You are right. It is easy to get excited about possible publication. Suddenly rights take a backseat to fame and fortune! I believe different situations call for different decisions and the best thing any writer can do is keep her head up and her eyes open.

I was surprised the first time I was confronted with a contracted that demanded (okay, asked for) all rights. But it does happen. Some pieces I am willing to give up rights, others not so much.

Thanks for the opportunity to share this information with others.

Particularly important is your bottom-line point about reading the fine print. A mistake that new writers frequently make is that they get so excited about finally getting published somewhere that they forget to read the contract carefully, or fully read the terms when getting published online. There are definitely trade-offs a writer must make when they’re trying to get established, but it’s still important to at least know what trade-off’s you’re agreeing to.