Privacy Policy

This policy explains what personal information I collect, why I hold it, how long I keep it, and what you can ask me to do with it. It is written to meet the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

What I collect

When you enquire. Your name, email address, institution, and whatever you choose to tell me about your work. This comes from you, in an email.

When you become a client. The above, plus billing details: usually an institutional address, a purchase order number, and the name of a finance contact.

Manuscripts, data and related documents. Work you send me for editing or review. These frequently contain personal data belonging to other people: your co-authors, your collaborators, occasionally research participants. I treat all of it as confidential and I do not use it for any purpose other than the work you have asked me to do.

Website usage. This site sets no cookies, does not fingerprint your device, and does not build a profile of you, which is why it has no cookie banner. Where I collect usage statistics I use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which reports aggregate page views and referrers only and identifies no individual. No other analytics or tracking is used, and nothing that sets a cookie will be added without this policy being updated first.

Why I hold it, and on what lawful basis

Enquiry correspondence. Held to answer you and quote for the work. Lawful basis: legitimate interests, in responding to someone who has contacted me.

Client details and manuscripts. Held to carry out the work we agreed. Lawful basis: performance of a contract.

Invoices and payment records. Held to run the business and meet tax and company law obligations. Lawful basis: legal obligation.

Aggregate site statistics. Where collected, held to understand which pages are read. Lawful basis: legitimate interests; no individual is identified.

How long I keep it

Manuscripts and research data are deleted when the project closes, or sooner if you ask. If you would like written confirmation of deletion, ask and I will send it.

Correspondence is kept for up to two years after our last contact, so I can pick up a conversation you may return to, and then deleted.

Financial records, including invoices, payment records and the surrounding correspondence, are kept for six years from the end of the relevant accounting period, because company and tax law requires it. This period is not something I can shorten on request.

Who else sees it

Nobody sees your manuscript except me. I do not use subcontractors, and I do not put client material into third-party editing platforms or AI writing tools.

Some suppliers necessarily process data on my behalf in the ordinary course of business: an email provider, a website host, and an accountant. They act on instructions and are bound by their own confidentiality obligations. I do not sell personal data, and I do not share it for marketing.

Where a supplier stores data outside the UK, that transfer is covered by UK adequacy regulations or by standard contractual clauses.

Your rights

You can ask me to:

give you a copy of the personal data I hold about you
correct anything inaccurate
delete it, subject to the retention periods above
restrict or object to how I use it
provide it in a portable format

Email me and I will respond within one month. There is no charge.

If you are unhappy with how I have handled your data, please tell me first so I can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk, by post, or on 0303 123 1113.

Security

Manuscripts are held on encrypted storage and are not kept on removable media. Access is limited to me. If a breach occurs that is likely to affect your rights, I will tell you and the ICO within the timescales the law requires.

Changes