Microsoft release new details about submitting your apps to the Windows Store

At first, the developer is in the driver’s seat, learning, submitting, and reviewing their own data, working at their own pace. However, once you submit the app for certification, you are in the passenger seat, tracking the progress of the app, but unable to affect that progress or outcome in the same way as before. We needed a plan to increase confidence in this second phase, while transparently tracking the status of the app during the certification process. He also gives a summary of the steps that occur once an application is submitted for processing.

• Pre-processing. This is where we’ll check to make sure we have all of the appropriate details that we’ll need to publish your app. This includes checking the status of your developer account and, if your app has a purchase price or any in-app offers, we also ensure that we have all of the paperwork on file so that we can pay you. We know that sometimes this paperwork can take a few days to complete, which is why we allow you to work on your app submission right away, even if some of these forms aren’t complete yet.
• Security tests. We’ll check everything you submitted for viruses and malware.
• Technical compliance. We’ll use the Windows App Certification Kit to check that your app complies with the technical policies. This is exactly the same technical certification assessments that are included in the SDK and that you can run locally before you upload your package.
• Content compliance. Our team of testers takes a look at your app to check that the contents comply with our content policies. Since there are real people looking at your app, this process can take longer than the other steps.
• Release. This stage goes by very quickly unless you’ve specified a publish date in the future. If you request from the Selling details page to wait until a particular date before your app reaches customers, then after you pass the other tests, you’ll remain in this stage until that date arrives.
• Signing and publishing. In this final step, we’ll sign the packages you submitted with a trusted certificate that matches the technical details of your developer account. This provides customers with the assurance that the app is certified by the Windows Store and hasn’t been tampered with. We’ll then publish your app packages to the Store, along with all of the other data that will be visible in your app listing page, so that millions of Windows 8 users will be able to find, acquire, and enjoy your app.

You can read the full post here Here’s a video that goes into more detail. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npUTfYT_-U8]]>