Privacy Policy

1. Overview & Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to all services provided by Kizuna Global Services, including publishing management, book editing, interior formatting, cover artwork, physical and digital bookstore placement, author public relations, digital advertising, and our premier The Global Shelf Authority™ program.

Please review this document carefully to understand our practices regarding your information. If you do not agree with our practices, please refrain from using our website or submitting information to us.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal and business information in three primary ways: information you provide directly, information gathered automatically, and information from verified third-party partners.

2.1 Information You Provide to Us Directly

• Contact & Identification Details: Full name, pen name, email address, mailing/billing address, phone number, and country of residence.
• Manuscript & Creative Assets: Unpublished and published manuscripts, synopsis, draft titles, illustrations, author photographs, biographies, blurbs, and editorial notes.
• Financial & Payment Data: Credit card details, bank wire credentials, and billing information collected via secure, PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment gateways (we do not store raw credit card numbers on our local servers).
• Project Preferences: Target audience selections, marketing goals, distribution preferences, and author questionnaire answers.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Technical Identifiers: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device identifiers, and language settings.
• Usage & Navigation Metrics: Pages visited, time spent on individual sections, referring URLs, clickstream paths, and interaction timestamps.

3. How We Use Your Information

Kizuna Global Services utilizes your information solely for legitimate operational and service delivery purposes:

• Publishing Production & Fulfillment: Facilitating professional editing, cover design, typesetting, ISBN assignment, printing logistics, and catalog registration;
• Bookstore Consignment & Outreach: Presenting book catalogs, pitches, and stocking requests to retail bookstores and wholesale partners across our international network (Japan, US, UK, China);
• Marketing Campaign Execution: Setting up targeted digital advertisements (Amazon Ads, Google Ads, Meta Ads), book reviews, press releases, and media outreach campaigns;
• Customer Support & Communication: Answering author inquiries, delivering milestone updates, sending invoice receipts, and coordinating strategic consultations;
• Legal & Fraud Prevention: Verifying author copyright claims, ensuring compliance with trade regulations, and preventing fraudulent transactions.

4. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR & UK GDPR)

If you are an individual located within the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, we process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

• Performance of a Contract: Processing necessary to fulfill our service agreement or author contract with you;
• Legitimate Interests: Operating and securing our platform, managing client relationships, and enhancing our publishing workflows, where these interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights;
• Compliance with Legal Obligations: Processing necessary to comply with financial reporting, taxation, or copyright legal mandates;
• Explicit Consent: Where you have granted clear permission (e.g., subscribing to industry newsletters or author spotlight features), which can be withdrawn at any time.

5. Third-Party Sharing & Disclosure

We only disclose information to vetted service providers and partners under strict confidentiality agreements for the express purpose of fulfilling your publishing and marketing programs:

• Production & Distribution Vendors: Commercial printers, Ingram Content Group, Amazon KDP, digital distribution aggregators, and freight logistics handlers;
• Consignment Bookstore Partners: Book buyers and retail managers reviewing submissions for physical consignment stocking under The Global Shelf Authority™;
• Payment Processors: Certified merchant payment gateways operating under PCI-DSS data standards;
• Legal & Regulatory Authorities: Only when strictly required by a valid subpoena, court order, or applicable law to protect intellectual property or corporate safety.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses standard cookies, web beacons, and analytics scripts (such as Google Tag Manager and Trustpilot widgets) to improve browsing performance, authenticate user sessions, and evaluate website traffic.

Cookie Preferences: Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can alter your browser settings to reject cookies or notify you when a cookie is placed. Note that disabling cookies may affect some website conveniences.

7. International Data Transfers

Kizuna Global Services operates across an international publishing landscape, with headquarters in the United States and active retail distribution networks in Japan, the United Kingdom, and China.

When data is transferred across international boundaries, we ensure that adequate safeguards are maintained, such as standard contractual clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, strict vendor agreements, and industry-standard transport layer encryption.

8. Manuscript Confidentiality & Data Security

We recognize that an author's manuscript represents months or years of creative dedication. We safeguard your work through comprehensive administrative, physical, and technical measures:

• Encrypted Transmission: All data transmitted to and from our website is encrypted via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL / TLS 1.3);
• Restricted Internal Access: Only assigned editors, designers, and project managers bound by non-disclosure agreements have access to your draft files;
• Secure Cloud Infrastructure: Manuscripts and creative production files are archived in access-controlled, firewalled cloud environments with continuous monitoring.

9. Data Retention

We retain personal information and project files only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which they were collected, to provide continuous publishing support, or as required by applicable tax, accounting, and legal statutes.

Upon formal request, we will securely archive or permanently delete unpublished working drafts and personal identifiers in accordance with our deletion policy.

10. Your Privacy Rights (GDPR & CCPA/CPRA)

Depending on your geographic jurisdiction, you hold specific legal rights concerning your personal data:

10.1 Rights Under European & UK Privacy Laws

• Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• Right to Rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal records;
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You may request deletion of your data where no overriding legal basis requires retention;
• Right to Restrict or Object: You can object to certain data processing activities or request restriction;
• Right to Data Portability: You may obtain your data in a structured, commonly used machine-readable format.

10.2 California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

California residents have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information collected, the right to request deletion of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising these statutory rights.

To exercise any of these privacy rights, email our team at [email protected] with the subject line "Privacy Rights Request". We will verify your identity and respond within 30 days.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services and website are intended solely for individuals aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly solicit or collect personal information from children under the age of 13 (or under 16 where applicable). If we learn that we have unintentionally collected information from a child without verified parental consent, we will promptly delete that information from our records.

12. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect enhancements in our service offerings, emerging regulatory requirements, or organizational procedures. When updates are published, we will revise the "Effective Date" at the top of this document. Continued engagement with our services following updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact & Privacy Inquiries

For inquiries, feedback, or data requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our manuscript handling practices, please contact our Data Governance desk and executive leadership: