Freelance Article Pitch Tracker

Who this is for

Every pitch from the day it goes out to the day the money lands. One line per pitch records the publication, the editor, what was agreed and when it was filed, invoiced and whether it has been paid. The workbook and browser version count the days an invoice has been waiting and add up what is still owed.

Freelance journalists and writers pitching several publications at once, who need to see which editors have replied, which pieces are due and which invoices are late.

What this helps you track

• Which pitches went where and to which editor
• Which were accepted, declined or are still waiting
• The fee agreed and the deadline for each accepted piece
• When each piece was invoiced and whether it has been paid
• How long unpaid invoices have been outstanding

How to use it

1. Write your name and the period the sheet covers at the top.
2. Add a line for each pitch as it goes out, with the date, the publication and editor, and a working title.
3. Update the status as replies come in, and enter the fee and deadline only when a piece is accepted, so the fee column also counts acceptances.
4. Record the invoice date when you bill, and tick paid when the money arrives.
5. The days outstanding and owed columns are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, count the days from invoice to today.
6. Chase anything with a long days outstanding figure, using the terms you agreed with that publication.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How are days outstanding counted?

From the invoice date to today, for as long as paid is left unticked. The column is blank until an invoice date is entered and goes blank again once paid is ticked, and a fee counts as owed until then. What counts as late depends on the terms you agreed with each publication.

Why leave the fee blank for declined pitches?

Because the summary counts a pitch as accepted when it has an agreed fee. Declined pitches keep their line so you can see who was approached and when, without inflating the fees agreed.

Does this replace an invoice?

No. It records when an invoice was sent and whether it has been paid. Send the invoice itself from your usual template or accounting software and note its date here.

Can I track the same idea pitched to several places?

Yes. Give each publication its own line with the same working title. The status column shows where it stands with each, and you can withdraw it from the others once one editor accepts.