Never Give Up, Never Surrender

The top-tier science fiction and fantasy publications that I have yet to break into are: Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Apex Magazine, Asimov's Science Fiction, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Clarkesworld, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Strange Horizons. With some grit and determination, I've already managed to have work published by AE: The Canadian Science Fiction Review, Daily Science Fiction, and Nature: Futures. All of these fine publications pay top dollar for genre stories, currently $0.06 or more per word, and are recognized by the SFWA as being the very best of the best. 

With the exception of AE, DSF, and Nature, I've received nothing but rejection letters from the other folks. Form letter rejections, friendly rejections, a few stories shortlisted for further consideration only to be rejected in the end. 

Until now.

The editor of one of those fine publications (that I've been sending my work to over the past 7 years) emailed me last week regarding my latest submission. He said he liked the story, but he had a few issues with it. He asked if I would be open to revising it. In other words, he was extending a rewrite request. First time that's ever happened! Usually the pro-paying publications either take or leave your work.

I jumped at the chance to work with this editor, and I received his notes yesterday. The changes are definitely doable, and I can see having the revised story back to him in a couple weeks. No contract yet. No publishing agreement. That will most likely be contingent upon whipping this tale into shape. 

What publication is it? What's the story about? I'll let you know as soon as I can. Hopefully after I've been offered a contract. Wouldn't that be cool? Stay tuned...