Making Time to Write Monday: Organize Your Writing Life #5 Keeping Track of Submissions

Are you ready to submit your manuscripts? When I began submitting work seriously a few years ago, I knew I would need a system that would help me keep track of manuscripts, submissions to editors, rejections, and notes for improvement. I keep several systems going, but you could develop your own system based on what you write and what your current needs are.

Full disclosure: For the sake of my privacy and the editors and agents to whom I’m submitting, I’m not showing you these forms filled out. I am providing blank samples for you to see and download if you wish. Once you download them, feel free to customize them for what works for YOU.

Keeping Track of Submissions by Manuscript

I write picture books and articles, and I keep a file folder on each one. Inside the front cover of each file folder I keep track of submissions.

There is a place to write the date the manuscript was submitted, who it was submitted to, comments (either reminders for me or rejection notes) and the date it was returned or rejected.

I tape this to the inside front of the folder. Once I fill one page up, I secure the next page with a piece of tape on the top only. Then I can flip through and see the submission history with the most recent on top.

In the last year or so, I’ve also been keeping track of when I submit to my critique groups on this same page. This helps me quickly see how many revisions it’s been through at a glance.

I also write novels. Last week I showed how much space those novel drafts take up, so I have a way of keeping track of submissions for those lengthy novels. My novels have a folder, and I tape this log into the front of the folder. The submission log is written on this form. Inside the folder, I keep track of printed e-mails from editors or agents. I also keep track of revision suggestions from my critique group or personalized rejections in the folder.

Want to download this submission log form (Microsoft Word file)? Click here. 

Keeping Track of All of Your Submissions to Publishers

Because I write in a variety of genres, and I might have multiple things out on submissions at the same time, I keep track of ALL submissions on a submission spreadsheet.

The spreadsheet is broken down by year (but you could do a whole new one each year). I personally like scrolling and seeing everything at once. On this spreadsheet I have columns for the date, the title, genre, location of submission, and response.

I do simple abbreviations by genre:

MG=middle grade

YA= young adult

PB=picture book

MAG=magazine article

Keeping Track of Submissions to Your Critique Groups

I am involved with three different critique groups. While one critique group is picture books ONLY, the other two groups read across genres. I realized that because I’m submitted three times per month (once to each group), I quickly lost track of who’d seen what.

Now I keep track of my critique group submissions on a second tab on my submission log. Even if you only have one critique group or just a handful of BETA readers, it’s helpful to keep track of what you sent and when you sent it. When I was writing my novel, it was so helpful to note the pages I submitted each month. It saved me from scrolling through old e-mails.

I also like to keep this spreadsheet for several years. Sometimes I work on manuscript for years, so I like to see how many months it’s been between submissions of the same manuscript.

Would you like to download a submissions log spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet)? Click here.

The Important Thing

The most important thing is to keep track. Just like planting seeds in your garden, you’ll never remember what went where unless you label it. Same thing with submissions, especially if you are actively submitting.

Make the tracking work for you. Tweak it to work with your style and your genre.

The Downloads

Log for Inside of Folder Download (Microsoft Word)

Submissions Log Spreadsheet Download (Microsoft Excel)

How do you keep track of submissions?