This is my weird little way of tracking manuscripts. Since I’m a visual person, I use a mindmapping software to show me everything at a glance.If you’re not familiar with mind mapping, I think of it as a patch of pumpkins. Each pumpkin could be about a character or a chapter and all the lines that connect them are like the vines. It’s
an interesting way to draw out your book and see what you’ve got and there are various ways and degrees of detail you can use.

But I somehow ended up tracking my books and submissions on this program and i thought I’d take a screen shot and give you my ideas for using it. Keep in mind this is a screenshot of a “test” case not my actual subtracker.

If you visit the files section you’ll find a .jpg screenshot and you can follow along. It’ll make the most sense that way.

The software I use is free from this website: www.mindomo.com

I start with a central blob and call it books. Then I have little blobs/pumpkins all around that central one. Each little one is a single book in some stage of the process. From the idea to submitting to selling it. It gets a title, and if it’s part of a series, the series name.

The software has various features that let you add notes, due dates, progress pies (1/8 done, whole done, etc.) and lots of other things that come in handy. Let me tell you how I use it… it may give you
ideas. This works for me. It won’t work for everyone.

If I have two stories (or more) that are connected, I change the border around the individual story pumpkins to match and be different from the other pumpkins. If I am writing something that I think I’d submit under a different pen name, I change the background color.

I give myself personal deadlines and use the Start Date and Due Date feature. I also like to know how much I have written and what the total word count should be. I use the Resources box for that and it pops up right there on the pumpkin.

I can also attach notes. The notes generally include a blurb, where I submitted the story, when, what response I’ve gotten.

There are lots of little icons that make the whole pumpkin patch easier to use. For instance… if a story is just being started I use a pie chart that looks like a whole pie (in other words, none of the pie is eaten.) If the story is half done, I change it so it looks like the pie is half eaten. If the story is complete, it gets a check mark. Once it’s submitted it gets a red flag. If it sells it gets a green flag.

I hope this is an idea that at least one of you can use. I use this thing every day. It makes me so much more organized.

Best, Ally

Click the picture below for full size example.

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