PEER REVIEW
Thoughtful feedback without writing by committee
Peer review at The Chronicles of What?!?!? is designed to help authors see their work more clearly. Reviewers offer thoughtful, specific feedback while respecting that the story belongs to the author.
Reviewers support the writer. They do not become the writer.
OUR APPROACH
We believe writers know their own stories. A reviewer’s job is not to rewrite the work, impose a different voice, or turn revision into writing by committee.
Instead, reviewers help authors notice what is working, where a reader may become confused, what feels especially strong, and where the story may benefit from another look.
Authors make the final creative decisions
THE REVIEW PROCESS
A simple, human process
01 – Assignment
Editors match the story with appropriate reviewers.
02 – Review
Reviewers read the story and provide thoughtful, respectful feedback.
03 – Revision
The author decides how the feedback should shape the work.
04 – Decision
Editors make the final publication decision
GOOD REVIEW
Useful. Specific. Respectful
A strong review does:
- Identify what is working well
- Explain where the reader became confused or disconnected
- Ask useful questions
- Point to specific moments in the story
- Offer suggestions without demanding changes
- Respect the author’s voice and intent.
A strong review does not
- Rewrite the story
- Demand the author adopt the reviewer’s style
- Attack the author
- Treat personal taste as an objective rule
- Share the story outside of the review process
- Use confidential material for other purposes.
REVIEWER RESPONSIBILITIES
Trust matters.
Reviewers are expected to keep submitted work confidential, disclose meaningful conflicts of interest, treat authors and their work respectfully, and provide feedback in good faith.
- Keep manuscripts confidential.
- Disclose conflicts of interest.
- Do not reuse or share submitted material.
- Do not plagiarize or appropriate ideas from submissions.
- Follow the journal’s AI and authorship policies.
- Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe.
AI & PEER REVIEW
AI can assist the reviewer. It cannot replace the reviewer.
Reviewers may use tools to support organization, proofreading, or reflection, but the review itself must represent the reviewer’s own reading, judgment, and feedback.
Submitted stories must not be uploaded to external generative AI systems unless the journal explicitly permits it. Confidentiality comes first.
REVIEWER RECOGNITION
Review is service to the writing community.
Reviewers who complete reviews are recognized as contributors to the journal and associated with the issue they support.
Reviewers who complete reviews for Issue 0 will be permanently recognized as Founding Reviewers of The Chronicles of What?!?!?.
JOIN THE REVIEW COMMUNITY
Become a reviewer
If you enjoy reading fiction closely and helping writers strengthen their work, we would love to have you participate.
Reviewer sign-up coming soon.