SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Overview

The Dread Machine publishes futuristic dark fiction, speculative fiction, cyberpunk, slipstream, and science fiction. We do not accept religious fiction, fetish horror, or erotica. All submissions must be in English.

We will accept previously published submissions. If your story already appears online, it will only appear in our print edition, as publishing it on our site would negatively impact both our SEO and that of the other publisher. We have very few reprint slots, so we tend to prioritize reprints originally published in anthologies and now-defunct magazines. 

We accept simultaneous submissions. If someone else snatches your submission up before we do, we’d appreciate it if you’d immediately remove it from our queue by withdrawing via Moksha.

We consider up to 3 POETRY submissions at once. Each poem must be submitted separately.

We DO NOT consider multiple STORY submissions in the same category. You may submit up to 1 original story and 1 reprint story at the same time.

We DO NOT accept unsolicited rewrites. Unless you are specifically asked to revise and resubmit, do not resubmit the same submission once it has been rejected. Rejections are final. This policy stands regardless of whether the submission has been edited or revised since its rejection.

We use an entirely blind submission review process. Remove all personal identifying information from your file before uploading. Put identifying information in your cover letter, not in the filename, header, and/or footer of your story. Our readers should not know your name, address, phone number, or email address, nor should they have a long list of your professional accomplishments or links to your social media profiles. Please remove this information entirely, or your submission will be rejected for not following the guidelines. This is a firm policy. In addition to valuing your privacy, we believe all writers deserve a fair shot. Stories must stand on their own, apart from the writer’s notoriety and achievements.

Please send only your best work. We’re a small team with a tight budget, but we’re committed to establishing a competitive brand known for publishing high-quality fiction. In service of that mission (and out of necessity), we are extremely selective and strategic about which submissions and authors we invest in. Before submitting, familiarize yourself with the content we have already published on the site. Ensure your submission is free of obvious typos and grammatical errors. Content should be well-written and avoid clichés. Not every ending has to be dreadful. We welcome dark stories with wholesome and happy conclusions, too!