Manuscript Submission Tools

If you finished your NaNoWriMo novel last month, you may want to submit it for publication.

Here are tools that can help, via the Bookbaby blog.
First of all, know that these aren’t all free and all require a bit of work!
The first tool is Submittable.  It is free for “submitters” (ie. writers), actually, and has tools for keeping track of not only what you’ve submitted and to whom, but any awards and accolades you may have achieved with your writing.  You do need to sign up for an account, of course, to track your submissions and so on, but that’s about it.  The only down-side is that publishers must have a paid account to receive your submissions from this site.  You can read more about Submittable here.

The second tool is Duotrope.  This is a paid service, which currently runs $5/month after a 7-day trial.  They bill themselves as a more professional resource for serious writers.  One of the more interesting features, I think, is all the tracking and statistical details they claim to offer.  I don’t think I’d recommend this for the casual writer, like me, but for anyone who really wants to break into print and work towards being a professional writer, it seems like a viable option.  Their FAQ has more details.

Finally, Chris Robely at Bookbaby recommends just keeping a simple spreadsheet.  I have to admit, it’s the easiest thing to do.  And, if you use something like LibreOffice, it’s free.  It’s what I used when I was writing and submitting on a regular basis.  Not that I had that many things to keep track of, but, still, you get the idea.  I got the basic format for my spreadsheet from an article in the Writer’s Digest Writer’s Market, which is still the definitive source for potential publishers in my opinion.  I used to also recommend the Writer’s Market Companion, but it’s apparently been superseded by The Writer’s Market Guide to Getting Published.

So, think about that while you’re recovering from last month’s NaNoWriMo.  Also, consider reading Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, while you’re at it, so you can revise your manuscript before sending it off.