# Keeping track of Submissions.



## dvspec (May 14, 2014)

I have started writing articles and submitted a couple.  I was just wondering how the folks here kept track of what, where and when they submitted things.  What do you keep track of?


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## Potty (May 14, 2014)

There are programs out there to do this for you... but I simply keep a RTF file in a folder with the story in (Each of my stories have their own folder with deleted scenes etc) which has a list of the places I've submitted to.


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## gagoots (May 18, 2014)

I pay to use Duotrope. I like the service, although I know some folks are put off because they went from free to fee.


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## dvspec (May 18, 2014)

I've seen several references to Duotrope.  I'll check it out.


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## Caragula (May 19, 2014)

Excel


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## krishan (May 26, 2014)

I use an Excel spreadsheet, which works very well. It took a little time to learn how to properly maintain a database, and how to use search and filter it so that it was actually useful for me, but it was well worth the time to do so.

Duotrope's submission tracker is very good, as is their directory as a whole.


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## dvspec (May 26, 2014)

I know how to do spreadsheets and have set one up already.  I put in columns for the information I though I might need, but what kind of information do _you_ track.


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## Potty (May 27, 2014)

Which magazine I've submitted to and if they published it or not. Not really sure what else there is to track.


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## Kyle R (May 28, 2014)

I use Duotrope as well, though you can track using the same criteria their site uses on your own:

*PIECE* (The name of the piece you've submitted)
*MARKET* (The name of where you submitted to)
*DATE SENT* (When you submitted)
*DATE RECEIVED* (When you received a response, if any)
*RESPONSE* (Accepted? Rejected? Under consideration? Auto-response? Personal letter? Et cetera...)
*DAYS OUT* (How many days it's been since you've submitted without a response)

These last three tracking criteria are more Duotrope-specific, as they use data reported to them by other users:

*AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME* (How long this market usually takes to respond)
*ESTIMATED RESPONSE TIME* (How many days until you hear back from them, based on the average response time)
*ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL* (The date their response is predicted)


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## felix (May 29, 2014)

Used Excel for years, but I just started using Duotrope. Finding it infinitely better already. Worth the database and average response time information etc.


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