Privacy Policy

Last updated: 26 October 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Blackwood Publishing ("Blackwood Publishing", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores, and shares personal information when you use our website, contact us, purchase from us, subscribe to communications, create an account, participate in reader programmes, or otherwise interact with us.

Blackwood Publishing is responsible for deciding how personal information covered by this Privacy Policy is processed.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, you can contact us at:

Email: Aidan@blackwoodpublishing.co.uk

Post:
Blackwood Publishing
48 West George St
Glasgow, Scotland G2 1B
United Kingdom

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with Blackwood Publishing.

It may include:

• your name or chosen display name;
• your email address;
• your postal or delivery address;
• account and authentication information;
• Reader Record information you choose to submit;
• reviews, review links, reading activity, and other reader contributions;
• ARC Team applications, assignments, review status, and related activity;
• Archive Points, rewards, reward redemptions, and fulfilment information;
• newsletter and marketing preferences;
• enquiries and correspondence you send to us;
• order and transaction-related information;
• technical information relating to use of our website; and
• analytics information about how visitors use our website.

We generally receive personal information directly from you when you submit a form, create an account, contact us, make a purchase, participate in one of our reader programmes, or otherwise provide information to us.

We may also receive limited information from services involved in providing our website, authentication, communications, analytics, ecommerce, or other functions.

We do not intentionally ask you to provide special category personal data through the ordinary use of the Blackwood Publishing website.

2. ARCHIVIST ACCOUNTS AND THE PRIVATE ARCHIVE

Readers may create an Archivist account to access the Private Archive and related reader features.

When you create or use an Archivist account, we may process information including your email address, display name, account identifier, account status, Reader Record, Archive Points, rewards, reading activity, reactions, and access permissions.

We use this information to create and maintain your account, authenticate you, provide the features you request, maintain your Reader Record, administer Archive Points and rewards, and protect restricted areas of the website.

Account information may also be used to investigate technical problems, prevent misuse, and maintain the security and integrity of Blackwood Publishing services.

3. READER RECORDS

If you choose to submit a Reader Record, we may process the information you provide, including the Blackwood title concerned, your review or review link, reader name, and information associated with the submission.

We use this information to administer Reader Records, review submissions, maintain reader activity records, and award Archive Points where applicable.

Please do not include personal information in a Reader Record that you do not want us to receive.

4. ARC TEAM AND ADVANCE READER ACCESS

Blackwood Publishing operates an ARC Team for approved advance readers.

If you apply to or participate in the ARC Team, we may process information such as your name, email address, reader or reviewer details, application information, assigned titles, download activity, review due dates, review links, and ARC access status.

We use this information to assess and administer ARC participation, provide approved readers with access to assigned advance copies, monitor the administration of those assignments, and record submitted reviews.

Becoming an Archivist does not automatically provide ARC Team access. ARC Team participation is separately approved.

5. ARCHIVE POINTS, REWARDS, AND DELIVERY INFORMATION

Archivists may earn Archive Points through eligible activity and may be able to unlock or redeem rewards.

We may process information about points awarded, the reason for an award, reward eligibility, redemption requests, reward status, discount codes, and fulfilment.

If a physical reward requires delivery, we may ask you to provide a delivery name, postal address, postcode, country, and optional delivery note.

Delivery information is used to fulfil the relevant physical reward and to deal with any related delivery or fulfilment issue.

6. ORDERS AND PURCHASES

If you purchase a book or other item through Blackwood Publishing or a service connected to our website, personal information may be processed in order to complete and administer that transaction.

This may include your name, contact details, delivery information, order details, transaction references, and information necessary to deal with fulfilment, customer service, refunds, or legal and accounting requirements.

Payment information may be handled directly by the payment or ecommerce provider. Blackwood Publishing does not need to receive your complete payment-card details where payment is processed by that provider.

7. ENQUIRIES AND CORRESPONDENCE

If you contact Blackwood Publishing, we may process your name, email address, the contents of your message, and any other information you choose to provide.

We use this information to respond to enquiries, manage correspondence, deal with requests, and maintain appropriate records of communications.

8. EMAILS AND MARKETING

If you choose to subscribe to Blackwood Publishing emails or other marketing communications, we may use your email address and communication preferences to send those communications.

Where our processing is based on your consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time.

Marketing emails will normally include an unsubscribe option. You can also contact us directly if you want us to update your communication preferences.

9. WEBSITE ANALYTICS, COOKIES, AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES

Blackwood Publishing uses website technologies that may store or access information on your device or collect technical information about visits to the website.

We use Google Analytics to help us understand how the website is used. Analytics information can include information about visits, pages viewed, interactions, device or browser characteristics, and similar technical information.

Cookies and similar technologies may also be used where necessary to provide website functionality, security, authentication, preferences, or other services.

Where consent is legally required for a cookie or similar technology, it should only be used in accordance with the choices made through the relevant cookie controls.

Further information about cookies and available choices may be provided in our Cookie Notice or cookie controls.

10. WHY WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION

Depending on the circumstances, we process personal information for purposes including:

• providing and administering our website and services;
• creating and maintaining Archivist accounts;
• authenticating users and protecting restricted areas;
• administering Reader Records;
• operating the ARC Team and providing assigned ARC material;
• maintaining Archive Points and rewards;
• fulfilling physical rewards;
• processing and fulfilling orders;
• responding to enquiries and correspondence;
• sending requested or consented-to communications;
• understanding and improving use of our website;
• maintaining the security and reliability of our systems;
• preventing misuse or fraud;
• maintaining appropriate business and accounting records; and
• meeting legal and regulatory obligations.

11. OUR LAWFUL BASES FOR PROCESSING

Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal information. The basis we rely on depends on why the information is being used.

Contract

We may process personal information where it is necessary to provide a service, administer an account, fulfil an order, provide an assigned service, or take steps at your request before entering into a contract.

Consent

We may rely on consent for activities such as certain marketing communications and technologies where consent is required. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Legitimate interests

We may process information where necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

These interests may include operating and improving Blackwood Publishing, administering reader programmes, responding to correspondence, maintaining security, preventing misuse, keeping appropriate business records, and understanding how our services are used.

Legal obligations

We may process or retain information where necessary to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, or other obligations that apply to us.

12. WHO WE SHARE INFORMATION WITH

We do not sell your personal information.

We may use trusted service providers to operate Blackwood Publishing and provide its services. Depending on how you interact with us, these may include providers involved in:

• website hosting and infrastructure;
• database, authentication, and account services;
• email and newsletter delivery;
• website analytics;
• ecommerce, order processing, and payment services;
• technical support and security; and
• delivery or fulfilment where required.

These organisations may process personal information on our behalf or, in some circumstances, act as independent controllers for their own services.

We may also disclose personal information where required by law, where necessary to establish or defend legal rights, to protect users or our services, or in connection with a genuine sale, restructuring, or transfer of the business or relevant assets.

13. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

Some of the service providers used to operate our website and services may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where UK data protection law restricts an international transfer of personal information, we take steps intended to ensure that an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism or safeguard applies.

Depending on the provider and destination, this may include UK adequacy regulations, approved contractual safeguards, or another transfer mechanism permitted by UK data protection law.

You can contact us if you would like further information about the safeguards relevant to your personal information.

14. HOW LONG WE KEEP PERSONAL INFORMATION

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, security, dispute-resolution, or record-keeping requirements.

The appropriate retention period depends on the type of information and why we hold it. When deciding how long information should be retained, we consider:

• the purpose for which the information was collected;
• whether an account, assignment, order, reward, or enquiry remains active;
• whether the information is needed to provide an ongoing service;
• legal, tax, accounting, or regulatory requirements;
• security, fraud-prevention, and dispute considerations; and
• whether continued retention remains necessary and proportionate.

When personal information is no longer required, we will delete or anonymise it where reasonably practicable, unless we are required or permitted to retain it.

15. HOW WE PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures intended to protect the personal information we process against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

These measures may include access controls, authentication, restricted database access, and other technical safeguards appropriate to the services we operate.

No website, internet transmission, or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should therefore also take reasonable care to protect your account credentials and passwords.

16. YOUR DATA PROTECTION RIGHTS

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis on which your information is processed, UK data protection law may give you rights including:

• the right to request access to your personal information;
• the right to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• the right to ask us to erase personal information in certain circumstances;
• the right to ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
• the right to object to certain processing;
• the right to data portability in applicable circumstances; and
• the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

Your right to object

Where we process your personal information on the basis of legitimate interests, you may have the right to object to that processing.

You also have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.

These rights are not absolute and may depend on the circumstances and the reason we process the information.

To exercise a data protection right, contact: Aidan@blackwoodpublishing.co.uk.

We may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests.

17. COMPLAINTS

If you have concerns about how Blackwood Publishing handles your personal information, please contact us first so that we have an opportunity to investigate and respond.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.

Information about making a complaint is available from the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

18. CHILDREN

Blackwood Publishing's account and reader-programme services are not intended to knowingly collect personal information from children where doing so would require parental consent or other safeguards that have not been put in place.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to us in circumstances where it should not have been collected, please contact us so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

19. AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING

Blackwood Publishing does not currently use personal information to make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

Some website functions may operate automatically — for example, calculating points, determining whether a reward threshold has been reached, or controlling access according to recorded permissions. These are administrative website functions rather than automated decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects.

20. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES AND SERVICES

The Blackwood Publishing website may contain links to third-party websites, retailers, social platforms, or other external services.

Those organisations are responsible for their own privacy practices when you interact directly with them. We recommend reviewing the privacy information provided by the relevant service.

21. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, systems, or legal obligations change.

When we update it, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Where appropriate, we may also provide additional notice of significant changes.

22. CONTACT BLACKWOOD PUBLISHING

Questions about this Privacy Policy, requests concerning your personal information, or data protection enquiries can be sent to:

Email:
Aidan@blackwoodpublishing.co.uk

Post:
Blackwood Publishing
48 West George St
Glasgow, Scotland G2 1B
United Kingdom

Reader discovery and optional analytics

Saved discovery books and followed authors are stored in this browser, separately from your account bookshelf. They do not subscribe you to email or grant book access. Clear them using the discovery page’s clear button or your browser’s site-data controls.

Our Google Analytics integration loads only after you allow optional analytics and only on selected public pages. It measures public page visits and selected actions such as opening a public sample, following a bookshop link or requesting newsletter signup. We do not include account IDs, reading notes, search terms, URL queries or fragments in these events. A signup request is not proof of a confirmed subscription, and a bookshop click is not proof of a purchase.

Your analytics choice is stored in this browser for up to 180 days. Use Privacy choices in the footer to change it. This controls our analytics integration, not all third-party services or embedded content across the site. Account, checkout and reading services still process information needed to provide their functions.

Newsletter signup is handled by MailerLite. It is separate from an Archivist account and ARC access; use the unsubscribe link in an email to stop marketing. Mailing-list signup itself does not buy, renew or cancel a paid membership.