Topic: Keeping track of submissions

[Penn Bender]

How did I not know about this Organization section before?  I so need it.

I want to figure out the perfect system for keeping track of where and when I send submissions.  Any ideas?

[JennaWren]

I have lots of hand-written lists taped to my wall.  Not the best system.     I'm guessing others have more, ahem, grownup systems?

[JennaWren]

  Salina!  I am not worthy!   

[TaliaVance]

querytracker.net 

It is free and it is awesome

[bechick108]

SYoon,

Thank you! Read your post, opened Excel, created chart, and am officially organized.   

[pengwinz]

Like Salina, I've found MS Excel works great. It's a lot of work to set up (unless you can bribe someone to give you their template), especially inputting and updating all the relevant info (I keep all the guidelines and contact info and such in the same worksheet). But once you have it, it's a great tool. I've heard good things about QueryTracker, and in fact started using it, but found I preferred having control over all the info in my own database.

Here's a link to my blog discussion on the subject.

[MaryWitzl]

I keep a list for every year, at the end of my journal. I note what I sent, whom I sent it to, when I sent it, in black. If I get a nibble on it, I change it to blue. When it's rejected, I change it to red. When I get something accepted into a journal (or whatever), I change that to blue too.  You can guess what that section of my journal looks like:  a few lines of blue in a sea of red. Still, it works for me...

[vfury]

I keep a spreadsheet for each book on Google Docs, with columns for the agent, what agency they're with, whether they want pages with query etc, what date I sent the query; their response, and then, if needed, columns for the date I sent partials and/or fulls. It never hurts to be prepared.

[CarlP]

I like Querytracker, and the data is downloadable.

[Bernell Spicer]

Are there any downsides to QueryTracker? I'm thinking of signing up, but wanted to see what other's experiences have been. Thanks!

[CarlP]

Are there any downsides to QueryTracker? I'm thinking of signing up, but wanted to see what other's experiences have been. Thanks!

Now and then a new agent is not in their database, but if you let QT know they will add the new agent, presuming the agent is legit.  I can't really think of a downside. 

[TaliaVance]

Querytracker is wonderful.  You can easily research agents who rep your genre, with links to websites and blogs and keep lists of targets and records of queries, submissions and responses.  It's truly a great resource.  I can't think of a reason not to use it.

[JennaWren]

Does Querytracker only keep track of agents you sub to?  Or can you add info if you're subbing (in my case, PBs) on your own?

[CarlP]

Does Querytracker only keep track of agents you sub to?  Or can you add info if you're subbing (in my case, PBs) on your own?

It tracks submissions directly to publishers, too. 

[JennaWren]

Niiice! I'll have to check it out!

[Bernell Spicer]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll give it a try.

[Medeia Sharif]

I used an Excel spreadsheet, with one project per worksheet.  Everything was in columns that I could write in or place an X under: agency/publisher, specific agent/editor, date submitted, partial requested, full requested, notes, etc.

[soniag]

I used Querytracker and really liked it.  Spreadsheets freak me out for some reason, but Querytracker was very user-friendly. 

[Penn Bender]

Thanks you guys!  Very useful advise.

[JulieM]

My excel spreadsheet for submissions has one extra column that hasn't been mentioned yet.

You may think it pessimistic, but I have a column for "next choice of publisher to send the MS to", in the event that the MS is rejected. I actually find this useful because, if my MS is rejected,  instead of moping and grieving about it, I just get to work on getting it "out there" again (after doing the necessary edits, if required). It also saves time researching the right "match" between MS and publisher, if I have already chanced across a potentially suitable publisher and noted it down for the future.

[lauriew]

I add two columns for expected response time--one based on the publisher's website and the other on what people have said in the response forums. Laurie

[olmue]

I use querytracker, but I have my own spreadsheets, too. The QT is my contribution to information gathering. The spreadsheets are for me. I did just make a new one with all the people I've ever queried and what I queried to whom. I can look at details elsewhere, but sometimes I just need the overall picture of who has what.

[writerjenn]

I keep a chronological log of what I send out, when I sent it, to whom, when I expect to hear about it, and what the outcome was.

I also keep a spreadsheet with all the titles of my books and short stories down the left-hand column, and the names of the markets to which I submit across the top row. A red slash in the cell where a story and publisher converge means that that story is currently with that publisher. A black check mark means it's been accepted by that publisher. A black X means that publisher rejected it.

I use the red color for currently active submissions so I can see at a glance what is out and what I'm waiting to hear about. The black X's help ensure I never send the story to a place where it's already been! (Unless invited to revise and resubmit--but I have separate symbols for that, which I won't go into here.)