How Do You Keep Track Of Submissions?
A couple of years ago I brought up this topic as I was searching for a solution for myself. I decided on Sonar, and so far it’s serving me well. However, I’m researching submission trackers for another project, so I figured I’d open up the discussion again.
How do all you writer-types keep track of your submissions? I know some are still using the old Excel spreadsheet solution, but what else is out there?
And if you were going to build the perfect tracker, what features would it include?
Duotrope for short stories, QueryTracker for novel submissions. I’ve never needed antyhing else. :)
Spreadsheets are the old method? Prepare to laugh at me: I have a bunch of index cards binder-clipped together, one per story. Each card has a list of its markets and dates (usually just month/year, sometimes month/day/year) plus the result. When a story’s out, I turn the card so I can see where it went.
I’ve never found a way to make a spreadsheet work for me the way the notecards do.
I keep a really simple text document for submissions, and more complicated spreadsheets for anthologies, reprints, that kind of thing.
It’s an Excel spreadsheet for me, and the VBA macros in that spreadsheet are the main reason I am still using Mac Office 2004.
I just remember them.
I’ve been using Duotrope for shorts but also an Excel spreadsheet for novels. Seems to be working out well so far. I will have to check out Sonar, though.
I am still using that old Excel spreadsheet solution :) I used to use notecards a la Diatryma and I might still except I was consolidating files a couple moves ago and decided that electronic “cards” saved in bulk.
Duotrope offers a really great submission tracker.
Sonar3 is it for me: with the mono back-end it works as a native app on my Linux desktop. Perfect.
B
I kept a file on my computer for years, but I started using Duotrope earlier this year and love it.
Angie
Sonar 3, both Windows and Linux versions, synchronized through Dropbox.
I use SubTrack.