PRIVACY POLICY
Alley Cat House
Last updated: 21 May 2025
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1. INTRODUCTION
Alley Cat House ("we", "us", or "our") is a publishing house based in the United Kingdom, operated by Janine Lowe as a sole trader. We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data that you provide to us — including data submitted through our manuscript and book submission form — and sets out your rights under applicable data protection law.
Please read this policy carefully before submitting any personal data or manuscript materials to us. By using our website and submission form, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.
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2. WHO WE ARE (DATA CONTROLLER)
For the purposes of UK GDPR, the data controller is Janine Lowe, trading as Alley Cat House:
Business type: Sole Trader
Trading address: Villina Marina, Golden Acre, East Preston, West Sussex, BN16 1QP
ICO Registration number: C1939358
Data Protection contact: Janine Lowe (Owner)
Email: janine@alleycathouse.com
Telephone: 07843 620472
If you have any queries about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us using the details above.
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3. WHAT PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT
We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:
3.1 Data You Provide Through Our Submission Form
- Full name and pen name (if applicable)
- Email address and telephone number
- Postal address
- Biographical information (e.g. author biography submitted with your manuscript)
- Previous publication history or writing credits
- Query letter, synopsis, and sample chapters or full manuscript
- Genre, word count, and other details about your proposed work
- Any other information you voluntarily include in your submission
3.2 Data Collected Automatically
- IP address and browser type
- Pages visited on our website and duration of visit
- Referring website or search terms used to find us
- Device information (operating system, screen resolution)
We collect this data via cookies and similar tracking technologies. Please refer to our Cookie Policy for further information.
3.3 Special Category Data
We do not intentionally request special category data (e.g. health, ethnicity, religious beliefs) as part of the submission process. Please do not include such information unless it is directly relevant to your manuscript and you have chosen to share it voluntarily. Where special category data is shared, we will handle it with additional care and process it only on the basis of explicit consent or another lawful basis under Article 9 UK GDPR.
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4. HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA
We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes and on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR Article 6:
4.1 Processing Your Submission
Lawful basis: Performance of a contract (pre-contractual steps) / Legitimate interests.
- To receive, review, and assess your manuscript submission
- To communicate with you regarding the status of your submission
- To pass your submission to relevant editorial staff for consideration
- To keep records of submissions received for internal tracking
4.2 Contractual and Legal Obligations
Lawful basis: Performance of a contract / Compliance with a legal obligation.
- To negotiate and execute a publishing agreement where your work is accepted
- To comply with copyright law and record authorship for works we publish
- To meet our obligations under tax and company law
4.3 Legitimate Business Interests
Lawful basis: Legitimate interests (we have balanced these against your rights and they do not override your interests).
- To maintain a record of submissions and editorial decisions for our archives
- To improve our submission processes and website
- To detect and prevent fraud or abuse of our submission system
4.4 Marketing and Communications (where consent is given)
Lawful basis: Consent.
- To send you newsletters, updates about our publications, or news about our submission windows, where you have opted in to receive such communications
You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email.
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5. YOUR MANUSCRIPT AND CREATIVE WORKS
We understand that submitted manuscripts represent significant creative and intellectual effort. Please note the following:
- We will only use your submitted manuscript for the purpose of editorial assessment and, if accepted, for publication under a separately agreed publishing contract.
- We will not share, reproduce, or publish your manuscript without your express written consent.
- Submitting a manuscript to us does not transfer any copyright to us. You retain full copyright in your work unless and until a publishing agreement is signed.
- We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your manuscript files from unauthorised access or disclosure.
- If your submission is unsuccessful, your manuscript will be securely deleted in accordance with Section 7 (Retention) below.
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6. WHO WE SHARE YOUR DATA WITH
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share your data in the following limited circumstances:
6.1 Internal Staff
Your submission may be shared with editors, readers, and other members of our team involved in the assessment and publication process. All staff are bound by confidentiality obligations.
6.2 Service Providers (Processors)
We use the following trusted third-party service providers who act as data processors on our behalf:
- Squarespace, Inc. — our website host, form submission tool, and built-in analytics platform. Squarespace is a US-based company and processes data under the UK-US Data Bridge arrangement. For more information, see Squarespace's Privacy Policy at squarespace.com/privacy.
- Google LLC — submitted manuscripts and associated files are stored securely in Google Drive. Google is a US-based company and processes data under the UK-US Data Bridge arrangement. For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy at policies.google.com/privacy.
- Email service provider — we use email to communicate with submitting authors. Emails and attachments may be stored within our email platform.
6.3 Legal Disclosure
We may disclose your data to law enforcement, regulatory bodies, or courts where we are required to do so by law, or to protect our legal rights.
6.4 International Transfers
Our website and submission form are operated through Squarespace, Inc., and submitted manuscripts are stored in Google Drive — both US-based services. These transfers are made under the UK-US Data Bridge arrangement, recognised by the UK Government as providing an adequate level of protection for personal data.
Alley Cat House welcomes submissions from authors worldwide. Where you submit from outside the UK, your personal data will be transferred to and processed in the UK in accordance with this Privacy Policy. We take appropriate steps to ensure your data is handled securely regardless of where you are based.
You may request further details of the safeguards in place for international data transfers by contacting us at janine@alleycathouse.com.
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7. HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR DATA
We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected:
Unsuccessful submissions: Personal data and manuscript files will be retained for up to 12 months following notification of our decision, after which they will be securely deleted. This allows time to respond to any queries about the outcome.
Successful submissions / Published works: Where a publishing agreement is entered into, we will retain relevant personal data for the duration of the agreement and for 7 years thereafter, in accordance with our legal and contractual obligations.
Marketing data: If you have opted in to marketing communications, we will retain your contact details until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe.
Website analytics data: Aggregated analytics data is typically retained for up to 26 months.
At the end of the applicable retention period, personal data will be securely deleted or anonymised.
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8. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER UK GDPR
You have the following rights in relation to your personal data. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at janine@alleycathouse.com.
Right of access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request).
Right to rectification: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.
Right to erasure: You may request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances, for example where the data is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
Right to restrict processing: You may ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances, for example if you contest its accuracy.
Right to data portability: Where processing is based on consent or a contract and carried out by automated means, you may request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
Right to object: You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests. You also have an absolute right to object to processing for direct marketing purposes.
Rights in relation to automated decision-making: We do not make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you.
Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.
We will respond to your request within one calendar month. We will not charge a fee for handling your request unless it is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
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9. DATA SECURITY
We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against accidental loss, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:
- Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest
- Access controls limiting data access to authorised personnel only
- Regular security reviews of our systems and processes
- Staff training on data protection and information security
In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) within 72 hours and, where required, notify you directly without undue delay.
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10. COOKIES
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. We use:
- Strictly necessary cookies — required for the website to function (e.g. form session cookies). These do not require your consent.
- Analytics cookies — to understand how visitors interact with our website via Squarespace's built-in analytics. These are only set with your consent.
You can manage your cookie preferences through our cookie consent banner or by adjusting your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.
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11. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. This Privacy Policy applies solely to our website and services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites and encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.
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12. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY
Our submission service and website are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe that we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete such information.
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13. RIGHT TO COMPLAIN
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us in the first instance at janine@alleycathouse.com so that we can attempt to resolve your concerns.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk
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14. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. The latest version will always be available on our website, with the "Last updated" date shown at the top of this page.
Where changes are material, we will endeavour to notify you directly where we hold your contact details.
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15. CONTACT US
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact:
Janine Lowe
Alley Cat House
Villina Marina, Golden Acre, East Preston, West Sussex, BN16 1QP
Email: janine@alleycathouse.com
Telephone: 07843 620472
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This Privacy Policy was prepared in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.