The submission process isn’t an easy thing. Whether periodical or agent, every venue you submit to has their own individualized requirements. It’s hard enough following all the specific directions, jumping through all the hoops, hoping that you don’t commit some dire error or major faux pas that keeps you from ever getting published (who hasn’t sent a query to an agent using the wrong name >.<) – so why make it harder on yourself by risking a repeat submission?
Sure, you can create your own spreadsheet, a private little diary of shame and rejection. I’ve done it. I poured precious time and 
energy into maintaining it, too, time I could have spent writing or submitting, only to (eek, whoops!) make a mistake and resubmit the same piece to a very unforgiving editor (at least it’s one less place to worry about ever having to submit to again).
Stop the insanity!!!! There are easier ways. Ways that will even help you to find more markets to submit to.
The (Submission) Grinder is a free website. Duotrope charges for its services ($5 a month or $50 for the year). Both help you search for magazines and anthologies to submit to. They will also keep track of where you submit to, how long the submission has been out, and your acceptance and rejection rates (if you update your submission responses). By reporting your responses, the sites are able to compile submission statistics for each publications such as a magazine’s response time, rejection to acceptance ratio, where other writers sent similar submissions to, etc.
I have more experience with Duotrope. You can run a more detailed search, looking for the markets with the quickest response times, the highest acceptance rates, the pay structure, the format they publish, and more in a fraction of the time it would take you to research on your own. I can’t recommend it enough.
Now, on to querying agents . . . . I’ve found that it’s much easier to keep track of agent queries, but it’s an isolated, frustrating world to be in alone. So many questions, so few answers, no one else to feel your pain or share your angst with.
That’s where Query Tracker comes in. This site can help you find agents to submit to and will keep track of your submissions. They provide the average time for each agent to respond with a rejection, or to request a full. There’s also an awesome little comments section where people can post, so you can share that after 3 days the agent requested a partial (hurray!), or sent a rejection (boo). They also offer an array of statistics with a paid subscription of $25 a year.
It can be a long, lonely road on the trip to publication, Hopefully, these tips will help your journey to be quicker and less solitary! How do you keep track of your submissions – what works for you?
Shannon Hollinger 