Tracking your queries is a must. You don’t want to double-send or worse, miss one. You need to know who replied and who you are waiting on still. You need to know who asked for partials or fulls and when you sent them.

Every writer will have their own favorite method, and I invite any of our readers to share their methodology in the comments. What works for one writer may not work for another. The point is not to track using a specific method, but to use the method that works best for you.

My method is pretty simple—I use an Excel spreadsheet. My columns are: Agent, Agency, Contact Info, Date Sent, Date Reply, Result, Days Out, Notes, and Query Notes.

In the beginning, as I am compiling names and agencies, I use the Query Notes column to note what that particular agent’s submission guidelines calls for. Some want…