Our attention spans are dropping by the day. Look no further than the incredible growth of TikTok over the last few years if you don’t believe us. Sadly, the same applies to reading. Short-form content is becoming increasingly popular, especially when viewed through the prism of the internet rather than in book form.

If you're looking for some sites that offer short stories and flash fiction, keep reading. Here are the best sites that will provide the hit you need.

1. Electric Lit

electric lit

Electric Lit is a non-profit digital publisher. It has the aim of publishing work that is “intelligent and unpretentious” while simultaneously promoting new authors and highlighting discussion around how stories can help to further causes such as social justice and alternative cultures.

The stories on the site are all available for free, with the site relying on donations to stay online. You will find stories, essays, discussion pieces, content from literary magazines, and more.

Make sure you also check out the recommended reading archive. It includes more than 350 issues of short stories and novel excerpts, all of which are community-approved.

2. 365 Tomorrows

365 tomorrows

365 Tomorrows has been online since way back in 2005. It publishes a single piece of flash fiction every day.

Not sure what flash fiction is? Here is how the site's founder, Kathy Kachelries, describes it:

"Flash fiction is fiction with its teeth bared and its claws extended, lithe, and muscular with no extra fat. It pounces in the first paragraph, and if those claws aren’t embedded in the reader by the start of the second, the story began a paragraph too soon. There is no margin for error. Every word must be essential, and if it isn’t essential, it must be eliminated."

Most of the stories are in the science fiction category, and all are under 600 words. All the work on the site is published under a Creative Commons license, meaning that if you are a writer, you are free to pick the story up and add to it and develop it further.

3. East of the Web

east of the web

The content on East of the Web is divided into three categories: Short Stories, Word Games, and Interactive Stories. Each story on the site has a rating out of five stars, an age rating, a synopsis, and information about its length.

In the short stories section, you will find tales in seven primary sections: Children, Crime, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Non-Fiction, Romance, and Sci-Fi. Check out our list of free ebook sites if you want even more free stories to read.

4. The New Yorker

new yorker

The New Yorker is one of the world's most well-known publications. What is less well-known, however, is that the site hosts an impressive collection of short stories for you to enjoy. You can access six stories or articles for free without a subscription.

If you want access to the entire back catalog of short stories, as well as all the other content that the site offers, you need to sign up for a subscription. One year of digital-only access costs $60.

5. Fictionaut

fictionaut

Fictionaut is a site that specializes in flash fiction, poetry, and other short stories. You can upload your own stories (though the process is via invite only) and can read the stories of other authors.

One of the best aspects of Fictionaut is the community network. There are extensive forums, comments and feedback on stories, recommended stories, and more.

The filters make it easy to find something worth reading. Click on the Stories tab at the top of the page, then you can sort by Recommended, Most Recent, Most Read, and Most Discussed.

6. Flash Fiction Online

flash fiction online

All the stories on the Flash Fiction Online site are less than 1000 words long. For context, that is shorter than the length of this article! Of course, that makes them perfect for a quick read while you're waiting for the bus or sitting in a doctor's waiting room.

The flash fiction is divided into four primary categories—literary, fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. You can get the stories delivered directly to your inbox if you subscribe.

7. Wattpad

wattpad

Wattpad describes itself as a “social storytelling platform”. It works with unsigned writers to put their work in front of its community, and some writers who started on Wattpad have gone on to make a name for themselves in the literary industry.

If you subscribe to the premium version of the site for $7.50 per month, you will get access to unlimited offline stories, no ads, and more.

Short stories on Wattpad are available in more than 50 languages, thus making it a great resource for international users and even people who are trying to learn a foreign language.

8. 3:AM Magazine

3am magazine

3:AM Magazine is a France-based publication. Short stories are just one part of the content on offer, with literary criticism, non-fiction essays, original long-form fiction, poetry, and interviews with leading writers and philosophers also covered.

The magazine is open to submissions from anyone, but it does have very strict editorial policies, meaning very few authors are lucky enough to make it through the process.

All the content on 3:AM Magazine is free to read, and you do not need to make an account in order to access it.

9. Carte Blanche

carte blanche

Carte Blanche is a non-profit organization from Quebec. It aims to offer new writers a platform to get noticed.

Content on the site is published in issues, with four issues going live each year. The issues are mainly focused on short stories, but there is also a healthy dose of non-fiction, photography, and poetry, as well as some international works.

10. Narrative

narrative

Narrative refers to itself as a library rather than a publication, with the consequence that almost all the short stories on the site are free to read.

You will find a healthy mix of stories from well-known prize winners, new authors, and even reprints of all-time classics from people such as Vonnegut and Saul Bellow.

To find stories you want to read, make sure you make use of the site's filters. You can sort by story type and author.

Start Reading Today

While short stories might not command the same recognition among the wider public as full novels, they are a great way to fill the time for both avid readers and casual readers.

Check out some of the sites and start reading today, we promise that you will not be disappointed.