The Dread Machine is a publisher of futuristic dark fiction, speculative fiction, slipstream, literary science fiction, and cyberpunk. They also like magical realism, dystopias and utopias, unconventional societies, and diverse protagonists. The Dread Machine is a selective publisher with a small staff, so they ask that authors send only their best writing.
The Dread Machine accepts reprints, as long as the writing doesn’t appear anywhere else online for free. They also pay authors: $0.05 per word for unpublished fiction, $0.01 per word for reprinted fiction, and $10 per poem.
The Dread Machine is published four times a year, in print and as a downloadable e-pub. They also act as a publishing house, printing full-length books. You can get a sense of their aesthetic by reading short excerpts from their publications online.
Authors of fiction may submit up to three stories (each in a separate submission). Unpublished stories can be up to 5,500 words, and reprints can be up to 7,000 words. Poets may submit up to 50 lines. Submitting authors can expect a response within two months.
The Dread Machine reads submissions blind. They do not take the author’s previous publications into account when considering the submitted writing. They believe that each story should stand for itself.
The Dread Machine accepts submissions online, not via email or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw work published elsewhere. They do not accept religious fiction, fetish horror, or erotica.
The Dread Machine only accepts submissions that adhere to the guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting.
If you would like to learn more or submit to The Dread Machine, please visit their website here.
Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.
