Everyone has their own voice, way of speaking, and way of writing.
Some of us speak eloquently on paper, and casually in person, or vice versa. Some of us tend to ramble.
Susan Russell has her own voice and also works to preserve her authors’ voice as well. But that isn’t her only job, as she wears many hats as Grendel Press’s Editor-in-Chief and founder.
Grendel Press is a remote independent publishing company focusing on horror, romance, and dark fiction. The company started as an idea in 2020, but became official in 2022, starting with anthologies and making their way to novels in 2024.
After editing freelance for a while, Russell quickly learned which stories were the most interesting, “I really like tension and depth, and so I had to narrow it down via genre. And the best way I could do that was I picked the dark fantasy, horror, and dark romance because I think they’re all entwined.”
Named for Beowulf’s villain, the founder gained inspiration for what a character could be and what the characters would be within Grendel Press. “I always wanted monsters that are more than monsters, heroes that are more than heroes because you know people aren’t just one-dimensional.”
The first anthology the company published is Paramnesia, a collection of 14 short horror stories by different authors based on the phenomenon of distorted memory and confusion of fact and fantasy. The first novel is the erotic horror An Empty Embrace by Cyril Mezden.
Upon creating this company, Russell has faced some struggles. “The biggest obstacle has been financially trying to keep ahead of everything.” Russell continues to freelance edit to supplement Grendel Press, as well as working a full-time IT job, and working at Grendel Press itself.
While Russell is supplementing the income for Grendel now, she believes once it has published more titles, it will pay for itself by 2026.
The company is currently run on a volunteer basis. Also, being a remote company, volunteers can work from anywhere in the country, and on their time. It keeps costs low and works well for Russell and Grendel Press, based in Oklahoma, — a place most people wouldn’t expect a publishing house to pop up.
With remote settings, authors may be concerned about connection and contact. While the process is very hands-off until about three-to-four months out for the novel’s publishing date, the author is not kept out of the loop. Russell says she is sure to keep an author informed each step of the process.
Grendel Press might be a small space for horror, dark fantasy, and romance. But it’s a space where authors and readers can find comfort in a company and editor that shares their taste in novels and genres.
