Track it! A Way to Keep Track of Where Your Manuscript Is and What Has Been Done to It
Jenna Petersen

So here's the scenario: You've sent out so much material that your eyes are crossed. To agents, to editors, to every contest you can think of. And now you've gotten one of your self-addressed stamped envelopes back in the mail. You open it and there's a form rejection. Now you're bummed... and confused. What did you send? When did you send it?

If this sounds familiar... or sounds like it could be familiar in the future, you may want to consider creating a tracking system. That way you know exactly what you sent and where you sent it. It's a good way to not only track where your stuff is, but how long each editor or agent usually takes to respond to you and how they respond.

I've created a simple table in Word that has helped me enormously.

Heart of a Wolf (Along the top you write the titles of your manuscripts)

A Lady’s Desire

Her Silent Heart

Lyssa Keusch – Avon

(Along the side you put the NAME of the person you sent it to. Also put the house or agency. Sometimes people move and when you check on status you'll want to know exactly who you sent what to and where they were at the time).

XX Email query 10/24/01
11/29 -- Request for Partial
12/2 – Partial received
2/9/02 – rejected XX (In each box, you'll want to put how you contacted the person initially and the date. I also put all follow-up and the dates. Once something has been rejected, I put XX next to the entire entry.)

2/11/02 – Email Query

2/13/02 – Request for Partial

2/19/02 – Partial Received (When you send your requested partials or full manuscripts, use priority mail and tell them you want a delivery confirmation. The receiving party doesn't have to sign for the manuscript, but the postal worker scans a number in for you that tells you when it landed in the mailbox at its destination.)

This box is blank because I haven't sent this manuscript to Avon, but I have sent it to other publishers on my full chart. This way I know there are still some open spots to send it to.

This system has worked well for me because I have several manuscripts out to up to twelve houses and many more agencies at a time. It would be impossible to remember who had what at all times.

To do it, just set up a table in Word. Print it out if you like and hang it by your computer! That way you can give it a check every so often and be proud of how much you've put out there to be examined.