The New Shortbread

The New Shortbread

2 years ago

Since going on-line in December 2008, the whole ethos of Shortbread has been about giving writers of all abilities the broadest possible showcase for their work. At the outset, there were those who were a bit cynical about the idea, thinking that the site would be inundated with dross. So we devised the voting system which would allow those less ably-written stories ‘to drop off the end of the ladder’. But, you know, somehow that never really happened. It was not our imagination that the short story writing on Shortbread just got better and better. Rachel Marsh of New Writing Dundee gave her own explanation of this phenomenon.

"If a writer is entering a small regional competition, they might not take too much trouble over their work. If they know their story is going to have a worldwide readership, then they’re going to bother some to get it right."

At the beginning, we were all rather ‘flying by the seat of our pants’, making up policies for Shortbread as we went along. We chose early on to publish everything that was submitted, and also to exercise a light touch when it came to editing. These two criteria have resulted in a varied and eclectic collection of stories, their content and structure natural and honest, and most importantly, undiminished by the damaging and self-confidence-sapping opinions of an overpowering 'peer group'. In fact, we would be bold enough to say that Shortbread has added a new dimension to the ever-expanding school of 'Indie-writing.'

And then the audios, which we had always planned to be one of the most important aspects of Shortbread and one that would set us apart from other short story sites. More by luck than careful management, we found ourselves working with a remarkable and talented team of sound engineers and narrators, who began turning these stories into a listening experience that was pure delight. A number of Shortbreaders have even voted them ‘way better than what’s produced on the radio’.

So that’s why we are immensely proud of everyone who has been involved with Shortbread. Keeping in contact and encouraging our writers is paramount to us, something which may have dropped by the wayside in the cutthroat world of publishing nowadays. We want to take our lead more from those old-style publishing houses where support and liaison was rewarded by excellence in writing and frequency of submissions!

But Shortbread is not just for the writer. It is well suited to the hectic pace at which we live our lives nowadays. For all those who love reading but don’t have the time to get stuck into a full length novel; for those going to work, on the school run, doing the ironing or working out; for those in retirement homes or convalescing in hospital; for the visually impaired; for the young person with learning difficulties; for the overseas student who wants to improve his English. We know that Shortbread works in all these cases because we’ve received written endorsements saying so.

In fact, taking it on from there, we know that Shortbread works…fullstop.