Thank you for this request! I can't believe I haven't done a post on this before. :)
Define muna natin ang terms.
EXCLUSIVE WRITER: Someone whose contract requires that they cannot work with any other publisher while the contract is valid.
FREELANCE WRITER: Someone who makes a deal with a publisher to publish a specific book or number of books, but is not required to work only with that publisher, and can work with others at present or in the future.
Kapag exclusive:
Madali lang ang pros nito: Kapag exclusive, siguradong may publisher ka. Hindi ka na maghihirap na magsubmit to publishers every time may story kang natapos. Baka may mga perks pa na nakukuha ang exclusive authors that freelancers with the same publisher don't get, like bonuses, events, freebies, etc.
Cons: Kung gaano katagal ang kontrata, ganon din katagal na you can't work with anyone else. Even if you want to. Even if your publisher is no longer printing your books. Even if they don't even publish the kind of books you write (for example, they don't print English books pero English yung new book mo, pero di mo na pwedeng i-offer yon sa ibang publisher). May conditions ba para ma-publish ang mga susunod mong libro? Ano ang conditions para ma-release ka from exclusivity? May mga writer na hindi mo na nakikita ang mga libro ngayon dahil nakatali pa rin sila sa exclusive contracts pero hindi na pini-print ng publisher ang books nila at hindi na rin tinatanggap ang mga bagong submission. So paano na lang?
Kapag freelance o non-exclusive:
Pros: Kahit published, you remain free to write what you want and work with anyone else. Kung may range yung sinusulat mo at di lang isang genre at language, kung may non-fiction work ka rin, kung mahilig kang sumali sa workshops at contests, baka mas bagay sa iyo ang freelance.
Cons: Walang assurance na yung next book mo ay mapa-publish. At mahirap na rin makahanap ngayon ng publisher na papayag na freelancer ka. I imagine na mahirap rin ang marketing pag hindi ka exclusive sa publisher, dahil baka hindi ka priority sa mga signing at events. (Siyempre una ang mga exclusive.)
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Personally, ako ay isang NON-EXCLUSIVE or FREELANCE author.
Nagkataon lang na walang nago-offer ng exclusive contract when I started out five years ago, but I find it to be the better deal, kahit may disadvantages din. Kasi at least nakakapag-compare ako ng experience kung paano maka-work ang iba ibang company at tao. Kapag hindi maganda ang pakikitungo sa isa, move on sa iba. That's why my work is still out there, lalo na ngayon na napakadali na magself-pub at magbenta ng ebooks sa Amazon. At least may freedom ako to work with the right people for the right book. And I also have the freedom to walk away if it's not working out. And usually, if your story is good, there's always someone else who is willing to publish it.
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ONE MORE THING: If you were published BECAUSE of your work on Wattpad and you now have an exclusive contract, ask your publisher kung ano ang position nila on work that will NOT AND NEVER BE on Wattpad. Paano kung:
- Nag-attend ka ng workshop? (Dumaguete, Baguio, etc)
- A company or an individual person hired you to write?
- Na-invite ka mag-contribute sa isang anthology?
- A publisher commissions you to write a new story?
This is how many writers earn a living or improve their craft. Paano kung open ka sa opportunities na ganito at hindi naman malalagay sa Wattpad lahat? Will your publisher allow you to do this? If they won't will they GIVE YOU LEARNING AND INCOME OPPORTUNITIES TO REPLACE THE ONES YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP?