Wednesday, December 19, 2012

My Submisson Spreadsheet

I thought I would throw out an example of my submission record, for anyone that might have one of their own. I'll bet yours is more precise and organized than mine, and that you might even use a form/database on QueryTracker or one of the other resources. Mine is personalized and simple, and I'm able to examine it at a glance. I usually put a one-word descriptor of the book, like "Fusion" which is the actually title, but I'll cut it down for longer titles like The Girl They Sold to the Moon, which will end up "Girl." PJ will stand for Planet Janitor, and Wolfen will stand for The Wolfen Strain. I'll use parenthesis to show the contact editor (when I know it), then the mode of submission--synop, full, query, or R&R. If if receive any requests for partials or pages, I'll state that. Everything that is in bold indicates a rejection. The last statistic is the date I submitted. If I have a request for further material or a contract offer, I'll pepper it with exclamation or asterisk marks to draw attention to it. It's kind of simple, but effective. The idea is to get the information down and keep track of all responses and correspondence. In some I'll list a token or negotiable advance by "token" or "neg adv."  Form submissions are market as such.

Here's is the current list, and it primarily covers SF, Fantasy, thriller, paranormal romance and is some cases horror. I consider these outfits about the best in small press quality, distribution and possible advance. Nearly all of them do not require an agent--my agent is handling the majors at the moment. I try not to cross paths with my agents submissions, but when I suspect that we might be on the same wave length, I'll let her know who they are--like Snowbooks, Soho, Zharmae, Pry, and some of the other better independents. Anything marked in yellow is a special circumstances case, which might be a referral or indicate a later date to send.

Everything in non-bold are awaiting replies. You can see some of them are approaching or have reached the 1-year mark. What I might do in the future is add a response date so I can judge their response time. But you can probably discern some of the publications that are obviously non-responders, like Crescent Moon Press.  



Zharmae (Agented) Susan wants structural re-writes on Fusion.--6-7-2012
Sunbury Press, sysnopsis and full Screamcatcher, to Mr Knorr on 1-13-2012 (Try Girl)
Entangled—Query of Screamcatcher—12-27-2011
Oceanview Press—3 Chapters of Fusion—1-6-2012
Anachronpren—D.I. Pages or Full—12-16-2011
Crescent Moon—Screamcatcher—Full--10-10-2011--Nudged 4-12
Musa—Screamcatcher--Full--1-7-2012--ACCEPTED****************
Dark Quest—Scream--Chapters or Full—9-11-2011
Crossed Genres Pubs—Scream--10 pages and synopsis--12-4-2011
Elder Signs Press—Scream--Synop and 3 chapters--1-16-2012
Red Deer Press—Sceam--Query and 3 Chapters—1-26-2012
Bell Bridge Books—query—synop--Full--Scream--1-27-2012 This is a rejection, but they want to see it as a first sub in 2013—Debra liked the plot.
Medallion—form--Scream—query--1-29-2012
Wild Child—full--Dispossessed Accepted*****************************
Entangled—(Ms. Howland)--Girl to Moon—synop-3 chapts 2-28-2012 (adv)TURNED INTO FULL REQUEST ON 6-21-2012
Crossed Genre Pubs--(ms. Holt)--Form--Girl--synop and 10 pages—2-28-2012(adv)
JournalStone Press--(Joel)--Girl--3 Chapts (single-space)--query--2-28-2012-Turned into full!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Try Scream)
Morrigan Books (Mark)--Girl--synop--3 Chapts—2-28-2012 (adv)
Zharmae Press (Ms. Grundy)--synop--3 Chapts—Girl--2-28-2012 (adv) JUST REQUESTED THE FULL ON 6-5-2012
Hirst—Diane--Query--Form--3-16-2012
Steward House—Shafer—Fusion--full--synop--3-18-2012
White Cat (Charles)--Fusion--3 chapters and synopsis—4-22-2012
Glasshouse Press (Judy)--Girl--Synopsis--4-25-2012
Sourcebooks—Girl--query--synopsis--full--4-27-2012 (advance) (Scream later)
Medallion—Form--Girl--Synopsis--3 chapters—4-27-2012
Nightbird Pubs—Fusion--Synopsis--4-28-2012
Entranced Pubs (Diana)--synop-query-full--Girl--5-1-2012 ($200 first prize)--Girl is on its way to final round judgement—possible contender to win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I JUST WON FIRST PLACE—200 ADVANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LLDreamspell—5000 words, single space, synopsis, Fusion—5-8-2012 (250 adv) REQUESTED FULL ON FUSION 6-25-2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Diamond Heart Press—Query and bio—Girl--5-10-2012 (neg advance)
Diamond Heart Press—Query and bio--(form)—Scream--5-12-2012 (neg advance)
Red Deer Press--(Mr. Carver)--3 chapts, query—Girl--5-17-2012
Journalstone—(Joel)--Scream--3 chapters single—query--5-18-2012--(neg adv)--Joel wants the full and a bio of my books and sales—sent requested full 5-31-2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dark Fuse Books—Form--synopsis and bio/credit—Fusion—5-31-2012 (POSSIBLE MISTAKE HERE—SENDING WRONG FULL—YOU MUST SEND FUSION—LIBRE FOR THIS ONE. ANY OTHER IS NO GOOD
Prometheus (Seventh Street)—Mr. Mayer, Full, synopsis, marketing plan—Fusion--5-31-2012
Crossed genres—form--synopsis--10 pages—DI--6-1-2012
Steward House—Fusion--synop and full--(negotiable advance)--6-1-2012--ATTENTION: THIS IS A DOUBLE SUBMISSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Atom books—Girl—Synopsis, 3 chapters—6-4-2012 (NOTIFICATION FAILURE)
Bolinda—Girl--query only and question—6-4-2012
Clarion—(Ms. Stevenson)--Girl--full and synopsis—6-4-2012
Lands Atlantic—Girl--Synopsis and 1 chapter—8-21-2012
Amulet Press—Girl--Query and five pages (Ms Metre)--9-3-2012
Albert Whitman and Co—Girl--Query and five pages (Whitman)--9-3-2012
Atom Press—Girl--synopsis--3 Chapters—9-3-2012
Diamond Heart Press—Girl--synopsis and three chapters (form)--9-3-2012
Sunbury Press—Girl--(Mr. Knorr)--synopsis--9-9-2012
Dark Quest—Girl--(ms. Morris)--query--9-9-2012
Snowbooks—Girl--synopsis--full--9-9-2012
Ephemera Publishing--Girl--query--full--9-9-2012
Arctic Wolf pubs—Girl--synopsis--3 chapters—9-9-2012
Shaddowfall Press—Girl--online form--full--9-9-2012
Jolly fish Press—Girl--synopsis--3 Chapters—9-9-2012—REQUESTED 150 PAGES ON 9-18-2012—FULL REQUEST ON 10-9-2012*********************************************
Luminis Books—Girl--synopsis--10 pages in body—9-9-2012
Post Mortem Press—Girl--synopsis--full--9-11-2012
Pyr Books (Prometheus—R. Sears)--synopsis--full--Girl--9-11-2012
White Cat Press—Girl--synopsis--3 Chapters—9-11-2012
Month9Books—Girl--Pitch on FB--9-16-2012
Belle Books—Girl (deb dixon)--full--synopsis--9-17-2012
Precious Gems Pub—Girl (Ms. Lignor)--query only—9-17-2012
Montag press—girl—full, copyright and synopsis—9-18-2012
Lerner Press (Carolrhoda books—Mr. Karre)--Girl--SENT FULL—9-20-2012
Coliloquy Press—Girl—Synopsis--(Ms. Rutherford)--9-20-2012
Haven Books—Girl—Synopsis--9-20-2012
Damnation Books—Screamcatcher—synop--marketing, 3 and last chapters—9-22-2012--REQUESTED FULL 9-24-2012 ACCEPTED FOR CONTRACT**************************
Harper Voyager Teen—Form: Girl, synopsis, query, and full--10-1-2012
Harper Voyager Teen—Form: Scream, synopsis, query, and full--10-1-2012
Harper Voyager Teen—Form: Fusion, synopsis, query, and full—10-1-2012
Alloy Entertainment—query, first five pages, Girl—10-02-2012
Dark Fuse/Delerium—Scream—query, synop—10-2-2012
47th Street Publishing (Amazon), Girl—synopsis, marketing, full—10-3-2012
Zharmae—Screamcatcher--synopsis--3 chapters—10-11-2012
Crossed Genres Press--Dispossessed Inc. (Form-10 pages, synopsis- 10-17-2012
Blue Leaf Books—Scream (J. Grant) marketing, synop-4-chapters—11-5-2012--REQUESTED FULL ON 11-08-2012********************
Jolly Fish—Scream--synopsis and 3 chapters—11-15-2012
Snowbooks—Scream--synopsis and full—11-21-2012
Pyr Books (Rene Sears)--Screamcatcher--full and synopsis—11-26-2012
Quirk Books (Jason)--Girl--Query--3 chapts—11-28--2012
Soho—Scream--3 Chapts—Synopsis--(ms. Kowal)--11-29-2012
Spencer Hill press (ms Rilely)--Girl--query--10 pages--12-10-2012
Etopia Press—RTF in Full and synopsis—Fusion--12-13-2012 Advance 100 to 1,000
Sourcebooks—Scream--query--synopsis--full--12-15-2012
Arctic Wolf Publishing—Scream--synopsis and 3 chapters—12-15-2012
Month9Books—Scream--synopsis and full (From FB pitch)--12-1502012
Turner Publications—Fusion--Query to Mr. Bottorff--12-18-201

NOTE: IF YOU'VE HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH ANY OF THESE PUBLISHERS, OR YOU'VE FOUND THEM WANTING OR LACKING IN PROFESSIONALISM, PLEASE DROP ME A LINE HERE IN THE COMMENT SECTION AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT. YOUR EXPERIENCES MIGHT BE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN MINE.

OR DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING POSITIVE TO SAY ABOUT ANYONE, WHO MIGHT BE CITED FOR EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOR? LET IT RIP! 
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2 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing this. My sub log has a lot less information on it, and I've been thinking of things I might add to it. Great stuff!

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  2. Thanks for commenting, randi. The sub trail out there is a tough road, especially this time of year. The more precise you are in your submissions, the more info you'll have on hand when dealing with an agent or publisher. It also gives you an idea of who responds and how fast they are. I always wanted to compile a list of the best small press out there. I'm looking for houses that offer some type of distribution and at least a token or small advance. I'm a little weary of writing for royalties only.

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