Privacy Policy

Information You Provide

• ●Email address when you subscribe to our newsletter or create an account
• ●Name or pen name if you apply to our ARC Circle
• ●Payment information processed securely through PayPal (we never store your card details)
• ●Any messages you send through our contact form

Information Collected Automatically

• ●Basic analytics data (pages visited, time on site) to improve your experience
• ●IP address for security, rate limiting, and fraud prevention
• ●Device and browser information for site optimization
• ●Cookies necessary for authentication and preferences

We use your information to:

• ●Deliver the newsletter (The Pit Dispatch) and reader pack downloads
• ●Process purchases and provide access to digital products
• ●Manage ARC Circle applications and communications
• ●Respond to your questions and support requests
• ●Improve the website and user experience
• ●Prevent fraud and ensure site security

We will never:

• ●Sell your personal information to third parties
• ●Share your email with other authors or marketers without consent
• ●Send spam or unrelated promotional content
• ●Use your data for purposes beyond what's described here

We use trusted services to operate this site:

• ●Clerk — Authentication and account management
• ●PayPal — Secure payment processing
• ●Vercel — Website hosting and file storage
• ●Neon — Database hosting (PostgreSQL)
• ●Resend — Email delivery for newsletters and notifications

• ●Each service has its own privacy policy and handles data according to their terms. We only share the minimum information necessary for these services to function.

Essential Cookies

• ●Authentication cookies to keep you signed in
• ●Preference cookies (like your spoiler tier setting)
• ●Security cookies to prevent fraud

Analytics

• ●We may use privacy-respecting analytics to understand how readers use the site
• ●We do not use invasive tracking or sell data to advertisers
• ●You can disable cookies in your browser, though some features may not work properly

How long we keep your data:

• ●Newsletter subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe
• ●Account data: Until you request deletion
• ●Purchase records: Retained for legal and tax purposes (typically 7 years)
• ●Contact messages: Deleted after resolution or 2 years, whichever is sooner

Your rights:

• ●Request a copy of your personal data
• ●Correct inaccurate information
• ●Delete your account and associated data
• ●Unsubscribe from emails at any time
• ●Withdraw consent for data processing

• ●All payments are processed through PayPal's secure platform
• ●We never see, store, or have access to your credit card numbers
• ●PayPal is PCI-DSS compliant, the highest level of payment security certification
• ●Purchase records (amount, date, product) are stored to provide download access

• ●Blood Spoken is intended for adult readers (18+) due to its dark fantasy content
• ●We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13
• ●If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately