Privacy Policy

1. Who I am

This privacy policy applies to robinbayliss.com.

Robin Bayliss is a pen name.

The data controller is Ceridwen Clark, writing as Robin Bayliss.

I am based in Wales, United Kingdom.

This policy explains how I process personal information under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 and, where applicable, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.

2. Information I collect

I may collect the following limited categories of personal information.

Contact information

If you contact me by email or otherwise get in touch, I may receive:

• your name;
• your email address;
• the contents of your message; and
• any other information you choose to provide.

Messages are used to respond to your enquiry.

Please don’t include sensitive personal information unless it is necessary.

Newsletter information

If you subscribe to the Robin Bayliss newsletter, Substack collects and processes information including your email address, subscription status and information about newsletter delivery and engagement.

Technical information

The website host may automatically record technical information needed to provide and secure the website, including:

• your IP address;
• browser and device type;
• pages requested;
• the date and time of requests;
• referral information; and
• security, diagnostic and error logs.

Analytics information

If you consent to optional analytics cookies, Google Analytics 4 may collect information about how you use RobinBayliss.com.

This may include:

• pages visited;
• approximate geographical area;
• browser and device information;
• referring source;
• interactions with the website; and
• pseudonymous identifiers used for analytics purposes.

I use aggregate Google Analytics reports to understand website traffic, reader interest, which books and pages attract attention, and how visitors use the website.

I don’t use Google Analytics to identify individual visitors.

3. How I use information

I use personal information to:

• respond to messages and enquiries;
• administer newsletter subscriptions through Substack;
• send newsletters requested by subscribers;
• operate, maintain and secure the website;
• diagnose faults and prevent malicious activity;
• understand website use through consented analytics;
• maintain appropriate business records; and
• comply with applicable legal obligations.

I don’t sell, rent or trade personal information.

4. Lawful bases for processing

UK data-protection law requires a lawful basis for each use of personal information.

• Contact enquiries: legitimate interests in communicating with people who contact me and, where relevant, taking steps at their request before entering into a contract.
• Newsletter: consent. You may withdraw consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in a newsletter or managing your subscription through Substack.
• Website security and administration: legitimate interests in providing a reliable, functional and secure website.
• Optional analytics: consent given through the cookie banner.
• Required business records: compliance with legal obligations or legitimate interests in administering and protecting the business.

Where I rely on legitimate interests, I use information only where the processing is necessary and proportionate and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

5. Service providers and other websites

I use third-party services to operate the website and newsletter.

IONOS

IONOS hosts this website.

IONOS may process technical information, server logs and website data to provide hosting, security, backups and maintenance.

Substack

The newsletter is managed through Substack.

Substack processes the information you provide when subscribing and information connected with newsletter delivery and use.

Substack’s own privacy policy also applies to its processing.

Google Analytics

I use Google Analytics 4, provided by Google, to understand how visitors use RobinBayliss.com.

Google Analytics may process information about website visits, devices, browsers, approximate location, referring sources and interactions with the site.

Google Analytics operates only where you have consented to the relevant analytics cookies or technologies through the website’s cookie controls.

Google’s own privacy and data-protection terms also apply to its processing.

Email

If you contact me by email, website, hosting and email providers may process information while transmitting or storing your message.

Retailers, libraries and external websites

RobinBayliss.com links to retailers, library services and other external websites.

When you follow an external link, the destination website may collect information or place its own cookies. Its own privacy and cookie policies apply.

I don’t control the privacy practices of independent third-party websites.

Embedded content

Pages may contain embedded material such as videos or other third-party content.

Embedded content may behave as though you visited the provider’s website directly and may collect information or place cookies.

Where consent is required, non-essential embedded content or tracking should remain blocked until the appropriate consent has been given.

6. Cookies

RobinBayliss.com uses strictly necessary cookies and similar technologies needed for functions such as security and remembering your cookie choices.

These don’t require consent where they meet the legal definition of strictly necessary.

The website also uses Google Analytics 4 for optional website analytics.

Google Analytics cookies and other non-essential analytics technologies are used only where you have given consent through the cookie banner.

Rejecting optional analytics cookies won’t prevent you from reading or using the main content of RobinBayliss.com.

You can accept, reject or change your choices using the cookie controls on this website.

Further information about the cookies and similar technologies currently in use, including their purposes and duration, is available in the Cookie Policy.

You can also restrict cookies through your browser, although blocking all cookies may affect some website functions.

7. Affiliate links

Some links to books or retailers are affiliate links.

If you follow an affiliate link and make a qualifying purchase, I may receive a commission from the retailer. This doesn’t increase the price you pay.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Amazon and other participating retailers may use cookies or similar technologies on their own websites to record that you arrived through an affiliate link and attribute a resulting purchase.

Their own privacy and cookie policies apply.

Affiliate links are identified where required.

8. International transfers

Some service providers, including Google and Substack, may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where UK data-protection law applies to an international transfer, the relevant transfer must be covered by an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.

Further information about the safeguards used by individual providers can be found in their privacy and data-protection documentation.

9. How long information is kept

Personal information is kept only for as long as reasonably needed for the purpose for which it was collected.

• Contact messages: normally retained for up to two years after the enquiry is resolved, unless they need to be kept longer for a contract, dispute or legal obligation.
• Newsletter information: retained while you remain subscribed. Substack may retain limited records after unsubscription where required for suppression lists, security or legal compliance.
• Technical and security logs: retained according to IONOS’s operational, backup and security schedules.
• Analytics information: retained according to the retention period configured in Google Analytics. Aggregate reports may be retained for longer where they no longer constitute personal information.
• Legal and business records: retained for the period required by applicable law or while reasonably needed to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

10. Security

I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.

No website, email service or electronic storage system can guarantee complete security.

Please don’t include unnecessary confidential or sensitive information in messages.

11. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and lawful basis involved, you may have the right to:

• request access to personal information held about you;
• ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected;
• ask for personal information to be erased;
• ask for processing to be restricted;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• object to the use of your information for direct marketing;
• receive certain information in a portable format; and
• withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

These rights aren’t absolute and may depend on why the information is being processed.

You won’t normally be charged for exercising them.

To make a request, use the Contact page on RobinBayliss.com or email:

snowmail [at sign] robinbayliss [period or dot] com

Replace [at sign] with @ and [period or dot] with .

I may request enough information to confirm your identity and understand your request.

Requests will normally be answered within one month, subject to any extensions permitted by law for particularly complex or numerous requests.

Complaining to the ICO

If you are concerned about how your information has been used, please contact me first so I have an opportunity to address the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) , the UK data-protection supervisory authority.

ICO telephone: 0303 123 1113

12. Children’s information

RobinBayliss.com isn’t intended to collect personal information directly from children.

The website doesn’t provide visitor accounts, public comments or interactive community features.

If you believe a child has provided personal information unnecessarily, please contact me so I can investigate and, where appropriate, remove it.

13. Changes to this policy

I may update this policy when the website, its services, data-processing practices or legal requirements change.

The effective date at the top of the page shows when it was last revised.

Significant changes will be highlighted on the website where appropriate.