Cookie & Privacy Policy
This Cookie & Privacy Policy explains how Susan Mac Nicol (“I”, “me”, “my”) collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit susanmacnicol.co.uk (the “Site”), and how the Site uses cookies. It is written to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
1. Who I am
I am Susan Mac Nicol, the author and data controller for this Site. You can contact me about any privacy matter at susan@susanmacnicol.co.uk.
2. What personal data I collect
I only collect personal data that you choose to give me directly through the Site:
- Contact form: if you use the Contact page, I collect the name, email address, subject and message you provide, so that I can respond to your enquiry.
- Newsletter sign-up: if you subscribe to the VIP Reader Club, I collect your first name and email address, and — if you choose to answer them — your favourite book of mine and your reason for joining, so that I can send you newsletter updates about my books and news.
I do not use the Site to sell products directly, run advertising, or collect payment details, and the Site does not use analytics or advertising trackers.
3. Who processes your data for me
The Site is static and holds no database of its own. Three services process data on my behalf:
- Netlify hosts the Site and receives contact form submissions. Like any web host, its servers process your IP address and browser details in order to deliver pages to you.
- EmailOctopus stores newsletter subscriber details and sends the newsletter. Sign-up is double opt-in: you will receive a confirmation email, and you are only added to the list once you click the link in it.
- Google reCAPTCHA protects the newsletter sign-up form from automated spam. Where that form appears, Google receives information about your visit, including your IP address and browsing behaviour on that page, and may set cookies for this purpose. This is covered by Google’s privacy policy and terms of service.
Website fonts are served from this Site itself rather than from a third party, so simply reading a page sends no data to any font or analytics provider.
4. How I use your data
I use the data you provide only for the purpose you gave it to me: to reply to enquiries submitted via the Contact form, and to send newsletter emails to subscribers. I do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
5. Legal basis for processing
I process your data on the basis of consent (for newsletter sign-ups, which you can withdraw at any time) and legitimate interest (for responding to enquiries you have sent me via the Contact form).
6. How long I keep your data
I keep contact form enquiries and newsletter subscriber details for as long as necessary to respond to you or to keep you subscribed, and I will remove your details if you ask me to or if you unsubscribe.
7. Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to: request access to the personal data I hold about you; request that I correct or delete it; object to or restrict how I use it; and withdraw consent (for example, unsubscribe from the newsletter) at any time. To exercise any of these rights, contact me at susan@susanmacnicol.co.uk. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe your data has been mishandled.
8. Cookies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. This Site sets no cookies of its own: it is a set of static pages with no login, no comments and no analytics.
The only cookies you may encounter come from Google reCAPTCHA, which protects the newsletter sign-up form from automated spam, as described in section 3. These are set by Google, not by me, and are used for spam prevention rather than advertising.
You can control or delete cookies at any time through your browser settings. If the Site’s use of cookies changes in future, this policy will be updated accordingly, and where required by law a cookie consent option will be added.
9. Children’s privacy
This Site is not directed at children, and I do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
10. Changes to this policy
I may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes to the Site or to data protection law. The updated version will be posted here with a revised “last updated” date.
11. Contact
For any questions about this policy or your personal data, please contact me at susan@susanmacnicol.co.uk.