Privacy Policy

The Indie Author Hive

Last updated: 14 November 2026

1. Introduction

The Indie Author Hive ("we", "us" or "our") is an independent book discovery and promotional platform connecting readers with independent authors through online events, book promotions and featured placements.

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and applicable privacy legislation.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we may share it with and your rights regarding your data.

2. Who We Are

The Indie Author Hive is operated and owned by Tierney Storer.

For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, Tierney Storer is the data controller responsible for personal information collected through Indie Author Hive.

Website: www.theindieauthorhive.com

Email: theindieauthorhive@gmail.com

3. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with our website and services, we may collect the following information.

Author information:

Author names, legal names and contact details.
Book titles, descriptions, covers, genres and promotional information.
Website, retailer and social media links.
Event registration and submission details.
Information relating to purchased promotional placements.
Correspondence regarding participation in our events.

Reader and subscriber information:

Email addresses provided when subscribing to newsletters.
Communication preferences.
Information voluntarily submitted through contact forms.
Newsletter engagement information, where collected.

Payment information:

When purchasing promotional services, transaction information may be processed by our payment service providers including Squarespace, Stripe, and PayPal.

We may receive transaction references, payment status and billing information required for administration and accounting.

Website usage information:

Depending on the technologies enabled, we may collect IP addresses, browser information, device information, website interactions and cookie preferences.

Further information is available in our Cookie Policy.

4. How We Use Your Information

We process personal information for the following purposes:

Managing author registrations and event participation.
Publishing submitted book and promotional information.
Providing paid promotional placements and related services.
Processing payments and maintaining financial records.
Responding to enquiries and providing support.
Sending newsletters and promotional communications where permitted.
Maintaining website security and functionality.
Understanding website performance where permitted.
Complying with legal and regulatory obligations.

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

5. Our Legal Bases for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases, as appropriate:

Contract: Where processing is necessary to provide services requested or purchased, including author registrations and paid promotional placements.

Consent: Where you have agreed to receive consent-based marketing communications or to the use of technologies requiring consent.

Legitimate interests: Where necessary for our legitimate interests in operating, administering, securing and improving The Indie Author Hive, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

Legal obligations: Where processing is required to comply with applicable laws, including financial record-keeping obligations.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, these may include responding to enquiries, preventing misuse of our services and maintaining the security of our website.

You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is our lawful basis. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

6. Author Submissions and Public Information

Authors participating in The Indie Author Hive events provide information intended for public promotion.

This may include author names, book titles, cover images, descriptions, promotional prices and links to retailers or websites.

By submitting information for an event, authors acknowledge that relevant promotional details will be displayed publicly as described in our Terms & Conditions.

Personal contact information, such as private email addresses, will not be published unless specifically provided for public display or otherwise authorised.

Public promotional information may remain accessible through search engine results or third-party caches after removal from our website.

7. Email Marketing

Where you subscribe to our newsletter, we may send information about upcoming events, featured books, author promotions and Tierney Storer or The Indie Author Hive announcements.

Marketing communications will be sent in accordance with applicable electronic marketing rules.

You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly.

Unsubscribing from email communications may prevent us from sending necessary administrative or transactional communications.

8. Sharing Your Information

We may share relevant personal information with trusted service providers where necessary to operate The Indie Author Hive.

These may include:

Website hosting and maintenance providers.
Email marketing platforms.
Form and data management services.
Payment processors.
Website analytics providers.
Professional advisers and regulatory authorities where required.

Service providers processing personal information on our behalf must be subject to appropriate contractual and security safeguards.

We may also disclose information where required by law.

9. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where international transfers are subject to UK GDPR restrictions, we will ensure an appropriate legal transfer mechanism or safeguard applies, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including applicable legal, accounting and administrative requirements.

Our retention arrangements are as follows:

Newsletter information: Until you unsubscribe or we otherwise remove your information in accordance with our retention procedures.
Author submissions: For the duration necessary to administer the relevant event and any defined post-event retention period.
Enquiries: Until the enquiry is dealt with.
Payment and accounting records: For the applicable statutory retention period, generally six years for relevant UK business tax records.
Website analytics and cookie information: According to the retention periods of the relevant services, as described in our Cookie Policy.

Where information is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it, subject to any applicable legal obligations.

11. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances, you have the right to:

Request access to personal information held about you.
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Request deletion of personal information.
Request restriction of certain processing activities.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including an absolute right to object to processing for direct marketing.
Request data portability where applicable.
Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exemptions.

To exercise your rights, contact us using the details provided in this policy.

We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable data protection legislation.

12. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, loss, disclosure or misuse.

Access to personal information is limited to individuals and service providers who require it for legitimate operational purposes.

No internet-based system can guarantee absolute security.

13. Children's Privacy

The Indie Author Hive is not specifically directed towards children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children for marketing purposes without any consent or authorisation required by applicable law.

If you believe a child has provided personal information inappropriately, please contact us.

14. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies for essential functionality and, where enabled, analytics or other purposes.

Further details, including how to manage your preferences, are provided in our Cookie Policy.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or data processing practices.

The latest version will be published on our website with an updated revision date.

Where required, we will provide additional notice of material changes.

16. Contact and Complaints

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact: