Privacy & Data

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1 October 2026

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This Privacy Policy explains how I, Sami Pelling, collect, use and protect personal information when you visit samipelling.com, join my reader list, contact me, apply for reader opportunities, download reader content or otherwise interact with my author website.

1. Who is responsible for your personal information?

For the purposes of UK data protection law, the data controller is Sami Pelling.

I respect your privacy and am committed to handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR).

2. What personal information I may collect

Depending on how you interact with my website, I may collect:

• Your name and email address when you join my reader list or request reader content.
• Information you provide when completing forms or contacting me.
• Your mailing-list preferences and information about when and how you subscribed.
• Information you voluntarily provide when applying for ARC, reviewer, beta-reader or other reader opportunities.
• Technical information such as IP address, browser type, device type and pages visited.
• Information collected through cookies and similar technologies where permitted.
• Email interaction information, such as opens and link clicks, where these features are enabled.

Please do not send sensitive personal information unless genuinely necessary.

3. How I collect your information

I may collect information when you:

• Join my reader list.
• Request reader freebies, bonus chapters or other content.
• Complete a website form.
• Apply for an ARC, review or other reader opportunity.
• Contact me by email.
• Enter a giveaway, competition or promotion.
• Respond to an email, survey or reader question.

Some technical information may also be collected automatically through website technology, hosting systems, cookies or analytics services.

4. How I use your personal information

I may use your information to:

• Send newsletters, author updates, book news, release information and cover reveals.
• Send exclusive content, reader opportunities and ARC information.
• Deliver reader freebies, bonus content or downloads you request.
• Respond to messages and enquiries.
• Manage my mailing list and your communication preferences.
• Understand how readers interact with my emails and website.
• Improve my website, content and reader experience.
• Maintain the security and operation of my website.
• Keep records where necessary for legal or administrative purposes.
• Comply with applicable legal obligations.

5. Lawful bases for processing

Consent

I may rely on consent where you actively choose to join my mailing list, receive marketing communications or permit optional cookies or tracking. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Legitimate interests

I may process information where reasonably necessary to operate, protect and improve my author website or respond to people who contact me, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.

Legal obligation

I may process or retain information where necessary to comply with the law.

Contract

I may process information where necessary to provide something you have specifically requested from me.

6. Reader list and marketing emails

If you join my reader list, I may email you about my books and author activities, including:

• New and upcoming books.
• Cover reveals and sneak peeks.
• Reader updates.
• Exclusive and bonus content.
• ARC and reviewer opportunities.
• Book recommendations.
• Promotions and occasional offers.

Joining is voluntary. Where consent is required, I will only send marketing communications after you have actively agreed to receive them.

You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link in my emails or by contacting [email protected] .

7. Email tracking

My email system may provide information about how subscribers interact with emails, including whether an email has been opened and which links have been clicked.

I may use this information to understand which content readers find useful, improve future emails and, where appropriate, organise subscribers according to their interests or interactions.

8. Reader freebies and bonus content

I may offer free chapters, bonus scenes, downloadable content or other reader incentives. Where receiving content also involves joining my mailing list, this will be made clear when you sign up.

I will not use hidden or pre-ticked consent boxes to obtain marketing consent.

9. ARC and reviewer opportunities

If you apply for an ARC, review copy, beta-reading opportunity or similar reader programme, I may collect information necessary to assess and manage your participation.

This may include your name, email address, reading preferences, social-media or reviewer profile links, preferred reading formats and information you choose to provide about your reviewing activity.

Applying does not guarantee selection. Information supplied for these opportunities will be used to administer my reader and reviewer activities and communicate with you about relevant opportunities.

10. Book purchases and external retailers

I do not currently sell books directly through this website or process payments for book purchases.

My books may be sold through third-party retailers including Amazon. When you follow a retailer link, any purchase is made directly with that retailer and is subject to its own terms and privacy practices.

I do not receive or process your card, bank or other payment details for purchases made through those retailers.

11. Cookies and similar technologies

This website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate correctly, remember preferences, understand website use, measure performance or support analytics and marketing.

Some technologies may be strictly necessary. Where consent is legally required for optional technologies, they will only be used after an appropriate choice has been made.

12. Website analytics

Analytics may help me understand:

• Which pages readers visit.
• How visitors reach the website.
• Which content is most popular.
• How visitors interact with the site.

I use this information to improve the website and reader experience.

13. Third-party service providers

I may use trusted service providers to help operate my author business, website and reader communications. These may include:

• FunnelSketchers for pages, funnels, forms, mailing-list management and email communications.
• Website, domain, hosting and email providers.
• Analytics providers where enabled.
• Amazon and other book retailers.
• Social-media platforms.
• Professional advisers or service providers where reasonably necessary.

These providers may process information on my behalf or operate as separate controllers depending on the service involved.

14. Links to other websites

My website may link to Amazon, other retailers, social-media platforms and other external services. Once you follow an external link, that organisation is responsible for its own privacy practices.

15. International transfers

Some technology, website, email or analytics providers may process or store information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, appropriate protections required by applicable UK data protection law will be used where necessary.

16. How long I keep your information

Mailing-list subscribers

I may retain your information while you remain subscribed.

Unsubscribed readers

I may retain limited information necessary to record and respect your opt-out preference.

ARC and reviewer information

Information may be retained while relevant to my reader/reviewer programme and for a reasonable period afterwards for administration and record keeping.

Messages and enquiries

Correspondence may be retained for a reasonable period where relevant to ongoing communication, records or legal requirements.

Technical and analytics information

This may be retained according to the retention settings of the relevant provider.

17. Keeping your information secure

I take reasonable steps to protect personal information against accidental loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure. However, no internet transmission or digital storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

18. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you rights including the right to:

• Request access to personal information I hold about you.
• Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected.
• Request deletion in certain circumstances.
• Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
• Object to certain processing.
• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.
• Request portability of certain information where applicable.
• Raise concerns about how your information has been handled.

To exercise a relevant right, contact [email protected] .

19. Complaints

If you have concerns about how I handle your personal information, please contact me first so I can look into them.

You also have the right to complain to the UK's data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Further information is available at ico.org.uk .

20. Children

This website and my reader list are not specifically directed at children, and I do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children through this website.

21. Automated decision-making

I do not currently use information collected through this website to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

22. Changes to this Privacy Policy

I may update this policy if my website, technology, author activities, data practices or applicable legal requirements change.

The latest version will be published here and the date at the top will be updated.