How to do you track your submissions?

[Linda Adams]

So how do you track your submissions? I’ve been looking for another method because I despise spreadsheets. It doesn’t help that I’m right-brained, and lists really don’t work for me. They make it easy for me to lose things, even though it’s right there in plain sight.

I also haven’t like the software and online options. A lot of times I’m having to maintain separate lists like a Dutrope tracker and an Agent Query tracker, which means more chances of losing track of a submission. Not to mention that most of these are limited to what they track.

[Ashe Elton Parker]

Back when I was submitting stuff (the few odd short stories I wrote before 2001), I had a file system where I’d print out a hard copy of the story for the file, attach an index card with the date mailed, publication submitted to on it, and, when the story came back, whether it had been accepted (none ever were–they weren’t very good short stories) or rejected and date I received the response. I wouldn’t print out the story any more, but just write the title and genre of the story on the card with the date submitted and where to. Whether it’s a novel going out to different agents or a short story going to different publications, I’d keep a separate section in the box for that one project, with a new card for each agent/publication sent to. A cumbersome method, but it would be workable, especially if it’s cleaned out every so often, say once you decide to take the project out of submission circulation for good.

Ashe Elton Parker
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." ~ David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth
~*~
Member since 1998.
~*~

[David Bridger]

Under normal circumstances I use Gmail folders.

If I’m querying agents (like right now) I use a Word doc, with 4 sections in descending order:

Partials/fulls requested
Queried
Rejected
Other agents to consider

Each entry has the relevant links and a brief note about expected response times, etc.

[KatsInCommand]

I recommend looking at http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/thegrinder/Default.aspx

It’s free and it’s being developed further than Duotrope.

[Giddy]

I use Query tracker. It not only tracks your queries but has searchable data bases of agents/publishers and their details and their reputations. Very useful.

http://www.querytracker.net/

It tracks time and you can mark the responses from the agent or lack there of. It also tells you average response time of agents so you know how long they usually take. You can then view by status etc etc.

[jhmcmullen]

I was using Sonar, free software from the guy who wrote yWriter. (http://www.spacejock.com/Sonar3.html) It’s not great–you have to re-enter material a bit much for ease usage–but it’s free, and if you have a restricted number of markets you submit to, it does the job.

Great at theory, terrible at practice.

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