Byline Tracker for Freelance Journalists — Monthly Output and Outlet Mix
Freelance output is invisible until you count it, and by the time a commissioning editor or a grant panel asks what you have published this year the answer is usually a scramble through old emails. This keeps a running tally in the browser.
Last reviewed: Next review due:
Byline Impact Tracker
Log every published byline to track your monthly output, outlet mix and portfolio growth. Data is saved in your browser only.
No bylines logged yet. Add your first one above.
How it works
- Each byline is logged with article title, outlet, outlet type (national, regional, trade/B2B, digital-only), publication date, category (news, features, investigation, opinion, reviews, other) and word count. Entries are saved to browser localStorage under the key ukjh-byline-tracker.
- The This month panel counts only entries whose date falls in the current calendar month, read from your browser after the page loads. It shows the number of bylines, the total words, and a count by outlet type.
- The Portfolio totals panel counts everything ever logged: total bylines, total words, and the outlet you have appeared in most often.
- Export JSON downloads the whole log as byline-portfolio.json — the only copy that survives clearing your browser data.
When to use it
- Keeping a running record of what you have published, so a portfolio or pitch does not depend on memory.
- Checking your outlet mix — whether a month that felt busy was actually four trade pieces and no nationals.
- Pulling a word-count total for a grant, fellowship or tax-year review.
- Exporting the JSON as a backup before you rebuild a portfolio site or switch machines.
What it does not do
- Despite the name, it does not measure impact. There is no field for page views, reach, engagement, awards, citations, follow-up coverage or outcome — it counts articles and words. What it actually tracks is output volume and outlet mix.
- Everything lives in one browser on one device. Clearing site data, using private browsing, or switching to a phone loses the log. Export the JSON if the record matters.
- Nothing verifies that a byline exists — there is no URL field and no link check, so the log is exactly as accurate as what you typed.
- Category is recorded but never broken out anywhere, and the outlet-type breakdown covers only the current month, so it resets on the first of each month.
More tools
This is one of the free tools on UK JournoHub. See the full tools index for the rest.