1. Introduction
Brightstars Publishing & Media (website: https://brightstarsmedia.com) values your trust and takes your privacy seriously. We are a U.S.-based independent hybrid publisher operating from South Florida. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit or interact with our website. By using our site, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.
2. Data Collected
Data Storage Location
Our website is hosted on secure servers located in the United States. Hosting providers adhere to applicable U.S. and international privacy standards, including GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) in the United States.
Registration Data
If you register on our site, we store your username, email address, and any information you provide in your profile. You may edit or delete this data at any time (except for the username). Website administrators may also access and edit this information when required for service delivery.
Purchase Data
If you publish with Brightstars Publishing & Media, we may collect limited contractual information (such as author name, contact details, and royalty data) strictly for editorial, publishing, and royalty accounting purposes. This data is never shared with third parties except where required for legal, accounting, or distribution purposes.
Support & Contact Data
Information submitted through our contact forms is sent directly to our secure business email. This information is used exclusively to respond to your inquiry and is not used for marketing unless you explicitly opt in.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics for anonymous site traffic reporting. No personally identifiable data is stored. You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking using this tool: Google Analytics Opt-out
Cases for Using the Personal Data
We use your personal information in the following cases:
Verifying and identifying users
Providing technical and editorial support
Communicating updates about services or projects
Ensuring royalty and contract administration
Preventing fraud and securing accounts
Improving website performance and user experience
3. Embedded Content
Our website may include embedded content such as YouTube videos or social media feeds. These behave as if you visited the external site directly and may collect data as described in their own privacy policies (e.g., YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter).
4. Cookies
Our site uses cookies to improve user experience. Cookies may store user preferences, login status, or anonymous tracking data. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some site functions may not work properly.
Necessary cookies include:
PHPSESSID – identifies your unique session on the site
wordpress_logged_in_{hash} – authenticates logged-in visitors
wp-settings-[UID] – customizes your view of the WordPress interface
5. Who Has Access to Your Data
Administrators of Brightstars Publishing & Media may access your data for support and publishing purposes.
We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties.
6. Third-Party Access
Your data may be shared only with trusted third-party service providers when required, such as:
Book distribution platforms (Amazon KDP, Lulu, Blurb, etc.) for publishing and order fulfillment.
Accounting services for royalty reporting and legal compliance.
Email service providers (e.g., Zoho, Gmail) for communication.
All third parties comply with GDPR and/or U.S. privacy regulations.
7. Data Retention
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for publishing, royalty accounting, or legal compliance. You may request deletion of your data at any time, except for data required by law (e.g., accounting records).
8. Security Measures
Our website uses SSL/HTTPS encryption. In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected users and take immediate corrective action.
9. Your Data Rights
You may request access to the personal data we hold.
You may request corrections or deletion of your data.
EU residents are protected under GDPR; California residents under CCPA.
10. External Links
Our site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their policies separately.
11. Legal Compliance
We may disclose personal data when required by law or in response to valid legal processes. Any release of data will be in compliance with U.S. and international privacy standards.
12. Editorial Content Disclaimer
Brightstars Publishing & Media provides publishing and editorial services but is not responsible for the opinions, ideas, or statements expressed by authors in their books or published materials. Each author retains full responsibility for the content of their work. The publishing house guarantees compliance with technical, stylistic, and legal standards but does not necessarily endorse the individual views expressed in these publications.
