Privacy Notice & Data Protection Policy

1. Introduction

At Writing Trees, we believe stories matter.

When people trust us with their ideas, their work and their personal information, we recognise the responsibility that comes with that trust.

This Privacy Notice explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, how long we keep it and the rights available to you.

Writing Trees Ltd is based in England and Wales and provides digital products and services to customers throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.

Whether you are visiting our website, contacting us, purchasing one of our services or subscribing to NARRify™ Momentum, we are committed to handling your information fairly, transparently and securely.

By using our website or purchasing our services, you acknowledge this Privacy Notice.

2. Who we are

Writing Trees Ltd is the Data Controller responsible for the personal information collected through our website and services.

Email: info@writingtrees.co.uk

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Notice or how your information is handled, please contact us using the details above.

3. Our approach to privacy

We collect only the information we genuinely need to:

• provide our services;
• communicate with our customers;
• improve our business; and
• comply with legal obligations.

We do not collect personal information simply because we can.

We will never sell your personal information.

We will never sell your manuscripts.

We will never use your manuscripts to train third-party artificial intelligence systems without your explicit permission.

Respect, confidentiality and transparency sit at the heart of how we work.

4. Who this notice applies to

This Privacy Notice applies to anyone who:

• visits our website;
• contacts Writing Trees;
• subscribes to our newsletter;
• purchases a product or service;
• uploads documents for analysis;
• subscribes to NARRify™ Momentum; or
• interacts with Writing Trees through our online services.

5. The information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

Identity information

• name;
• email address;
• billing information; and
• country of residence.

Account and purchase information

• purchases;
• subscriptions;
• invoices;
• transaction history; and
• customer communications.

NARRify™ service information

• manuscripts;
• uploaded documents;
• secure document links;
• diagnostic reports;
• revision reports;
• Momentum progress history; and
• correspondence relating to your submissions.

Technical information

• IP address;
• browser type;
• device information;
• operating system;
• cookies;
• website analytics; and
• website usage information.

Payment information

Payments are processed securely by Stripe.

Writing Trees does not receive or store your full payment card details.

6. How we collect information

We collect information when you:

• browse our website;
• complete contact forms;
• email us;
• purchase services;
• subscribe to NARRify™ Momentum;
• upload manuscripts;
• provide secure document links;
• subscribe to newsletters;
• interact with us through social media; or
• communicate with us during customer support.

Some technical information is collected automatically through cookies and website technologies.

7. Why we use your information

We process personal information to:

• provide our services;
• deliver NARRify™ reports;
• administer subscriptions;
• communicate with customers;
• respond to enquiries;
• provide customer support;
• process payments;
• improve our services;
• improve our website;
• maintain security;
• comply with legal obligations;
• detect fraud;
• maintain business records; and
• undertake research using anonymised analytical outputs.

We never use identifiable customer manuscripts for research without permission.

8. Our legal basis for processing

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we rely upon one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

Where processing is necessary to provide a service you have requested.

Legal obligation

Where we are required to retain information for taxation, accounting or other legal requirements.

Legitimate interests

To operate, improve and protect our business, website and services, provided these interests do not override your rights.

Consent

Where you have chosen to receive newsletters, marketing communications or have provided another form of consent.

You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

9. International customers

Writing Trees Ltd is based in England and Wales but provides digital products and services to customers around the world.

By using our website or purchasing our services, you acknowledge that your personal information may be processed within the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally through trusted service providers, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Nothing in this Privacy Notice limits any mandatory privacy or consumer rights that apply in your country of residence where those rights cannot legally be excluded.

10. Payments

Payments for Writing Trees services are processed securely through authorised third-party payment providers, including Stripe.

Writing Trees:

• does not receive your full payment card details;
• does not store payment card information; and
• only receives the information necessary to confirm payment and deliver your purchased services.

Please refer to the relevant payment provider’s own Privacy Notice for further information about how payment information is processed.

11. Manuscripts and creative work

We recognise that creative work is often highly personal and valuable.

Your manuscript always remains your intellectual property.

Submitting your work to Writing Trees does not transfer ownership to us.

Your submissions are used solely for the purposes of providing the services you have requested, including:

• NARRify™ Diagnostic Reports;
• Revision Reports;
• NARRify™ Momentum services; and
• customer support relating to those services.

Your manuscript will never be:

• sold;
• published;
• shared publicly;
• licensed to others; or
• used to train third-party artificial intelligence systems without your explicit consent.

Access to submitted work is restricted to authorised members of the Writing Trees team involved in delivering your service.

12. Human review and analytical technologies

Writing Trees combines proprietary methodologies, structured analytical processes and, where appropriate, analytical technologies to assist in the delivery of our services.

Technology supports our work.

It does not replace professional judgement.

Every customer report undergoes human review before release to help ensure that:

• the report is relevant;
• meaningful observations are prioritised;
• obvious errors are identified; and
• the final report reflects the quality standards of Writing Trees.

Our goal is to provide thoughtful developmental insight rather than automated outputs.

13. Confidentiality

Confidentiality is fundamental to the way we work.

We treat all submitted material as confidential unless:

• you instruct us otherwise;
• disclosure is required by law; or
• disclosure is necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

Everyone authorised to access customer submissions is expected to maintain appropriate standards of confidentiality.

14. How long we keep your information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, meet legal obligations and support the services you have chosen.

Customer account information

Normally retained for up to five (5) years following your most recent transaction, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

Contact enquiries

Normally retained for up to twelve (12) months.

Newsletter subscribers

Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.

15. Manuscript retention

NARRify™ Diagnostic customers

Submitted manuscripts are normally retained for up to twelve (12) weeks after delivery of your Diagnostic Report.

This enables customers to request an eligible Revision Report without restarting the analysis process.

If no Revision Report is requested within that period, the manuscript will normally be securely deleted.

NARRify™ Momentum subscribers

During an active subscription, manuscripts may also be retained for up to twelve (12) weeks where reasonably necessary to:

• compare successive revisions;
• support AHA progress tracking;
• measure structural development over time; and
• provide continuity across monthly reports.

Following the applicable retention period, manuscripts will normally be securely deleted unless we are required to retain them for legal reasons.

16. Diagnostic reports

Diagnostic Reports, Revision Reports and Momentum reports may be retained for up to six (6) months following delivery.

This enables us to:

• respond to customer enquiries;
• provide reasonable follow-up support;
• investigate quality concerns; and
• maintain appropriate business records.

Customers may request earlier deletion where legally permissible.

Please note that early deletion may limit our ability to provide future revision comparisons without a new submission.

17. Anonymised outputs and research

As part of our ongoing research and development, Writing Trees may retain and analyse anonymised diagnostic outputs to help improve our frameworks, methodologies and services.

Where this occurs:

• identifying information is removed or anonymised;
• original manuscripts are not disclosed;
• customer identities are protected; and
• the information is used solely for research, quality assurance and service improvement.

We will never publish or share identifiable customer work without your explicit permission.

18. Third-party service providers

Writing Trees works with carefully selected third-party providers who help us operate our business and deliver our services.

These providers may include:

• Stripe, for payment processing;
• Microsoft 365, for business communications and document management;
• Substack, for newsletter communications;
• website hosting providers;
• analytics providers; and
• other trusted service providers supporting the secure operation of our business.

These providers may process personal information on our behalf only where necessary to provide their services and are expected to maintain appropriate standards of security and data protection.

19. International data transfers

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

Where this occurs, Writing Trees takes reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK data protection legislation.

These safeguards may include:

• UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs);
• UK Addendums to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses;
• adequacy regulations; or
• other legally recognised safeguards.

20. Marketing communications

We will only send newsletters, updates and marketing communications where:

• you have actively chosen to receive them; or
• we are otherwise permitted to do so under applicable law.

You may unsubscribe at any time by:

• clicking the unsubscribe link included in our emails; or
• contacting us directly.

Transactional emails relating to purchases, subscriptions, account activity or customer support are not marketing communications and may still be sent where necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations.

We never sell personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

21. How we protect your information

Writing Trees takes the security of personal information seriously.

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

While no online system can guarantee absolute security, we continually seek to apply appropriate safeguards proportionate to the information we process.

22. Children’s privacy

Our website may be viewed by people of all ages.

However, our paid services are intended for adults.

Customers purchasing services must either:

• be at least 18 years of age; or
• have the involvement and consent of a parent or legal guardian.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children in connection with our paid services without appropriate parental involvement.

23. Your privacy rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

• request access to your personal information;
• request correction of inaccurate information;
• request deletion of your personal information;
• request restriction of processing;
• object to certain types of processing;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• request a copy of your information in a portable format where applicable; and
• lodge a complaint with your relevant supervisory authority.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact: info@writingtrees.co.uk.

We may request reasonable information to verify your identity before responding to certain requests.

24. Information Commissioner’s Office

If you are dissatisfied with how we have handled your personal information, we hope you will contact us first so we can try to resolve your concerns.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

ICO website: ico.org.uk

Writing Trees Ltd is committed to complying with applicable UK data protection legislation and will maintain any registrations or notifications required by law.

25. Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice & Data Protection Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations or business practices.

The latest version will always be published on our website together with its effective date and version number.

Where appropriate, we will take reasonable steps to notify customers of significant changes.

26. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, your personal information or our approach to data protection, please contact:

Email: info@writingtrees.co.uk

27. Our commitment

Writing Trees was founded on the belief that understanding comes before intervention.

That principle extends beyond our services and into the way we handle your personal information.

Whether you share your ideas, your manuscript or simply your email address with us, we recognise that trust is earned.

We are committed to handling your information with professionalism, transparency, integrity and respect, while continually improving the ways we protect both our customers and their work.

Thank you for being part of the Writing Trees journey.

Writing Trees Ltd