1. What we publish
True, first-person travel stories written by the person who lived them. Solo trips, family chaos, budget wins, glorious disasters, small kindnesses from strangers — any country, any budget, any style of travel.
2. What we don't publish
- Fiction, or stories embellished beyond what actually happened
- AI-generated writing, in whole or in significant part
- Promotional content dressed up as a personal story
- Content that endangers, exploits, or misrepresents another person or place
3. Locals' Notes
Alongside traveller tales, we publish Locals' Notes — short, practical pieces from people who live in or near a destination, offering the kind of insight a visitor wouldn't know to ask for. These are held to the same truthfulness standard as tales, but are typically shorter and more practical in tone.
4. Editing process
Every submission is reviewed by an editor. We tighten structure, fix clarity issues, and occasionally suggest cuts — but we never rewrite your voice into ours. You approve every substantive change before anything goes live.
5. Trip cost information
When a contributor includes a cost breakdown, we publish it as self-reported and time-stamped to when the trip happened. We don't verify prices against current rates — readers should treat these as one traveller's real experience, not a live quote.
6. Comment moderation standards
Comments are reviewed against our Terms of Service. We remove comments that are false, harassing, hateful, or spam. Verified authors may block individual readers from their own story's comment thread — we don't second-guess that judgment, since it's their story and their space to protect.
7. Verified badges
"Verified" and "Top Storyteller" badges are awarded editorially, based on story quality, consistency, and positive engagement with the community — not on posting volume alone. Badges can be revoked if a contributor's conduct no longer reflects our standards.
8. Story of the Week / Month / Year
Story of the Week and Story of the Month are chosen by our editorial team based on writing quality, originality, and reader engagement. Story of the Year combines editorial judgment with a reader vote — see our Terms of Service for voting rules.
9. Corrections
If a factual error is identified after publication, we correct it and, where material, note the correction. If you spot an error in a published tale, email editorial@thetriptails.com.