LEGAL (PRIVACY • COOKIES • TERMS)

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Company: Booksmith Ventures Limited ("we", "us", "our")
ICO Registration: ZB968913
Data protection contact: studio@thebookpress.co

Last updated: 14 January 2026

 

This page applies to our websites, including thebookpress.co and christopherparkerdesign.com.

 

PRIVACY POLICY

Scope of this policy

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal data when you:

• visit our websites;

• contact us by email or web form;

• engage us for publishing-related services; or

• work with us in connection with titles we publish, including royalty and sales administration.

Our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly provide services to, or collect personal data from, individuals under the age of 18.

Personal data we process

Depending on your relationship with us, we may process the following categories of personal data:

• Identity and contact details, such as name, email address, postal address, and telephone number (if provided).

• Professional information, such as author or publisher details, pen names, and project information.

• Contractual and correspondence information, including emails, briefs, feedback, schedules, and invoices.

• Financial and royalty administration records, such as invoicing details, payment references, royalty statements, and sales reports. We do not process card payments via our websites.

• Website usage information, such as pages viewed, approximate location, and device or browser type, as provided by our website platform.

We do not intentionally collect special category data (such as health or biometric information). If such information is provided to us, we will only process it where necessary and appropriate. Please do not provide any special category personal data unless we have explicitly requested it and indicated how it will be processed.

Sources of personal data

We collect personal data:

• directly from you;

• from your authorised representatives, such as agents or publishers, where relevant;

• from third-party platforms used for publishing, distribution, or fulfilment administration; and

• from analytics generated by our website platform.

Purposes and lawful bases for processing

We process personal data only where permitted by applicable data protection law, relying on the following lawful bases:

• Contract: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party, or to take steps at your request before entering into such a contract (including proposals, briefs, and related communications).

• Legal obligation: Where processing is required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including accounting and tax requirements.

• Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for the legitimate interests of our business, including responding to enquiries, maintaining professional relationships, ensuring the security of our systems, preventing fraud, and understanding how our websites are used. We consider and balance these interests against individuals’ rights. We assess and balance these interests using a Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA) in line with ICO guidance.

• Consent: Where required by law, such as for optional marketing communications. Consent may be withdrawn at any time.

Disclosure of personal data

We do not sell personal data.

We may share personal data with third parties where necessary for our operations, including:

• providers of website hosting, analytics, email, and file storage services;

• publishing, distribution, or fulfilment platforms used to administer titles and orders; and

• financial institutions and payment service providers used for invoicing, bank transfers, and royalty payments.

Some third parties act as processors on our behalf, while others (such as banks) act as independent controllers under their own regulatory obligations. We use providers that offer appropriate contractual and security safeguards.

International data transfers

Some service providers process personal data outside the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area. Where personal data is transferred internationally, we rely on appropriate safeguards recognised under UK data protection law, including the UK International Data Transfer Addendum and standard contractual clauses.

Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, after which it is securely deleted or anonymised where appropriate.

Typical retention periods include:

• Enquiries that do not result in a contract: up to seven years from last contact.

• Client and project records: for the duration of the relationship and typically up to seven years after it ends.

• Accounting, invoicing, and tax records: usually six to seven years, or longer where legally required.

• Royalty and publishing administration records: for as long as the relevant title or contractual relationship remains active and typically up to seven years after termination, or longer where necessary to evidence payments and contractual performance.

• Website analytics data: retained in line with platform settings and limited to what is reasonably necessary.

Security

We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data, including access controls, strong authentication measures, secure cloud-based systems, and confidentiality practices. While we take reasonable steps to safeguard information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Personal data breaches

If a personal data breach occurs, we will take steps appropriate to the risk, which may include investigating and containing the incident, assessing its impact, restoring data where possible, and complying with applicable notification obligations. Where required, we will notify the UK Information Commissioner’s Office and affected individuals within the timeframes set out in law. We may also notify our insurers or professional advisers, where appropriate, in accordance with our incident response protocols.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have rights to access, correct, erase, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal data, as well as the right to data portability in certain circumstances and the right to withdraw consent where consent is relied upon.

To exercise your rights, please contact us at studio@thebookpress.co. We may request reasonable proof of identity and aim to respond within one month, subject to lawful extensions.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

International visitors

If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United States, you may have additional rights under local data protection laws. We are governed by UK data protection law and will consider foreign data rights requests on a case-by-case basis, without guaranteeing applicability or compliance under non-UK laws.

Updates to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most recent version will always be published on our website.

 

COOKIE POLICY

Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the website function and provide information to the site operator.

Cookies we use

Our websites are built using Wix. Wix may place strictly necessary cookies required for core site functionality, security, and fraud prevention, and basic analytics cookies to provide aggregated information about website usage. We do not intentionally use advertising or behavioural tracking cookies. We display a cookie banner that enables users to consent to or reject the use of cookies not strictly necessary for website functionality, in accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). For detailed information on the cookies used by Wix, including their duration and function, please see: support.wix.com

Managing cookies

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings or any cookie controls made available on the website. Disabling cookies may affect website functionality.

Updates

This Cookie Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to our website or platform settings.

 

TERMS OF USE

About these terms

These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of thebookpress.co and christopherparkerdesign.com (together, the “Websites”). By using the Websites, you agree to these Terms.

Website purpose

The Websites provide information about our publishing activities and services. We do not sell products or process payments through the Websites. Any purchases made via third-party links are subject to the terms and policies of those third parties.

Acceptable use

ou must not use the Websites in any manner that is unlawful, compromises their integrity, security, or availability, or involves reverse engineering, scraping, data extraction, denial-of-service attacks, or unauthorised access to systems or networks.

Intellectual property

Unless otherwise stated, all content on the Websites, including text, images, designs, and other materials, is protected by intellectual property rights.

Content is either:

• owned by Booksmith Ventures Limited; or

• used by Booksmith Ventures Limited under licence or with permission from the relevant rights holder.

Certain works displayed on the Websites form part of a professional portfolio and may be owned by the individual creator. Any moral rights in such works are not waived.

Nothing on the Websites grants any licence or right to use, copy, reproduce, modify, or distribute content without prior written permission from the relevant rights holder, except as permitted by law.

External links

The Websites may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the content, availability, or privacy practices of those websites.

Disclaimers

We take reasonable care to ensure information on the Websites is accurate and up to date, but we do not guarantee completeness or accuracy. Content is provided for general information only and does not constitute professional advice. You should seek independent professional advice before relying on any information presented on the Websites.

Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all liability for any loss or damage arising from your use of, or inability to use, the Websites, including but not limited to indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive or special damages, loss of profits, business interruption, or loss of data. Our total liability, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, shall not exceed £100.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to require that any disputes arising from the use of the Websites be resolved through mediation or alternative dispute resolution in England and Wales.