Look, I made a thing.
Paper Trail
(The thing is not the logo, just to be perfectly clear.)
Why I built Paper Trail
So this initially grew out of my dissatisfaction with a lot of existing submission tracking tools and platforms. A specific use case I needed to solve was that I was rarely actually at a computer when I got a response on a piece, but managing spreadsheets and platforms unoptimized for mobile made it a hassle to deal with contemporaneously. And since I lack object permanence, by the time I sat down to do some work, I’d already forgotten about it, so I would only achieve being up to date for the most fleeting of moments before being out of sync with the next email.
My tracking was sporadic and inconsistent, to say the least. I needed a better system for tracking what submissions I had out with which markets, what their status was, and what the next steps would be. Analytics? Sure, let’s get some analytics in there. But overall, needing something that would establish some sort of… record of their historical actions and events…
Damn it, I was so sure there was a term for it.
Anyway
The project quickly metamorphosed into something far more robust than simply keeping track of submissions as, bit by bit, I ended up translating just about all my own processes and tools into a single integrated platform. Every project can capture everything from planning through publishing, from making outlines and story bibles to querying agents and submitting to editors.
Even for projects on a far smaller scale (and remember, I mostly work with short stories), there’s still a wealth of utility at hand.
A non-exhaustive list of features:
- Both rough and detailed outlines
- Timelines
- Characters and settings
- Worldbuilding templates (i.e. magic systems)
- Glossaries
- Visual references
- Reusable templates
Soft serve ice creamHmmm, maybe next sprint- Project exports for everything from a list of characters to a full story bible
I’ve got a pretty ambitious roadmap of future features as well, so I will be busy with this for a while yet to come.
You’re Losing Them, Wrap it Up
Paper Trail is a working title for an active project. It’s more than just the minimum viable product at this point, but I want to refine it through the feedback of actual users. Unsurprisingly, it’s largely geared around my workflow and process, but I’m interested in your process.
Yes, you. I’m talking to you, Janet.
(I bet that’s slaying with people named Janet.)
Seriously, though, if you are someone who actively submits your work to markets or plans complicated stories, I’m deeply interested in knowing where Paper Trail might be able to help you out.
Try Paper Trail
Paper Trail is currently available in beta to everyone. Give it a go.
Or else.