Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
I value your privacy, just as I value my own. This policy explains the personal information I collect on this website and how I use it. Some of it may seem kind of obvious but, if I’m going to write a privacy policy, I feel it should be as clear and transparent as possible. Rather than give you a large block of legal text, I will explain—in plain language—what information I collect (very little), what I use it for (interacting with visitors and some limited marketing of my own work), and what else I do with it (nothing). If you have any questions about this policy, please contact me.
Contact Form: When you fill out the contact form, I receive an email with the information you’ve volunteered, including the name you provided, your email address, and any message you choose to send. You can consider this the initiation of an informal email conversation. I will use this information to respond to any messages or inquiries, as I would any other email. I will not store this information, aside from having it in my email inbox, nor will I share it with any third parties or use it for any other purpose. I will also not use this to send you any marketing or promotional emails. As with any other email conversation, I may reply if you continue to reach out, but aside from that, you will not receive any further emails. My account with WPForms (the plugin that runs my contact form) is set to not store any personal information that passes through. For more details, see WPForms Privacy Policy. If, for whatever reason, you’d like me to delete your emails from my inbox, just let me know, and I will.
Newsletter Sign-Up: When you sign up for my newsletter, the information you’ve volunteered, including the name you provided and your email address, becomes available to me on my MailerLite dashboard. I use this private mailing list for my own newsletter and to send you an access code to view exclusive content in the Stories section of my website. Storing your information is necessary in order to manage the circulation of the newsletter, but MailerLite encrypts your data and will never rent, sell, or otherwise share it with any third parties. For details, see MailerLite’s Security Statement and Privacy Policy. I will also never share your information with any other third parties. My newsletter is sent monthly (if that), and if at any time you would like to unsubscribe, there will be a link at the bottom of the email for that purpose.
Analytics and Cookies: As I’ve said, it’s important to me to respect the privacy of my visitors. On the other hand, I would like to know at least a little bit about how many people are viewing my site, which pages they’re interested in seeing, and some other basic details. The compromise I found is a plugin called WPStatistics. It’s one of the least intrusive, most privacy-focused analytics tools available to me. It doesn’t set any tracking cookies, and it doesn’t even know anything about you (in particular) at all. It masks part of your IP address before it’s even saved (it does keep the portion that indicates where that IP is located) and then hashes it irreversibly, so it can never be traced back to you, and saves that hash. This is necessary only so that it can count unique visitors. All data collected is processed and stored solely on this server and is never shared with any third parties. Most common analytics tools can not say the same. Technically, the system can’t delete your personal data, because it never had it in the first place, and there is no way to trace the hash back to you. This setup gives me the basic information that I can use to improve my site and allows me to comply with privacy laws without having to use those annoying cookie warning banners. Most importantly, I think it respects your personal privacy, certainly to a much greater extent than many (maybe most) other sites out there.
In summary, I only collect the small amount of information required for the functioning of my site and sending some occasional emails to my subscribers. I’ve made an effort to use reputable companies to handle this information, and I sincerely respect your privacy. Please note, though, the above Privacy Policy only covers the collection of information by me (this site’s administrator). This is a WordPress site, hosted by Bluehost. These sites may collect some additional analytics and may use cookies for site functionality. I check it regularly to confirm that my site uses only necessary cookies, required for the proper functioning of the website. Here are the links to the WordPress and Bluehost Privacy Policies for more information.
Terms of Use
Content: All content on this site and promotional materials are exclusively for general information or entertainment purposes. Due to the nature of this site, it may contain errors, or information that is unproven, incomplete, incorrect, or even completely fictitious. At times, for artistic or entertainment purposes, this information may be presented as fact. I advise any users to verify any information before acting on it. I make no guarantees about its accuracy, so use this information at your own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I shall not be held liable for any damages related to your use of this site or reliance on any information provided here.
Fiction Disclaimer: Unless otherwise indicated, all names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents featured in this website and promotional materials are either an invention of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Author’s Perspective: Any opinions or views expressed on the website or promotional materials are those of the author alone (or, in some cases, may be the view of a fictional character) and do not necessarily reflect those of any other party.
Intellectual Property: Unless otherwise indicated, all content on this site is my intellectual property, and I reserve all rights to it. It is not to be reproduced or otherwise used without permission. That being said, if you would like to request permission, please contact me. Any other trademarks, logos, or copyrighted material on this site will be identified as such and remain the property of their respective owners.
External Links: This site may include links to other external websites that are not provided or maintained by me. I do not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, or completeness of any information found on these external sites, and their inclusion here does not imply endorsement. I am not responsible for any of their content or practices.
No AI Training: Without in any way limiting the author’s exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights.
Unsolicited Works: I do not accept unsolicited ideas, manuscripts, or any other creative works. By sending these, the submitter waives the right to any claims against me related to the submission. As much as I do want to hear from my readers, for your legal protection and my own, please do not send these materials. I cannot review them.
Changes: I may update these terms and conditions at any time. Continued use of the site means that you accept any changes.
Contact: If you have any questions about these terms, please contact me.