A machine for dispensing publications one by one having (a) housing defining an enclosed interior; (b) having an exit opening for dispensing the publications; (c) a platform for receiving a stack of the publications, the platform being supported within the housing for vertical movement between a plurality of positions; (d) a slider which, in an operating mode of the machine, is horizontally movable between fore and aft positions; the slider being disposed within the housing for contacting a topmost publication of the stack with the platform in one of the plurality of positions and for feeding the contacted publication to the exit opening when the slider is moved horizontally; (e) a coin operated mechanism for placing the machine into the operating mode, and (f) a mechanism disposed within the housing for automatically imparting a motion to the slider that pushes the slider against a rear edge of the topmost publication so as to move the topmost publication from the stack to the exit opening when the machine is placed into the operating mode. The mechanism for automatically imparting the motion to the slider includes a motor, a crank and a connecting rod operatively connected to each other and to the slider such that, in the operating mode, the motor rotates the crank which in turn drives the connecting rod to cause horizontal movement of the slider.