You need an author privacy policy on your website. Not only for the recently enacted GDPR, but also because it's good practice and it protects you and your readers. If you need a template to get you started, read on!
What is an author privacy policy?
A privacy policy explains to readers what kind of information about them that you collect on your site and through your emails (like an email address) and how you use it. If you sell books directly from your site using PayPal, then you need to let your readers know what information you collect through that. If you use cookies on your site to track visitors, you should also let them know. Also include an email or link where readers can contact you if they have concerns about the privacy policy.
Where do I put my privacy policy?
It's best to put the privacy policy on its own page, since it can get pretty long. You can include a link to the page as a menu item (perhaps under the word "Readers" or "About") or you can include a link to it at the bottom of the page, as part of your site's footer. Also, if you're have a reader magnet book with us here on Book Cave, you can put a link to your privacy policy on your book's page.
Author Privacy Policy Template
Here is a sample privacy policy—just fill out the information for your own site and add or remove information to tailor it to you. If you're still stuck, check out other authors' privacy policies for ideas.
What Information Does This Site Collect?
Newsletter or Blog:
If you voluntarily sign up for Your Name's newsletter or blog, this site will record your email address, ____, and____. You can refuse to supply personal information, but that will exclude you from certain related activities such as receiving newsletters, blogs, and free offers. When subscribers click on a link in one of my emails or fills out a form, the site may record this information (see below how this information is used).
Subscribers may unsubscribe at any time. You may ask for all your data to be deleted at any time.
Giveaways and Contests:
If you enter a giveaway, your ______ is collected. If you win a physical prize, you will be asked to give your name and physical address.
Non-personal Information
This website may collect non-personal information about visitors when they interact with the site. This information may include the browser name, means of connection to the site, and other non-identifying information.
Cookies
This website may use “cookies” to enhance visitor experience. Typically, cookies may be placed on visitors' hard drive for record-keeping purposes and sometimes to track information about them. Visitors may choose to set their web browser to refuse cookies, or to send an alert when cookies are being sent. If they do so, note that some parts of the site may not function properly.
How Is the Information Used?
Newsletter and blog subscribers’ names and emails will only be used for receiving the newsletters, the blog, or communication from Your Name.
Giveaway entrants will be sent emails only about the giveaway, unless they also signed up for the newsletter or blog.
Information on which email links are clicked on the most will help Your Name choose links that interest readers in future emails.
Your Name may use affiliate codes in some of the emails or on the site. (Note: you may need to specify more on this depending on what certain affiliate programs require.)
Sharing of Personal Information
Subscriber information is never shared with an third party. The only exception is that email addresses may occasionally be used to create lookalike audiences for online marketing. This in no way distributes the emails or signs subscribers up to any other services.
Third-party links
Sometimes Your Name will include third-party links through email or on the website. These sites have their own policies and you should read those before subscribing or purchasing from them.
Security of Information
All information is saved by Wherever You Host or Whatever Blog Site You Use and only Your Name and Whoever Has Admin Access to Your Site can access them. Should a data breach ever occur, subscribers will be notified within 7 days.
Use of the Website by Minors
All subscribers must be _____ or older or have the consent of a parent or guardian.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
Your Name may update this privacy policy at any time. A notice about such changes will be Posted on or Emailed to______. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this Privacy Policy periodically and become aware of modifications.
Your Acceptance of These Terms
By visiting and using Your Site URL, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you can simply not use the site. Continued use of the site means you accept the policy and any periodic changes.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or anything else on Your Site URL, please email Your Name at Your Email or Contact Link.
Do you have any questions about how to write an author privacy policy? Let us know in the comments below.
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[…] not sure how to structure an author privacy policy? Book Cave contributor Catia Shattuck put together an author privacy policy template that you can customize to fit your own website […]
I have a question: and it might be overthinking. But I use Mailchimp for my email lists which is it's own third part group. so How does this work with the following:
"Subscriber information is never shared with any third party. The only exception is that email addresses may occasionally be used to create lookalike audiences for online marketing. This in no way distributes the emails or signs subscribers up to any other services."
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Hi Joelle. You're not sharing it with Mailchimp, anymore than you're sharing emails with Google when you send using Gmail, for example.
THANKS for the response. But they hold the mail list. if they encounter a breach, isn't my customer's data at risk? and how is that handled? Should I put that in my privacy policy with a link to mailchimp?
There is nothing wrong with disclosing that Mailchimp holds your mailing list. it goes under the "Security of Information" heading above. But note that my previous answer was to the question "am I sharing the emails with Mailchimp".
Thank you!! Just what I was looking for.
wonderful