Some basic tips for efficient QSLing
First of all, you must print your QSL cards. There is a great variety of card types: single, multi or full coloured; single or double sided, or even folded.
It depends on your taste and budget what your card will look like. A good looking card gives you a better confirmation chance, when you are not operating from one of those rare pile-up maker places.
A good advice is to design your card for multi contact entry. Especially useful for active DXers and contesters.
Be sure to get the correct QSL route of the station worked. During normal contacts almost all stations give their route - via bureau, via another station, a direct address, or pointing to another source (CBA, QRZ.com etc). That is not true when working in pile-ups and contests. During contests just a few stations give their route. In pile-ups the DX station usually gives the route once in a while, so if you didn't have the chance to directly ask, be patient to monitor the next dozen of contacts and get the route.
Be careful, some stations use a foreign manager, even if there is a functioning bureau in their own country.
If you were not able to get the QSL route during the contact, there are a lot of other sources, such as HAM magazines, buletins, CD-ROM callbooks, WEB sites, DX-cluster spots and even a special e-mail reflector for discussing and sharing such info.
It is not wise to automathically confirm all contacts made. QSLing is a bilateral process. Do not send first a card to someone whose card you don't need. Thus you will save some funds, and will not generate unnecessary traffic. Most QSL bureaus and active managers are really crowded with cards (=much extra work). NOTE that some bureaus charge the incoming mail as well, so unnecessary cards effect the other party's funds as well as yours.
Depending on your activity, appoint a reasonable schedule for your QSL work: weekly, monthly or whatever you find appropriate. Direct QSLing is a constant process, while usually bureau QSLing is a season work .Always start with the most needed confirmations - all time new ones, BAND/MODE new ones, those needed for Diploms etc. Try to combine your goals. A new together DXCC/IOTA/ZONE card is more precious than just a new DXCC or new IOTA. An alltime new one is better than a BAND/MODE new one.
Try to shoot more than one rabbit with a single bullet, whenever possible.
Keep a detailed track of your QSL work. If you are using an electronic logbook, most of them have NOTES or similar fields. Put down the date when you sent your QSL card. When QSLing direct, write down the address used also. I will help you to trace unanswered requests. If you do classic paper logging, open a notebook for this purpose. Direct QSLing usually takes from a few weeks to a few months, while bureau takes from a few months to a few years. Always allow a reasonable turnaround time, before requesting again. A good advice is to check your QSL status via e-mail before resubmitting. Some stations accept e-mail requests as well. This usually means that they do not need your card. Don't flow their desks with unneeded cards.
The Busy managers usually take care of many callsigns, some of them even for hundreds. Avoid sending multiple call requests. In many cases the manager still don't have some of the logs, so your other cards are greatly delayed because of one. Once again, take care for sufficient postage. A "single" postage will be OK for 2-3 cards, no more (depends on the post rates in the particular country. NOTE that in some countries IRCs are useless, while in other G$ are illigal. You can take a look at the IRC/G$ CHART for details.
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