Submission and Query Tracker

Who this is for

Every query and submission in one log. Each line records who you sent to, what you sent, when an answer is due, what came back and how long it took, so you always know what is still out.

Writers querying literary agents, submitting to publishers who accept direct submissions, or sending stories and poems to magazines, journals and anthologies.

What this helps you track

• Who each query or submission went to, and the contact name
• Whether you sent a query, a partial or the full manuscript
• The response date the agent or publisher gives, if any
• What came back, and how many days each one took
• How many submissions are still out at any time

How to use it

1. Write the manuscript title, genre and word count at the top; use one sheet per manuscript.
2. Add a line for each query or submission on the day it goes, with the agent or publisher, the contact and what you sent.
3. Copy in any response date given in their guidelines, so you know when to follow up or move on.
4. When a reply arrives tick replied, write the date and choose the outcome; a request for more pages gets a new line when you send them.
5. Days waiting is worked out in the browser and the workbook: to the reply date once replied, otherwise to today.

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 long should I wait for a reply?

Each agent, publisher and magazine sets its own response time, and some never reply to a no. Copy whatever their guidelines say into the response due column; the sheet does not assume a figure.

Why does a request for a full manuscript get a new line?

Because it is a separate submission with its own date and its own wait. Keeping it on a new line means the first query shows as answered and the full shows as still out.

Can I track short stories and poems here?

Yes. Write the story or collection title in the header, or use the notes column when one sheet covers several pieces. Note simultaneous submissions so you can withdraw the others promptly if one is accepted.

What does the average response time include?

It averages the days waiting column across every line, so open submissions count the days so far. Read it as how long things are taking now, not a finished figure.