Tracking Your Submissions
If you spend some time getting organized before you query, it will make tracking your submissions more productive and (hopefully) less stressful.
There are better ways to get organized.
Want to be the kind of writer every literary agent dreams of? In just twelve weeks, you could have a complete and fully workshopped novel outline that you can immediately start writing from!
You’ve polished your manuscript, written the perfect query letter, and now you’re ready to submit to your well-researched, curated list of agents or editors.
Stop, and take a big breath! You’ve just spent a lot of time and energy getting to this exciting next step, but you need a plan on how to query effectively and a way to track your submissions. You don’t want to blast out queries to your entire list at once. Best practices for querying writers are to have about ten queries out at a time. As you get responses (and yes, there will be rejections), you can send out another query to the next targeted agent or editor on your list.
But this means that you need a system to organize who, what, when and how you’re going to submit and follow up.
How TO track your submissions
Full disclosure, I’m the nerd who loves a good spreadsheet, and if I could write my novel in a spreadsheet I probably would! But not everyone loves spreadsheets, so pick a system that you’ll actually use and will update regularly.
Spreadsheet – easy to sort data and you can embed links.
Notebook – pen and paper! (And who doesn’t love to pick out a new notebook—unless you’ve already hoarded a bunch like me.)
Note/Index Cards – easy to sort and store in a file box.
Online Apps – there are a few online apps to consider, but check out the free vs paid versions:
What information to track
No matter what system you use, here are some suggestions on what you’ll need to track for each submission:
Manuscript Title sent (and version if applicable)
Date Submitted
Agent/Editor Name – you want to keep track of who you’re submitting to as they may move to another company and you’ll want to know if they’ve already seen your manuscript.
Agency/Publisher
Follow Up Date – not all agents will have the same response time (one month, three months, no reply is a pass, etc.) so put in a date according to their sub guidelines.
Full Submitted Date – how exciting that you got a request for a full manuscript! Just remember to keep track.
Full Follow Up Date
Status: In Process, Passed, Full, Closed, Accepted!
Notes – space for any extra info.
Make use of color coding any of these fields to highlight what’s important to you.
PRO TIPS
Back up your files! Any time you use spreadsheets or word processing, remember to back up your work regularly.
Save all the query emails either by printing or create a folder/subfolder in your email system to save them electronically so you don’t have to go crazy searching in your sent/in boxes.
Keep your system up to date so you remember to keep it simple and easy.
While you’re querying or on submission, remember to keep writing!
Happy tracking and best of luck in your submissions!
Get fully submission ready with our twelve-week summer Outline Intensive writing workshop, Story Mastermind. Applications are open until June 1st.