Tara Lazar once again provided a worthwhile blog topic when she told me:
I am really in need of a good organizational tool. Probably several! I’d like to know how writers organize their various drafts, and then how they track submissions, acceptances, rejections—and publication. Is it as simple as making a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet? Are there available software programs or online tools?
Surprisingly, there are quite a few software applications designed for the specific purpose of tracking submissions. Following is a list of programs used by writers, and at least one created for editors, to organize queries. The list isn’t comprehensive, so please feel free to leave a comment if you’re using something else and are happy with it. I’ll add it to the list.
Critique Circle Submission Tracker
a Web-based tool
ManuscriptTracker.com
designed to be used by scholarly presses to facilitate the manuscript review process for academic journals
[Updated on June 24, 2011]
Power Tracker
$29.95-$49.95 or included with bundled software
Published!
Ritsah Software’s $39.99 application for Mac users requires OS X Lion 10.7 at minimum
[Updated on April 6, 2012]
QueryTracker.net
a Web-based service including a database of literary agents and a social network for writers
[Updated on November 18, 2009]
SAMM
free manuscript tracking software compatible with the Macintosh OS, Microsoft Windows, or DOS
Slushomatic
a free tool, published under the GNU GPL free software license, designed to print queries and track submissions to magazines
Sonar
a free software application for tracking magazine submissions
Submission Manager
an online system designed for magazines and presses to facilitate the acceptance and management of submissions, offered by the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses at a cost of $300-$600
WordHustler
a Web-based tracking service and database that charges users to upload their work for staffers to print, bind, and mail to selected agents, markets, and contests
[Updated on November 18, 2009]
Write Again
a project management tool that can be downloaded for $34.95-$49.95 or as a 30-uses trial for free, is compatible with some versions of Microsoft Windows, and includes a feature for managing a freelance writer’s finances
Writer’s Database
a free database system designed by writer Simon Kewin
The Writer’s Database
Luminary Publishing Service’s free Web-based database for tracking freelance markets and submissions
Writer’s Market
a Web-based subscription service with contact management features that can be used for tracking submissions (Full disclosure: I currently contribute to one of this publisher’s Writer’s Digest Books projects and its Guide to Literary Agents Editor’s Blog.)
Writers Project Organizer
PinderSoft’s $24.95 software with a free 30-day trial download
The Writer’s Scribe
Douglas Swatski’s $20-$40 software with a free 10-day trial download
[Updated on February 14, 2010]
Writers Write’s Greg Knollenberg describes the how and why of organizing the work you submit for publication in his article “Tracking Your Submissions.” The article is 10 years old and some of the links are broken, but his advice is still excellent. Like Lazar, Knollenberg mentions making use of spreadsheet software for submission tracking, as most of us probably own Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet application. He also acknowledges that a good old-fashioned filing system is often adequate.
Mon, 18 Feb 2008 at 6:25 pm
Thanks, Robin! Great list to check out. But do you have any ideas on how to track all the submission tracking tools? LOL! –Tara
Mon, 18 Feb 2008 at 6:41 pm
You know me. I’d look at the freebies first. After that, frankly, I’m biased, but an annual subscription price of $29.99 isn’t bad for access to the database listings, news, tracking tools, and advice offered on the Writer’s Market website. You can try a subscription free for 30 days, like some of the other tracking software.
I hope you’ll let me know if you decide to use one of the programs. Come back and post a link, if you blog about the experience.
Sat, 13 Feb 2010 at 12:41 pm
Robin,
I just released: “The Writer’s Scribe,” for tracking submissions, for both PC and Macintosh computers. A free trial is available. A Home tab provides an overview of all of your stories, then easy-to-navigate tabs provide give you access to Stories, Publishers, Submissions, and Alerts. The Full Version adds tracking for Sales and Expenses, along with a collection of 18 reports. Please see the Web site: http://www.thewritersscribe.com for more information.
I started with an Excel spreadsheet but found that it just became too cumbersome, so I developed “The Writer’s Scribe” with a database tool that allowed be to quickly flip back and forth between my stories and potential publishers. I can easily see what I submitted, where I sent it, along with a full history. The application guards against accidentally sending something out that already has a submission pending, or to a publisher that is currently closed to submissions.
Thank you.
-Doug.
Mon, 4 Oct 2010 at 6:40 pm
Robin,
A quick update. I’m now up to version “O” with many new features, including iPad support for use with FileMaker Go, pushing Alerts to iCal and tracking rights, and many more customization capabilities and user interface improvements. The free-trial period is now 20 days.
Thank you.
-Doug.
Sat, 10 Mar 2012 at 1:24 am
What tools do freelance authors use to manage their submissions to publishers?…
There are quite a few programs for this, which you can find by Googling “submission tracker for writers.” (If you look for a “submissions manager,” you’ll just get the kind that journals use to track submissions from others.) One of the results …
Thu, 5 Apr 2012 at 10:53 pm
I use a app called Published! on the Mac it’s really cool. I can track revisions to my manuscripts in addition to submissions, publishers etc –also revenues and expense. Its available on the Mac Store but they have a limited lite version on their web site http://publishedsubmissionstracker.com/
Fri, 6 Apr 2012 at 8:23 pm
Thanks for the link, Sarah!