Many publishing contracts
have a first right of refusal clause.
This is a clause designed
to make the writer ‘exclusive’
to a single publisher.
This exclusivity only works, however,
if the publisher contracts as quickly
as the writer writes.
I have exclusivity contracts
with two of my publishers
and I have satisfied both of them.
That means I can shop my next manuscript
to any publisher I wish
and it isn’t in my best interest
to write that manuscript for an existing publisher.
Why?
Because clearly my existing publishers
haven’t evaluated the stories
I’ve already written for them.
One of my former employers
used to get huffy
whenever their employees moonlighted.
The thing is…
they didn’t pay their employees well
so the employees were forced to look
for other work.
It is very difficult
to force a person or company
to give you exclusivity.
If you want exclusivity,
you should prove again and again
that exclusivity is in THEIR best interest.