Success!

@angelslayah The main difference between the editorial process of CRES and other markets I've worked with is that they make their changes directly to the draft, and propose them to you--so they act as hands-on editors, similar to the role at some newspapers and magazines, rather than the more hands-off editorial process that is more typical of genre publications (my experience with those, echoed by others I've spoken to, is that it's generally the case that the editor will identify the kinds of change that they want, and request that the writer make them, rather than making proposed changes directly).

For the changes themselves, they were mostly language alterations, and some detail changes that they felt made it stronger, without actually changing the story. I know some writers were not keen on this approach, and I can understand that. But really, it's just a different approach to editing, and you get the option to reject or respond to any of the edits that are made, so you're not blindsided. There were a lot (a lot!) of very minor edits, switching two words around, cutting out one that wasn't needed, and so on (the kinds of edits I make myself whenever I'm re-reading a draft, I almost never get through a read without doing things like this), plus a few larger edits that I reviewed. It ends up feeling like more of a collaboration between the author and editor than a wholly solo experience, but the story is still mine, and I believe it's better for the editor's work.

In my case, I found that the changes were all in service of strengthening and propelling the original idea, and the final version was notably tighter than the one I sent them. The market and its staff have been friendly and well-intentioned throughout, and I would certainly recommend the experience, with the proviso that it is good to know that this is their editorial approach going in, so it doesn't catch you by surprise.

(*) One last note--I also think that there's a really nice secondary take-away from this, as Fran did an excellent job of editing my story into a stronger form, and part of what I received during is a tracked document, highlighting all the changes made. So that allowed me to look at what they'd done, and think about why the changes were made, which in turn (I believe) may help me with some of my own editorial decisions for my own work. 

Posted by: @doctorjest

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I've been (mostly*) on a writing hiatus this year, for personal reasons, but I figured I'd share a publication here in the meantime--subbed in the middle of last year, this one got picked up by Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. It's a flash story, originally written in 90 minutes, then tinkered with to flesh out around the edges before it got published (with thanks to Fran at CRES, who proposed some really great changes to the draft before it was final--their editorial process is certainly different, but I also found it to be really positive).

Anyway, it's up to read here now--

https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/fiction-all/fantasy/a-promise-of-salt-and-sky/

I've also sold a previous SHM (the last one I earned under David Farland), which will be coming out in On Spec at some point in the future, though the date of that is currently TBD.

(* mostly, because in the end, you can't just never write, even when you're on hiatus. So I guess I'm just not writing much.)

@doctorjest 

Thanks for the deets! Hard to argue with tighter results and as I, personally, began my writing life as a journalist, the hands-on approach holds to terrors for me.

After a longish wait, my flash fiction (it could easily pass as a poem, try reading it aloud!) Dracula in the Looking Glass has appeared in Sci-Phi Journal. An easy read: no dialogue, no characters!

https://www.sciphijournal.org/index.php/2024/06/21/dracula-in-the-looking-glass/

well, it's not fiction, so I'm not sure if it belongs in this thread, but it's SF adjacent 😉

SFWA just bought an article by me to publish on their blog

https://www.sfwa.org/2024/06/25/gamifying-your-writing-goals/

@gideonpsmith Fascinating article. Congratulations!

Congratulations Gideon. Your article is interesting and informative.

@gideonpsmith Congrats.  

Finally appearing, my experimental short "Causality Cone" in the pages of Kaleidotrope

https://kaleidotrope.net/summer-2024/causality-cone-by-don-mark-baldridge/

@angelslayah Really fun cerebral story. Congratulations!

@angelslayah Congrats

@ease 

It's my antidote to the Trek-style accidental time travel story. Gotta take it straight.

I'm so excited and nervous!

I am one of ten finalists for the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award!!

AAAAAAHHH!

https://www.baen.com/pr-2024bfaafinalists

Posted by: @amstard

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I'm so excited and nervous!

I am one of ten finalists for the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award!!

AAAAAAHHH!

https://www.baen.com/pr-2024bfaafinalists

congrats!!!   

@amstard squeeeeeee!!! So excited for you!

@amstard congrats

Great news (@amstard). Congratulations.

Posted by: @angelslayah

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After a longish wait, my flash fiction (it could easily pass as a poem, try reading it aloud!) Dracula in the Looking Glass has appeared in Sci-Phi Journal. An easy read: no dialogue, no characters!

https://www.sciphijournal.org/index.php/2024/06/21/dracula-in-the-looking-glass/

Congrats. Very interesting.

@amstard Congratulations! And best of luck!

And one more from me--I seem to be having a busy year off.

This story was originally written from a prompt from Wulf's Super Secrets thread (the prompt in question, I believe, being "Underground Paradise") when I was short on inspiration and ideas. It was an old prompt, and I was digging through the thread trying to kick-start my writing again, and came up with a story that I felt would never be a fit for WotF, but which I liked nonetheless. Written as a KYD exercise initially, it then got expanded out from a 500-word flash fiction tale into this version, which Kaleidotrope picked up. I've had them on my short-fiction market wish-list for quite a few years now, so this was a really happy sale for me.

https://kaleidotrope.net/summer-2024/the-eyes-of-my-brother-by-robert-luke-wilkins/

@doctorjest awesome, congratulations!

@doctorjest Fantastic work and great results!

I have another success that isn't really but feels like it for me: I got a personalized rejection from Analog, telling me "I like your style of writing and invite you to submit again."

That feels pretty promising!

Posted by: @amstard

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@doctorjest Fantastic work and great results!

I have another success that isn't really but feels like it for me: I got a personalized rejection from Analog, telling me "I like your style of writing and invite you to submit again."

That feels pretty promising!

Trevor only sends that when he means it. Next story!

(The same is true of all editors I know.)

@amstard I'd take that as a win! I had a similar response from Analog, which was for the first story I ever submitted. I thought, yeah, this getting published malarkey ain't going to be so hard...

I've not had that feedback again (yet).

But I live in hope!

A great week for you. I am hoping you turn that Analog near miss into a sale, and the Baen "F" into a "W"

My latest story has just been published, and is now live! Yay! 🙊 100 Monkeys by Preston Dennett (foofaraw.press)

@preston-e-dennett   congratulations!

Great story Preston. Congrats.

@preston-e-dennett Congrats. Awesome news and thanks for sharing the link.

Posted by: @amstard

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I got a personalized rejection from Analog, telling me "I like your style of writing and invite you to submit again."

That feels pretty promising!

Personalized rejections are a big deal considering the amount of stories they read through. Congrats.

@doctorjest Great way to develop an idea. I'll have to give that a try.