Keeping Track of Submissions
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- Car
- Laura_Elvin
- Kassper
- Laura_Elvin
- Kassper
- KaolinFire
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» Car - Wise words...
Wise recommendation Laura. I have added another column on mine recently, URL/email contact point. Several places now have URls and email that you can reach them at but don't accept the actual submissions via electronic media... a fact I'm still trying to understand.Here's a question though... if you expect a response on date X, how long after date X do you wait until you contact them? And then how long do you give them to respond? Going through that right now with a couple of submissions that are just... sitting there.
-Car
-- posted by Car
» Laura_Elvin - Non-timely responses
Hi car!Thanks for posting on the msg board. It's nice to meet others who track their submissions in a similar manner.
That's a great idea for an addition section in the tracking log, the contact point info. As a matter of fact, last year I submitted to 3 places that keep an online submission log so the author can just go there to see the status of the stories, how close they're getting to being read, etc.
>>> Here's a question though... if you expect a response on date X, how long after date X do you wait until you contact them? And then how long do you give them to respond? <<<
Ah, I guess I wasn't very clear in the column. It was supposed to say that I give the editor one month beyond his outside window (so if he says he responds in 2-4 months, I wait until the 5th month). Then I send the letter. After that, I wait one more month before sending a notice withdrawing my submission. Luckily this hasn't happened much lately (maybe I'm just not submitting enough BTW, if you'd like to read something I've written, I currently have a story up at Twilight Showcase: http://home.rica.net/gconn/index.htm Anyway, thanks so much for your input and interest. I hope to hear more from you again. Laura
-- posted by Laura_Elvin
» Kassper - I've been tracking my submissions too, but in a spreadsheet.
I've been tracking my submissions too, but in a spreadsheet. For me it's easier because I can sort according to whatever criteria (date, story, etc) quickly. Also, I add other sheets listing potential publishers so if one article/story is rejected I already have a list of the next house to visit.Another sheet I have is called "batting average." When I first started in the freelance world I read that each piece is rejected on average 12 times before it's ever accepted. So I list each piece in the left vertical column while the top row is numbered 1-24 with the 12th and 24th column highlighted. When I get a rejection an "x" goes into the column next to the title. When a piece comes back numerous times, I know it's time to rework it or the query. My goal is to have everything accepted before I reach 12.
Thanks for mentioning adding a column for word count. That's an important aspect of writing that I failed to consider in tracking work. I'll be adding it soon.
-- posted by Kassper
» Laura_Elvin - Thanks for the comments and tips!
I need to learn how to use a spreadsheet. Sometimes I feel I'm the only one in the world who doesn't yet know how. :-(Laura
-- posted by Laura_Elvin
» Kassper - What spreadsheet do you have on your computer? Lotus? Excel? Oth
What spreadsheet do you have on your computer? Lotus? Excel? Other?It has taken me years to get used to spreadsheets -when they first came out they were awful. Now, I do more of my tracking in them because the programmers have made them easier.
The best bet would be to go to the library and check out books on the spreadsheet that you have in your computer. Once you get the hang of them, they're a gem.
-- posted by Kassper
» KaolinFire - Thanks for the comments and tips!
A few years behind the post, but I'm trying to promote http://writersplanner.com/ -- I built the site for myself, but would love to have more people using it. The goal is not just for tracking where you have submitted, but also for keeping track of where you plan to submit a given piece, just in case. I'm also open to suggestions on how to improve the site, what functions or features to add, etc.
You don't need to learn how to use a spreadsheet
-- posted by KaolinFire
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