Privacy
Policy
We are all made of stories.
House of Leorah ("we," "our," or "us") is a storytelling, publishing, podcasting, and media company. This policy describes what information we collect when you visit the site, submit content, contact us, subscribe to the newsletter, or otherwise interact with House of Leorah; why we collect it; how we use it; how long we keep it; and the choices you have.
Minimum age requirement (18+)
House of Leorah is intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from individuals under 18. Contributor participation, submissions, podcast and interview participation, and media uploads are restricted to users 18 years of age or older.
Information we collect
Depending on how you interact with House of Leorah, we may collect:
- Name (when voluntarily provided).
- Pen name (when voluntarily provided).
- Email address (required to submit a story or to subscribe to the newsletter).
- Submitted content — stories, creative writing, advice questions, memories, letters, and other text you send us.
- Uploaded media — images, audio, video, and other files you provide.
- Newsletter signup information — email address, name, and stated interests.
- Contact form information — name, email, and the content of your message.
- Interview requests and related communications.
- Podcast applications and related communications.
- Contributor communications — correspondence about your submission, edits, publication, or related matters.
- Attribution preference and consent records associated with your submission.
- Technical website usage data — pages viewed, referring URL, approximate location.
- Device and browser information — user agent, screen size, language.
- Cookie data — see our Cookie Policy.
- Analytics data — aggregated usage patterns.
Why we collect this information
- To review, edit, and consider your submission for publication.
- To communicate with you about your submission, publication status, editorial questions, fact clarification, podcast or interview invitations, and legal matters related to your work.
- To deliver the newsletter (only when you have separately opted in).
- To respond to inquiries sent through the contact form.
- To operate, secure, and improve the website.
- To prevent abuse, fraud, and misuse of the platform.
- To maintain records of consent, contributor representations, and licensing.
- To comply with legal, regulatory, and administrative obligations.
Legal basis for collection
When you voluntarily submit content, complete a contact form, request an interview, apply to participate in the podcast, or otherwise contact us, you consent to House of Leorah collecting and processing that information for:
- Editorial review
- Contributor communication
- Publication review
- Podcast and interview consideration
- Newsletter communication — only if separately opted into
- Legal and administrative recordkeeping
We also process information where necessary for our legitimate operational interests in running the site and where required to comply with applicable law.
How we store information
Submission data, contributor communications, newsletter records, and contact-form messages are stored using reputable third-party hosting, database, email, and analytics providers under their commercial security and confidentiality terms. Access is limited to House of Leorah editors, operators, and authorized contractors who need it to perform their duties.
How we use your email
Your email address is never published. We use it only to communicate with you. Submitting a story or contacting us does not automatically subscribe you to the newsletter or any marketing email. Newsletter subscriptions require a separate opt-in.
House of Leorah may, however, contact contributors regarding:
- Their submission
- Publication opportunities
- Editorial questions or fact clarification
- Podcast invitations
- Interview requests
- Legal or administrative matters related to submissions
Record retention
House of Leorah may retain, for editorial, operational, historical, compliance, and legal purposes:
- Submission records
- Contributor communications
- Consent records (including attribution preference and certifications)
- Publication records
- Legal records
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with our legal and recordkeeping obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we either delete it or de-identify it.
Deletion and your rights
You may request:
- Access to information we hold about you.
- Correction of inaccurate information.
- Deletion of your contributor account or unpublished submission.
- Unsubscription from the newsletter at any time (via the link in any newsletter email).
We will honor reasonable deletion requests, subject to our legal and recordkeeping obligations and to the broad license you granted in the Submission Policy. For published works, certain records (including consent and licensing records) may be retained even after the underlying work is removed from public view.
To make a privacy request, contact us via our contact page.
Cookies
We may use cookies, analytics tools, and similar technologies to improve website performance and user experience. See our Cookie Policy for details and to manage your choices.
Third-party services
We may use services including hosting, database, email delivery, newsletter, and analytics providers (for example Resend, MailerLite, Beehiiv, Google Analytics, Plausible Analytics, Cloudflare) to operate the website and deliver communications. These providers process information on our behalf under their own terms.
Data security
We take commercially reasonable measures to protect information but cannot guarantee absolute security. No online platform can guarantee perfect security.
In the event of a security incident affecting personal information, House of Leorah will make reasonable efforts to notify affected users and applicable authorities as required by law.
AI-assisted processing of submissions
Submitted content and media may be processed using artificial intelligence technologies for:
- Content review
- Categorization
- Editorial assistance
- Content development and adaptation
- Audio, podcast, and image production
- Publication workflow management across current and future media formats
By submitting content, users acknowledge and consent to such processing. See our AI Content Disclosure for additional detail.
Changes to this policy
House of Leorah reserves the right to modify, update, or revise this policy at any time. Updated versions become effective upon publication. Continued use of the website constitutes acceptance of revised policies.
Contact
For privacy questions, deletion requests, or any other concern, reach us via our contact page.