Monday morning, and after a few words here, I must get back to assembling my facts and figures for my taz preparer.  Meanwhile, do as I say about organizing manuscript records.  Nobody could be as faulty as I am about keeping other kinds of records.

Long ago and for most of my writing years I kept a daily log that had a column for title of a manuscript, the date, where sent and to which editor; any costs involved and as the last column, "Pay."  This was begun long before my entry into the computer world and the fact that I sometimes give a manuscript a name in the computer file that I failed to record on the paper file.  Recently I had to re-type a complete manuscript because–even though I did have a printed copy–I could not find it anywhere in my computer files which show up on my desktop as "letters," "manuscripts" and "my documents."  No, I do not know why so many categories but at one time I thought this was "good organization."  Of course by now (computing since 1985) I find titles and letters and partially completed manuscripts in any one of those files. (Yes, I know I can change those file names, but I often want to save both titles)  Back to the paper records:  Now each manuscript has its own file card;  If this title has a different or even slightly different title in my computer file–that information goes on the card in parentheses. Date sent and to whom is on the card. 

But here is the KEY to telling me at a glance how many Mss are out and when sent.  At year's end I receive about four write-in calendars.  After posting one in the kitchen and one above my desk, I give away or discard the others.  Except this year:  On one of those extras with big write-in squares, I enter titles on the date sent.  This way, I know at a glance when it is appropriate to re-send a title if I have not heard from an editor about it.  These days, even with top magazines, up to three months may lapse before receiving word.  Case in point:  I received an e-mail from an editor at The Writer this past week, saying that if I had completed the manuscript I had queried, to send it along. My write-in calendar told me what I had queried and when.  I e-mailed immediately that I would send the completed manuscript this week, THE ONE THAT BEGINS TODAY!.  Taxes await.  Manuscript awaits.  So time to close the Blog.