Keep a simple scoreboard of your pitches

Keep a simple scoreboard of your pitches

If you don't track your outreach, you can't learn from it. A tiny log turns guesswork into a skill.

Think of it like keeping receipts. Boring, until tax time shows you exactly where your money went.

Here's the smallest log that works:

— 1. Date and the query topic you answered.
— 2. Result: ignored, replied, or quoted.
— 3. One note on why you think it landed or didn't.

After twenty rows, patterns appear. Maybe your quoted pitches were all under 80 words. Maybe morning replies won. You stop guessing and start repeating what works.

A spreadsheet with five columns is plenty. The point isn't fancy tracking — it's noticing your own habits.

Try this today: make a five-column sheet and log your last three pitches, even the ones that went nowhere.