Dalkey Archive is a prestigious small press that publishes both new and classic works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. But the press, which boasts of bases in London, Dublin, and Champaign, Illinois, doesn’t merely distribute memorable works that founder John O’Brien describes as “saying something that people don’t want to hear — that will make them feel uncomfortable.” Au contraire – the press is pretty damn avant-garde and uncomfortable even in its job postings.

In a posting that went up on Tuesday, Dalkey explained it is currently in a period of transition, as it seeks to find a successor to its founder and expand its international offices. It needs new blood. Blood “primarily derived from unpaid interns in the first phase of this process.” And who might you be, unpaid yet eager intern, or possibly even maybe paid employee? You’re the total package. You’re “willing to start off at a low-level salary.” “Doing whatever is required to make the Press succeed.” Also, you have no life. None. Seriously. You “do not have any other commitments (personal or professional) that will interfere with work at the Press (family obligations, writing, involvement with other organizations, degrees to be finished, holidays to be taken, weddings to attend in Rio, etc.) … DO NOT APPLY IF ALL OF THE ABOVE DOES NOT DESCRIBE YOU.” It continues, “Any of the following will be grounds for immediate dismissal during the probationary period: coming in late or leaving early without prior permission; being unavailable at night or on the weekends; failing to meet any goals; giving unsolicited advice about how to run things; taking personal phone calls during work hours; gossiping; misusing company property, including surfing the Internet while at work; submission of poorly written materials; creating an atmosphere of complaint or argument; failing to respond to emails in a timely way; not showing an interest in other aspects of publishing beyond editorial; making repeated mistakes; violating company policies.” I’m not saying that sounds a mite harsh, but I’ve seen cults with more laissez-faire policies about outside socialization.