Privacy Policy
Last updated: 31st July 2026
Lighthouse Island ("we," "us," "our") is an independent publishing imprint. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit www.lighthouseisland.co.uk (the "Site") or contact us.
We are committed to handling your data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Data controller: Martyn Dipper, trading as Lighthouse Island Chippenham, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
Contact: books@lighthouseisland.co.uk
1. What Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways:
a) Information you give us directly
When you use our contact form, we collect:
- Your name
- Your message content
- Your email address (needed to reply to you)
b) Information collected automatically
When you visit our Site, certain technologies may automatically collect:
- Your IP address
- Browser type and device information
- Pages visited and time spent on the Site
- Referring website
This is collected via cookies and similar tracking technologies — see Section 5 below.
We do not operate an online shop or checkout on this Site. If you purchase one of our books via a third-party retailer or distributor (including Amazon and IngramSpark), that transaction and any payment or delivery data is handled entirely by that retailer under their own privacy policy — we do not receive or store your payment details.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Respond to enquiries submitted through our contact form
- Understand how visitors use our Site, so we can improve it (via analytics)
- Provide translated versions of our content where you've opted in
- Comply with legal obligations where applicable
We do not sell your personal information to third parties, and we do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling.
3. Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases:
- Consent — for contact form submissions (you actively agree when submitting) and for optional cookies/tracking (analytics, translation service)
- Legitimate interests — for essential site functionality and responding to enquiries you've initiated
You can withdraw consent at any time (see Section 7).
4. Who We Share Your Information With
We use third-party service providers to help run this Site. These providers process data on our behalf and are bound by their own privacy and security obligations:
- IONOS SiteAnalytics — website analytics (only if you accept analytics cookies)
- Website translation service — third-party translation tool (only if you accept and use this feature)
We do not share your data with any other third party unless required by law.
5. Cookies and Tracking
Our Site uses cookies and similar technologies. When you first visit, you'll be asked to accept or reject non-essential cookies via our cookie banner. You can change your preferences at any time using the "Privacy Settings" link in our site footer.
Categories of cookies used:
- Essential cookies — required for the Site to function (cannot be disabled)
- Analytics cookies (IONOS SiteAnalytics) — help us understand how visitors use the Site
- Translation service cookies — enable optional content translation
6. How Long We Keep Your Information
- Contact form enquiries: retained for as long as needed to handle your enquiry and any follow-up, and then deleted, typically within 24 months
- Analytics data: retained according to our analytics provider's default retention settings, typically anonymised or aggregated over time
7. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data
- Object to or restrict our processing of your data
- Withdraw consent at any time (this won't affect processing carried out before withdrawal)
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk
To exercise any of these rights, email us at books@lighthouseisland.co.uk.
8. Children's Privacy
This Site is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about this policy or how we handle your data, contact us at:
Email: books@lighthouseisland.co.uk