Privacy Policy

Last updated: 7th September 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and protected when you use the Joe Butler author website, interact with content published as Isaac J Burns, contact me, subscribe to email updates, apply for review copies, complete forms, or place an order through the website.

I aim to collect only the information reasonably necessary to operate the website, communicate with readers and professional contacts, administer book-related programmes, and fulfil orders.

1. Who is responsible for your information?

The data controller for this website is Joe Butler.

Joe Butler writes memoir and lived-experience non-fiction under his own name and fiction under the pen name Isaac J Burns.

Seamlight Press is the publishing imprint used for book publishing and related activity on this website. Unless otherwise stated, Joe Butler remains the data controller for personal information collected through the website and associated services.

For privacy enquiries or requests relating to your personal information, please use the Contact page on this website and make clear that your message concerns privacy or data protection.

2. Information I collect

The information collected depends on how you use the website.

2.1 Information you provide directly

This may include:

your name;
your email address;
your organisation, school, library, publication or other affiliation where relevant;
the content of messages you send through contact forms;
the type of enquiry you select;
newsletter subscription details and preferences;
information submitted when applying for or receiving a review copy;
information submitted through reader-feedback forms;
information submitted when nominating an organisation for a book-giving programme;
information required to place and fulfil an order;
shipping and delivery information;
personalisation or signing requests; and
correspondence relating to orders, refunds, returns or customer service.

Please do not provide more personal information than is reasonably necessary for the purpose of the form or enquiry.

2.2 Mailing-list information

If you subscribe to email updates, I may hold:

your first name;
your email address;
the date and method of subscription;
the mailing list or author preferences you selected;
records of consent;
subscription and unsubscribe status; and
email delivery or engagement information, such as opens or clicks, where this tracking is enabled by the email service.

The main mailing-list choices are:

Joe Butler Newsletter
For Joe Butler writing, Dismantled, speaking, publication updates and related non-fiction activity.

Magpie Dispatches
For Isaac J Burns fiction, books, reader extras and associated news.

Advance Keepers
A separate optional email programme for approved or participating advance readers.

Joining one does not automatically subscribe you to either of the others.

Applying for or receiving a review copy through StoryOrigin does not automatically subscribe you to a mailing list.

Completing a Tally form, including a 15 for the 15th nomination or Keeper Record, does not automatically subscribe you to a mailing list unless the form separately asks for explicit marketing consent.

2.3 Order and shop information

When direct sales are available through the website, information associated with an order may include:

your name;
email address;
billing information where required;
delivery address;
items ordered;
order value;
payment status;
shipping and fulfilment information;
personalisation or signing instructions;
refund, return or cancellation information; and
correspondence relating to the order.

If you request a personalised or dedicated signed book, please provide only the information needed for that personalisation.

Do not include sensitive personal information in a dedication or personalisation request.

2.4 Information collected automatically

This website uses IONOS SiteAnalytics for statistical analysis and technical optimisation.

IONOS SiteAnalytics may process information such as:

the website or page that referred you;
the page or file requested;
browser type and version;
operating system;
device type;
time of access; and
an IP address in anonymised form.

IONOS states that SiteAnalytics does not use cookies. An IP address is transmitted as part of the normal page request and anonymised directly after transmission so that the resulting analytics are not intended to identify individual visitors.

3. Sensitive information and health information

Because this website includes writing about cancer, treatment, survivorship, grief and other personal experiences, a reader may choose to include information about their own health or another person’s health when sending a message.

Health information is sensitive personal information under data-protection law.

Please do not send medical records, clinical documents or more health information than is necessary for your enquiry.

If you voluntarily include health information in a message, I will use it only for the purpose of reading and responding to that enquiry and, where required, on the basis of your explicit consent.

Health information submitted by readers is not used for marketing, advertising or profiling.

4. How I use your information and my lawful bases

Personal information may be used for the following purposes.

Contact and general enquiries

To receive, manage and respond to messages submitted through the website.

Lawful basis: legitimate interests in operating the website and responding to genuine enquiries.

Where correspondence is directly connected with taking steps towards an agreement or contract, processing may also be necessary for that purpose.

Literary, publishing, speaking and media enquiries

To respond to professional enquiries, maintain relevant correspondence and manage potential publishing, speaking, media or other professional opportunities.

Lawful basis: legitimate interests in managing professional and publishing activity and, where relevant, taking steps towards a contract.

Newsletters and author updates

To send newsletters, book news, publication information, early material, reader extras and other communications that you have requested.

Lawful basis: consent.

Marketing emails are sent only where the required permission has been obtained.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe facility in an email or by contacting me.

Review copies and Advance Keeper activity

To:

assess review-copy requests;
provide approved review copies;
administer review campaigns;
communicate with Advance Keepers who have separately opted in;
manage reader feedback; and
follow up activity connected with an advance-reading programme.

Lawful basis: legitimate interests in administering review and advance-reading activity, together with consent where a person separately chooses to receive Advance Keeper or marketing emails.

15 for the 15th and other book-giving initiatives

To receive and assess nominations, contact nominators or nominated organisations where necessary, choose recipients and administer book donations.

Lawful basis: legitimate interests in administering the relevant community book-giving initiative.

Any marketing subscription remains separate and requires its own consent.

Orders and direct sales

To:

process and confirm orders;
take payment;
provide personalised or signed products where requested;
arrange delivery;
provide customer service;
process cancellations, returns or refunds;
prevent or investigate fraud; and
maintain required transaction and accounting records.

Lawful basis: performance of a contract, taking steps at your request before entering into a contract, compliance with legal obligations, and legitimate interests in operating a secure and effective direct-sales service.

Website analytics, operation and security

To understand general website usage, maintain security, identify technical problems and improve the website.

Lawful basis: legitimate interests in maintaining and improving a secure and functional website.

Legal obligations and legal claims

Information may be processed or retained where necessary to comply with a legal obligation or to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

Lawful basis: legal obligation and, where applicable, legitimate interests.

5. MailerLite

I use MailerLite to manage newsletter subscribers, mailing-list preferences, email campaigns and automations.

Information processed through MailerLite may include:

name;
email address;
consent records;
selected mailing preferences;
subscription status;
delivery information; and
email engagement information where tracking is enabled.

MailerLite processes subscriber information in connection with the email services I use.

Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe facility.

Where separate preferences are available, you may unsubscribe from Joe Butler emails, Isaac J Burns emails, or both according to the choices provided.

6. Tally

I use Tally to host some online forms.

These may include:

15 for the 15th nominations;
optional Keeper Record reader feedback;
reader or programme forms; and
other book-related forms where appropriate.

Depending on the form, information may include:

your name;
email address;
organisation details;
town or city;
nomination information;
reader feedback; and
other information you choose to provide.

Information submitted through Tally is used only for the purpose explained on the relevant form.

Completing a Tally form does not automatically subscribe you to a mailing list.

Where email marketing is offered, separate explicit consent will be requested.

Please do not submit sensitive personal information about children, patients or other individuals through these forms.

7. StoryOrigin

I use StoryOrigin to manage digital review-copy applications and campaigns.

Information processed in connection with StoryOrigin may include reviewer request information, contact details, reviewer profile or platform information, review-copy delivery information and campaign activity.

This information may be used to:

assess review-copy requests;
provide approved digital review copies;
administer review campaigns;
manage campaign follow-up; and
understand whether review-copy activity has been completed where that information is available through the service.

Receiving a review copy does not require a positive review.

Applying for or receiving a review copy through StoryOrigin does not automatically subscribe you to Magpie Dispatches, the Joe Butler Newsletter or Advance Keepers.

Any email programme requires a separate opt-in.

8. Stripe and payment processing

Direct website payments will be processed using Stripe.

When you make a payment, Stripe may process transaction information such as:

your name;
email address;
billing and shipping information;
payment-method information;
transaction amount;
date and status of payment;
information about the item purchased;
device or browser information; and
information used for fraud prevention and payment security.

Payment information entered through Stripe’s secure payment systems is handled by Stripe and the relevant banking or payment networks.

I may receive information necessary to identify and manage the transaction, fulfil your order, issue refunds, deal with disputes and maintain accounting records.

I do not need to store raw payment-card numbers on the Joe Butler website in order to fulfil your order.

Stripe may process information for its own purposes as well as on behalf of businesses using its services, including payment processing, security, fraud detection, dispute management and legal compliance.

Stripe’s own privacy terms apply to the information it processes through its services.

9. Delivery and fulfilment

Where physical products are purchased, information necessary for delivery may be shared with postal, courier or fulfilment providers.

This normally includes only what is reasonably necessary to deliver the order, such as:

recipient name;
delivery address;
parcel or order reference; and
relevant delivery instructions.

Delivery information is not provided to delivery companies for their own marketing purposes by me.

10. Who I share information with

I do not sell or rent personal information.

I do not provide mailing-list, contact-form, nomination, review or order information to advertisers for their own marketing.

Personal information may be processed by service providers needed to operate the website and associated services, including:

IONOS

Website hosting, website services, forms and SiteAnalytics.

MailerLite

Email marketing, subscriber management and automations.

Tally

Online forms, nominations and reader-feedback collection.

StoryOrigin

Review-copy applications, delivery and campaign administration.

Stripe

Payment processing, transaction security, fraud prevention and related payment services.

Postal, courier or fulfilment providers

Delivery of physical purchases or donated books.

Professional advisers or authorities

Information may be shared with accountants, legal advisers, regulators, law-enforcement bodies or other authorities where reasonably necessary or legally required.

Information may also be disclosed where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

11. International transfers

Some service providers or their authorised sub-processors may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, appropriate lawful transfer mechanisms are used where required. Depending on the destination and provider, these may include UK adequacy regulations, contractual safeguards or other mechanisms permitted by UK data-protection law.

The relevant service provider’s privacy information provides further detail about where and how it processes personal data.

12. How long I keep information

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

As a general guide:

Contact and professional enquiries

Correspondence is normally retained while an enquiry is active and for up to 24 months after the last substantive contact, unless there is an ongoing professional relationship, contractual need, legal requirement or other legitimate reason to retain it longer.

Newsletter subscribers

Subscriber information is retained while you remain subscribed.

If you unsubscribe, limited information may be retained where necessary to record and honour your unsubscribe request and to demonstrate previous consent where reasonably required.

Review-copy and Advance Keeper records

Information is retained while the relevant review or Advance Keeper programme is active and for a reasonable period afterwards where needed to administer the campaign, maintain records or resolve queries.

Information that is no longer required will be deleted or anonymised.

Tally nominations and reader feedback

15 for the 15th nomination information will normally be retained only for the period necessary to administer that year’s initiative and any reasonable follow-up.

Reader feedback may be retained for as long as it remains useful for editorial, publishing or programme administration, but identifying information will not be kept longer than necessary.

Orders and payments

Order, transaction and accounting records may be retained for the period required to meet tax, accounting, consumer-protection and other legal obligations.

As a general working period, relevant transaction records may be retained for up to six years after the end of the relevant financial year, or longer where required by law or where necessary in connection with an unresolved dispute or legal claim.

Personalisation information

Personalisation or dedication instructions will normally be retained only as part of the order record for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the order and maintain appropriate transaction records.

Health or other sensitive information

Health information voluntarily included in a message will be deleted when it is no longer required to deal with the enquiry and will ordinarily not be retained longer than six months after the enquiry has concluded, unless there is a clear legal reason to retain it or you have specifically asked for continuing correspondence.

Website analytics

IONOS SiteAnalytics information is anonymised and is not intended to be retained as identifiable visitor information.

13. Security

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are used to protect personal information.

These include:

secure website hosting;
encrypted connections where supported;
controlled access to accounts;
appropriate account credentials and security measures;
use of reputable service providers; and
limiting access to personal information to what is reasonably necessary.

Payment-card information used for direct sales is processed using Stripe rather than being stored as raw card data on this website.

No internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but reasonable steps are taken to reduce the risk of unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

14. Cookies and similar technologies

IONOS SiteAnalytics itself is described by IONOS as operating without cookies.

The website or third-party services used on it may use cookies, web beacons, identifiers or similar technologies where required for functionality, security, payment processing, email services or other features.

These may include services provided by MailerLite or Stripe.

Where consent is legally required before a non-essential technology is used, it should be loaded in accordance with the choices available through the website’s privacy or cookie controls.

You can also control cookies through your browser settings, although disabling some technologies may affect website functionality.

Translation services

The website platform may offer an optional third-party translation service.

Where that service is enabled, it may require consent before loading and may process information relating to your use of the translation function.

If you decline the translation service, the third-party translation function will not be loaded.

15. Children and young readers

Some books, reader extras and other material associated with Isaac J Burns are intended for children and young readers.

However:

newsletter signup forms are intended for adults;
contact forms are intended for adults;
review-copy applications should be managed by adults;
nominations and community-programme forms should be completed by adults; and
free Keeper Extras intended for children are designed to be accessible without requiring a child to create an account or provide personal information.

Children should not submit their own email address or other private contact details through website forms.

Messages from young readers should be sent by a parent, carer, teacher, librarian or other responsible adult.

Where an adult requests a personalised book for a child, a child’s first name or other limited information necessary for the requested dedication may be processed solely to fulfil that order.

Please do not provide more information about a child than is necessary.

If I become aware that personal information relating to a child has been collected without an appropriate legal basis, I will take reasonable steps to delete it where appropriate.

16. External websites and social media

This website contains links to third-party websites and services, including:

social-media platforms;
retailers;
StoryOrigin;
Tally;
Stripe;
external resources; and
other websites linked for information or services.

I am not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of third-party websites.

Their own privacy policies apply when you use those services.

17. Automated decision-making

I do not use personal information to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

Mailing-list preferences and email automations may be used to send content based on the lists or interests you select, but these do not make legal or similarly significant decisions about you.

Stripe and other service providers may use automated tools for fraud prevention, security or payment-risk assessment in accordance with their own services and privacy policies.

18. Your data-protection rights

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

ask for access to personal information held about you;
ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
ask for personal information to be erased;
ask for processing to be restricted;
object to certain processing;
receive certain information in a portable format where the right to data portability applies; and
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

Your right to object

You have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing at any time.

If you object, your information will no longer be used for that purpose.

You may also object to processing based on legitimate interests. Whether processing must stop will depend on the circumstances and applicable law.

To exercise your rights, use the Contact page and make clear that your message concerns a privacy or data-protection request.

19. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact me first so that I have an opportunity to address the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the UK’s data-protection regulator:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Current contact information and guidance are available from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

20. Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to:

the website;
services and suppliers used;
mailing lists;
review or reader programmes;
direct sales and payment arrangements;
legal or regulatory requirements; or
the way personal information is processed.

The date at the top of this page will show when the policy was most recently revised.