I find it annoying that many of the publications don’t even list down who has rights to the content. Many editors cried foul when Medium recently removed the one-click button that let’s them acquire stories but they don’t like it when writers use the one-click button to take back control of their stories. Are they making it aptly clear to the writer that they’ll refuse permission if the writer wants to withdraw? You can’t have it both ways, guys! I feel that with some of its recent moves, Medium is getting ready to allow more publications to put stories behind the paywall but publication owners need to do a lot more to become compatible with that, especially when there is money involved.

Personally, I think stories that were sent to a Medium publication are fair game to be published behind the paywall after a few months. Pretty much every non-paying literary magazine (and most paying ones as well) note that rights revert to author upon publication and they’re allowed to republish after a few months. The only thing they ask for is an acknowledgement that the story was first published in so-and-so. It is amazing to see that editors on Medium feel they can own a story for eternity and refuse a republication anywhere else.