Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 26, 2026

At The Poetry Soul, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, register for an account, or submit your poetry to our contests.

Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access the site.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when registering on the site, participating in contests, or contacting us. This includes:

• Personal Identifiers: Your real name, pen name (if applicable), email address, and password.

• Submission Data: The poetry you submit, along with the titles, contest categories, and submission dates.

• Financial Data: If you enter a Paid contest or win a cash prize, payment information is required. We do not store your credit card numbers. All transactions are securely processed by our third-party payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal), and we only retain transaction records (like receipts and payout histories).

• Profile Information: Any optional information you add to your public author profile, such as a profile picture (avatar), bio, and links to your social media.

2. Automatically Collected Information

When you visit The Poetry Soul, our servers automatically collect basic information about your device and usage, including:

• Your IP address, browser type, and operating system.

• Pages you view, links you click, and the date/time of your visit.

• Cookies and tracking technologies used to keep you logged in and understand how users navigate our site.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to operate our platform and provide a great experience for our poets. Specifically, we use your data to:

• Create and manage your author account.

• Process your contest entries and entry fees securely.

• Communicate with you regarding contest results, prize payouts, and platform updates.

• Publicly display your winning poetry, pen name, and author bio on our website and social media channels (only if you win or receive an honorable mention).

• Send you our newsletter or promotional emails (you can opt-out of these at any time).

• Prevent fraud, enforce our Terms and Conditions, and secure our platform.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We only share your information in the following situations:

• Service Providers: We share data with trusted third-party vendors who help us run our website, such as web hosting providers, email delivery services (e.g., Mailchimp), and payment processors.

• Public Display: If your poem wins a contest, your submitted poem, pen name, and profile bio will be published on our website and may be shared on our official social media accounts.

• Legal Obligations: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of The Poetry Soul, our users, or others.

5. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies (small data files stored on your device) to recognize your browser, remember your login status, and gather general analytics about site traffic. You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings, but please note that some features of our platform (like staying logged into your account) may not function properly without them.

6. Data Security

We implement standard administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your personal information (such as SSL encryption for secure data transfer). However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Your Data Rights

Depending on your location (such as under the GDPR or CCPA), you have specific rights regarding your personal data:

• Access and Update: You can access, edit, or update your profile information at any time by logging into your account settings.

• Data Deletion: You have the right to request the deletion of your account and personal data. Note: If you request deletion, any poems currently entered into active contests will be withdrawn.

• Opt-Out: You may unsubscribe from our marketing emails at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the email.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@thepoetrysoul.com.

8. Children’s Privacy

Our platform is not directed toward children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete that information immediately.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and, in some cases, sending an email notification.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at:

The Poetry Soul Email: info@thepoetrysoul.com