Light
The simplest and smoothest readings can help the mind rest from the hardships of the day. This collection explores everyday topics and plotlines: everyday life encounters, light-hearted romances, how one deals with the small matters of life, and carefree adventures written in soft and straightforward styles.
Moderate
This collection of texts depicts all kinds of situations, whether matters of real life or imagination, in a straightforward but neutral manner: family relationships, portraits, activism, and the search for oneself in an ever-changing world all appear here, each explored through different literary genres.
Contemporary
These stories are aimed at readers who are in search of a vibrant reading experience. These texts are written in thick masterful language by authors who are modernizing literature by mixing unconventional styles and tones with trending topics. These stories offer critical metaphors of society, new visions of the world, and quirky literary experiments.
Heavy
Without hardship and struggle, we couldn’t fully appreciate the positive and lighthearted moments in life. We might even pass them by without realizing. This category showcases tales demonstrating powerful moments that explore what it is to be human: the inevitable passage of time; inexplicable loss, war, and sacrifice; and the heartbreak of true love.
What would our world be without a touch of poetry—words molded together by intention, sculpted to capture and create something else, something ineffable, immaterial. Our poetry collection creates space, invites release, and captures experience, so that even the most rational readers will fall under its spell.
These straightforward stories, inspired by the authors’ personal expe- riences, are filled with striking descriptions and important messages that will encourage readers to question not only themselves, but also the key challenges and crucial topics of our modern society.
These black-and-white comic strips will surprise and delight your readers in just a few frames. You will find here lots of humorous, sometimes emotional comics and even sci-fi and fantasy. These fun strips embody a new visual experience for short literature.
From the excited rush of emotions after brushing hands with a crush in the lunchroom to the thrill of soaring through the sky on the scaly back of a trusted dragon, our young adult collection provides fast-paced and exploratory tales written for those who find themselves in the years between childhood and adulthood.
Let’s make way for children’s literature.
It has never been so important to encourage young people to read, so we created these collections to make reading fun and accessible to the youngest readers.
Learning to read is made easier by diving into bright and stimulating uni-verses and by self-identifying with strong characters, thanks to simpler and lively writing styles adapted to different age groups (from about 6 to 14 years old).
6 - 10 Years Old
This collection is aimed at children who are learning how to read as well as those in search of a rich reading experience. These works are written in a simple style, with easy-to-understand vocabulary and plots, for fun and pleasant reading. From dragons with identity issues to backyard search and rescue, our 6 to 10-year-old collection is a portal to joyful play, unfettered imagination, and splashing color. These stories will feed a child’s sense of adventure and spark their curiosity.
10 - 14 Years Old
These works are adapted to children who are no longer learning how to read and search for a more challenging reading experience. The writing styles and vocabulary used are richer and more complex, phrases are longer, and the themes are adapted to the maturity of children between 10 and 14 years old. From haunted cities to harvesting clouds, this collection gathers stories of audacious quests, unique encounters, and wholesome feelings. Works where humor, discovery, and the adventure of growing up are at the heart of the intrigues, told in a lively manner with tones adapted to adolescents.
Our classics collection is filled with works that have withstood the test of time and are still just as poignant. From Robert Frost’s crisp imagery to Anne Spencer’s activist poetry, this collection of texts free of rights merges classic literature with innovative distribution.
Short Fiction
Swinging between Alice Dunbar-Nelson’s historical fictions and Virginia Woolf’s ghost stories from the modern times, this collection encompasses a wide range of literary genres that represent a variety of places at different times.
Poetry
Amid literary images and emotions, you will find in this collection of works from activist poets who used their art to pass poignant messages and fight for their rights, as well as verses aimed at glorifying the world, nature, and the beautiful complexity of human feelings.
African American Literature
Our editorial team has put together a special collection of historical African American literature because we believe these authors’ voices are important pieces of our past to share in this time of education, awareness, and rethinking systemic issues for a better future for all.
Classics for Children
From Mr. McGregor’s sun-drenched garden to Timmie Willie’s discovery of life in town, this collection of the most charming children’s stories is both a delicious dose of nostalgia and a way to discover more classic children’s favorites.
General Audience
Pieces included in the General Audience category are intended for all readers regardless of age, maturity, or sensitivity. Texts in these collections do not contain violence, sensuality, nudity, explicit language, or other matters that could displease or upset the readers. The General Audience rating does not signify a “children’s” text. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation, but they are common everyday expressions. No strong language is present in General Audience texts.
Mature Audience
Pieces included in the Mature Audience category are intended for more mature audiences. We mean by that readers who are fully capable of deciding on their own whether there are some topics that may trigger them and if they should avoid them. Texts rated Mature Audience may contain some material deemed unsuitable by some readers, in their own view. If the readers are children, parental guidance is advised. There may be some profanity and some depictions of violence or sensuality. But these elements are not deemed so intense as to rate these texts for adults only.
Target Audience
All works published at Short Édition are selected to be attractive to the largest audience possible. You could find them in any short story collection available in bookstores or libraries. However, the works are here given to readers at random. Because readers cannot choose the works they receive, we encourage you to adapt the content of your Short Story Dispenser to your target audience. To help you do so, we separated all collections into two categories of readers called “General Audience” and “Mature Audience.” The stories are divided depending on whether their contents are adapted to all readers or not.
Though some texts possess elements intended for a “Mature Audience”, these matters are not representative of the heart of the texts and thus should not be construed as a negative judgment in any sense. The differentiation simply signals that the readers themselves should decide whether the content is appropriate for them to read or not.
Just like in movies, television, or novels, these parts are themes that give cultural works their richness. They contribute to making these works poignant and powerful, and to creating a lasting memory for the reader.
Broaden your Perspective
Your Short Story Dispenser will distribute stories from the collections you choose, enabling you to create contents fitting your taste and that of your readers. However, should your project need an even more customized approach, or should it need to follow some specific guideliness, we have many possibilities and specific collections that will enable you to personalize your Short Story Dispenser even more.
Our theme-based selections hold varied works selected from all General Collections. These gather works with contents based around different criteria such as:
- Topics, such as Family and Home Life, New Beginnings, etc. Literary Genre, like Humor or Magical Realism.
- Time periods from Summer, Spring and Nature to Winter Holidays, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day.
- Social issues, such as the environment with the theme Our Earth, or social acceptance and community spotlight with themes like Pride or texts Written by Women.
Request a Thematic Collection
If you still haven’t found what you are looking for, our editors may have a way to create an entirely customized collection following your guidelines and meeting your expectations. For your Short Story Dispenser’s contents to match with your location, your project, or your events, we can agree to create a special theme for your collection of stories.
Suggest a topic, tell us your obligations, and our editorial team will determine whether this personalized collection is feasible and the number of texts it may contain.
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