Site Policies
Privacy policies are official. And boring. This explanation keeps it “fun.”
For more detailed (and proper and legal) explanations on how I collect and use data on this site, please consult the following pages (or click them at your leisure on this site’s footer):
But if you want the quick and easy version, here’s the rundown on my various site policies in a faster, less boring explanation.
Please remember that to use this site in any capacity, you need to agree to these policies. Therefore, you should be familiar with them. This is especially true of the terms and conditions since these tell you about your responsibilities regarding my information and what I provide on this site and how you may or may not use it.
Regarding Privacy:
This is a website, and most websites exercise similar, if not the same information-collection behavior as any other site you’ve visited. In short, though I don’t know all the inner workings of WordPress or Jetpack or Cloudflare (the template and primary security plugins and services this site uses to deliver you protected content), I assume, and therefore you should assume, that it records your IP address and geographic settings based on country, as shown in this screen capture of Jetpack in action (taken from my sister site, Drinking Café Latte at 1pm, which uses the same type of tracker but has higher traffic, and thus does a better job showing you what it shows me):
Likewise, cookies are used to make your browsing life faster and easier. Most websites use them. It’s a bit like GPS. You don’t have to turn it on. You don’t have to use it. But it’ll probably help you find what you’re looking for a lot faster and easier, especially if you plan to come back. If you don’t like faster and easier, turn it off. (A pop-up should’ve given you that option, but in case you missed it, you can update your cookie settings by clicking on the white “keyhole” box in the lower right part of the screen and managing your settings within the new pop-up box.)
Each of my site pages should make it clear to you what it’s doing, so there should be no mystery here. But because laws and disclaimers require websites to explain the obvious, I’ll do my part. Again, the fine details can be found on each policy’s individual page, but the easy version is as follows:
IP Address Information:
-What I Collect-
This site collects geographical information (at the national level) for statistical data. I don’t know why I need this, but it’s part of the Jetpack plugin, as well as a few external plugins I use for analytics (to be explained shortly). It also records page clicks, which tells me which pages and articles readers care about, external clicks, which also tells me what readers care about, and referral links, which tells me where readers come from (which also tells me what they care about). In short, this site collects information on pages, articles, keywords, and external sites that readers are interested in, which helps me determine SEO stuff, in theory, if I actually understood SEO stuff. (Maybe I’ll understand it by the time you read this. We all evolve in understanding. Usually.)
-Why I Collect It-
Well, WordPress and Jetpack collect it, so as a result, I collect it. I assume it’s for SEO (search engine optimization). I don’t actually know why. I just bought hosting and a theme template and a few plugins to simplify the building process so that I could sell books and have an author career. Whatever background information happens under the hood, I don’t know much about how it works or what I’m supposed to do with it, so I don’t know what else to say about it.
-How I Collect It-
Again, I think this is just an automatic part of web functionality. Unless you’re using a VPN or some kind of blocker, I think IP Address collection is automatic to all websites, no matter which pages you visit. This isn’t any different.
-How I Use It-
I check my page data every so often to see what readers like, but that’s about it. This system doesn’t tell me who you are or what kinds of food you like or who you’re trying to date. I might have an American reader and a Canadian reader visit my site on the same day, but I don’t know which reader you are. Maybe you’re the American. Maybe you’re the Canadian. How am I supposed to know?
Email Collection Information:
(Contact Form)
-What I Collect-
When you use the contact form, you agree to fill in your name, email address, and comment or request. It’s basically like sending me an email because it’s actually sending me an email. I collect exactly the same information any recipient of your email would collect if you messaged them directly. When you hit “Send,” your message will report to me whatever name you put in the “Name” field, even if it’s fake, the email address, message title, message itself, and time and date you sent it. It also has the ability to send a Gravatar photo. So, if you’ve ever used email, then you know how this works.
-Why I Collect It-
How else are you going to get in contact with me?
-How I Collect It-
Through email. It goes to jeremy@jeremybursey.com.
-How I Use It-
I might respond to you if you ask me a question.
(Newsletter Signup)
-What I Collect-
When you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll enter your first name (or fake name) and email address. You should also be able to click a confirmation button to pass the reCAPTCHA V2 protocol. Clicking “Submit” on this form tells me you want to receive my newsletter by email. Note that you won’t actually sign up for my newsletter until you check the box and hit “Submit.”
Note: The above applies to any newsletter form tied directly to my email service, SendFox (as in created specifically for SendFox). I’m not currently using this form on my site, but you may still encounter it if you sign up via sendfox.com/zippywings. The form that’s currently active on my site won’t ask for your name, but it will ask you to check an approval box before you hit “submit.” This is to ensure you want to receive my newsletter and book release announcements through email. The first email will also ask for confirmation in case the checkbox doesn’t work for some reason. Whether you get a second email or the newsletter will depend on whether you click the approval button inside that first email (which you obviously need to open first).
-Why I Collect It-
My email newsletter is a marketing tool to alert you of my new releases, special promotions, and the latest news about my upcoming books. When you agree to receive it, you agree to receive this kind of information. You also have the ability to unsubscribe at any time (via a link at the bottom of every email).
-How I Collect It-
When you sign up for my newsletter, your name (if using sendfox.com/zippywings) and email will be added to a list via my email provider (SendFox). This list is dependent on which form you sign up with (right now, there’s only one newsletter, and it’s for my books). For my newsletter, your name (if using sendfox.com/zippywings) and email address will be added to a ten-email autoresponder sequence (including the confirmation and welcome emails you get at signup, spanning over the course of seven weeks), which will include a link to a subscriber page offering you free e-books supplied by StoryOrigin (it’ll be up to you to click on the link to StoryOrigin and agree to their site policies to retrieve the books). At the end of this sequence, your address will be moved to a new list (same provider) where I post my real-time updates. Any time I send a message to this list, you’ll likely receive it, but not necessarily. (SendFox has a feature called “optimization,” which sends messages to recipients who usually open list emails from me but ignores recipients who rarely, if ever, open emails from me.)
Signups for “Join My Team” (offered via the tenth email in the autoresponder sequence) will function in much of the same way, but it’ll put you on a list dedicated to Beta Readers, ARC Reviewers, or Early Access Readers (both Beta and ARC), depending on which one you’ve signed up for. Joining this list will also present you with external links to StoryOrigin and/or Google Play Books, which will carry my e-book proof copies. By mid-to-late 2022, beta readers may also (optionally) be linked to an Atticus file. Atticus is a writing app that will have collaboration features in the near future, and these features will permit beta reader invites via email once they go live. As a user of Atticus, I may want to use this option if I like the interface enough.
Regarding the signup forms, sendfox.com/zippywings is tied-in directly with SendFox (my email provider), and all information you give (name and email) will stay within its system. Using it will get you on my subscriber list the same way as if you signed up directly on my site. However, my newsletter signup page (on this site) uses an external provider called Optinly to display my marketing pop-ups and customized signup forms. The Optinly-hosted newsletter signup form will ask only for email and confirmation, but it will put your email address and marketing preference (either “yes” or “no” to “accepts marketing”) on my Optinly “Subscribers” page. The image below demonstrates what happens when you subscribe via the Optinly form.
Optinly will then share your email address with SendFox to put it on my list. So, using the form on this site will store your email address in two places. However, in both cases, your email is going to a database assigned to me and me alone.
Regarding email messages, they will also contain pictures every so often. Not sure if that matters, but I thought I’d mention it since it also communicates information, and some email services like to turn pictures off. They’re just JPGs. I either took them on my phone or downloaded them from Pixabay. In some cases, I may have designed them through a service called Crello. But they’re still just JPGs. Maybe PNGs if I need a transparent layer for anything.
-How I Use It-
Again, everything I do through signups on this site is for email marketing. If you put your name and email on a signup card and hit “submit,” you are agreeing to join an email list designed for marketing purposes. That’s how it works for any site you visit. It’s how it works here. If you want information, promotions, or exclusive content, then signing up for these lists is the way to go. If you don’t want me emailing you special offers or important announcements, then don’t sign up. Likewise, if you sign up, then decide you don’t want emails from me for whatever reason, you can unsubscribe. There’s a link at the bottom of every email that gives you that option. It’s small, but it’s there. I’ve seen it.
External Links:
I’m just gonna simplify this one. As of now, I have no affiliate links, so any link I post on this site is for your reference and/or convenience. Once you click on that site, my policies end and the new site’s policies begin.
That said, if I ever become an affiliate of any site I link to, I will let you know. (Affiliates earn commissions on users who buy a service or product they refer them to, if you’re wondering.)
Some blog posts may show backlinks to other sites in the comments. These links appear when another site links to me. I typically allow them to backlink since it’s good SEO practice to do so. If you click on them, you will be sent to their site.
Regarding my “Buy Now” links (which you’ll find all over my book pages), these will take you externally to a Universal Book Link (courtesy Books2Read), which will then take you to the retailer of your choice. Once there, you’ll be at the mercy of the retailer’s policies and terms of service, not mine. For more information on that, I refer you to this snippet of my Drinking Café Latte at 1pm privacy policy:
Be aware that links via this site’s book pages will take you to an online bookstore of your choice (or to the bookstore outlined in the link). You will, in effect, be taken outside of this site to your preferred retailer. If you decide to purchase a book through these retailers, you do so agreeing to their terms of service, not this site’s. Even though Jeremy Bursey, the author of this site and the books this site promotes, receives the royalties from your purchase, he does so also agreeing to the retailer’s terms and services and abiding by its privacy policy. Therefore, assume that this site is not responsible for issues related to your purchases outside of product quality. Any privacy disputes you may have about payment information shall be with the retailer, not with Drinking Café Latte at 1pm.
These privacy terms apply to this site, as well. Once you leave it for Amazon, I can no longer help you with any data issues. I talk about this more in my terms and conditions section, so be sure to check it out.
-LinkJoy Links-
In some cases, I may provide an external link through a link shortening service called LinkJoy. The purpose of using LinkJoy is to collect popularity data for any link I connect it to, as well as to give messy link names with lots of gibberish an easier-to-read link name. I may use one of these links on my site or on social media pages.
The important note here is that LinkJoy collects analytics, including IP address (allegedly, though I’ve yet to see evidence of that), geolocation (national level only), device information (desktop or mobile), browser information (Chrome, Firefox, etc.), referrer, and click count. Most of this information is generalized, compiled, and totaled on my LinkJoy dashboard. Links also have slots for their own analytics, but so far I have not seen them displayed.
Each link can be set up to include UTM tags and pixels for additional retargeting, but as of now I don’t use these extra features. I use LinkJoy primarily for the counts to see how popular my links are. This lets me know if anyone cares about the product or information I’ve linked to. This helps me to decide whether to keep passing that kind of information along.
Blog and Comment Policies:
Again, keeping this one simple because I shouldn’t have to spell it out in 2021. If you’re signed into WordPress and comment on any of my articles, it will show your name, Gravatar image, and what day and time you posted your comment in the comments section. If you don’t want to have your name appear on my site, you can sign out of WordPress and then comment anonymously. Alternatively, you don’t have to comment at all.
Be aware that clicking on “like” buttons will record and display the same information, so if you wish to “like” anonymously, then log out first.
Cookie Policy:
Just a reminder, there is a more official version of this policy here.
-What I Collect-
Cookies are those tracking codes that nearly every site in existence uses to simplify your journeys through the Internet. It will typically cache images, remember sites you’ve previously visited (up to a certain time limit) for faster retrieval the next time you visit, and generally speed up the loading time your service needs to display the page. Some cookies will also remember your search information to give you faster reference to your previous search history. For example, if you “search this site” using the search bar at the top of the main page (and whichever pages it appears on), then you’ll likely find a list of previously searched words displayed as you type. This makes it easier for you to remember what you looked up the last time you searched for information, which is useful if you have the memory of a goldfish like I do. Sometimes a cookie is also used to prevent a user from gaming a system (like double-liking an item, for instance).
-Why I Collect It-
Again, like IP Address collection, Cookies are those hidden things that just come with websites. I collect them for your ease of use. It’s kind of like power-steering. You can drive without it, but it’ll suck when you have to make a U-turn. Fun Fact: I once hit somebody’s rental car in a parking lot because my power-steering fluid had run out and I couldn’t turn the wheel hard enough to avoid hitting the parked car next to me. Raised my insurance premiums for the next year.
You can disable cookies via the pop-up if you really want to, just like you can disable your car’s power-steering if you really want to.
-How I Collect It-
I use WordPress, Divi Builder, Jetpack, LiteSpeed, and WP Compress to build and operate this website. I have no idea how any of them work at the code level. I have no idea how I collect cookies. It just happens. Just like it does all over the Internet!
-How I Use It-
It’s not how I use it. It’s how you use it. It’s there for your convenience. I don’t care one way or the other if you leave it on or turn it off. If you want slower loading times and forgotten searches, then turn it off. Be my guest. It’s there for your convenience, not mine.
Availability Note: Also, just a reminder, cookies allow you to watch embedded videos on this site. If you’re wondering why that video reference leads to a nonexistent video, you probably didn’t “Accept All” cookies when the banner asked you to. If you want to watch the video, then click the white “keyhole” box in the lower right corner and “accept all” cookies. The video should then magically appear. Otherwise, you can go looking for it on YouTube. And good luck finding it if you choose that route.
Analytics and Marketing:
This website was built to showcase my books and games. Perhaps you’ve seen the pages. If not, you should check them out. But that’s why I built it. Books. Games. Now, I may blog on here every once in a while, sure, but I can also do that on my free WordPress site, which I use strictly for blogging. I’ve got pages for my books on there, too, but they’re generic. I wanted something nicer and tailor-made for book promotions. So, I built this site.
This whole thing is an advertisement!
That said, because I’m trying to sell books (externally for now, but more about that shortly), I think it’s reasonable to assume that I’d want to market and sell to any visitor who comes here for my books. That means using marketing tools to help me succeed.
This section will explain in detail the types of tools I use to help me build a better and more reliable storefront and readership, as well as the ones I don’t yet use but plan to.
-Pixels-
Some websites use tracking pixels to build a preferred audience for Facebook and Google advertising (and maybe others). These pixels install a cookie on the user’s browser that connects to their Facebook or Google account, which the website owner can then use to build a “lookalike audience” for Facebook or Google advertising, helping them put their products in front of this “interested party” a second time. It’s quite innovative and essentially makes it easier for websites to promote items to visitors who have shown a previous interest, probably similar to Amazon’s “You May Like” emails that send customers links to products they’ve already viewed. It’s marketing genius. Low-hanging fruit.
So, I don’t have any pixels installed. So, you know, full disclosure. But I do plan to get a Facebook Pixel installed on here at some point, if I can ever figure out how to do it. I’ll update this section whenever that happens. I’ve spent almost $900 on a course that teaches me how to use Facebook Ads effectively, so at some point I’d like to give it a try.
-Affiliate Links-
Like the pixel, I don’t yet have any affiliate links connected to this site or to any of my social channels, but I plan to change that soon. When that happens, I’ll update this section’s disclosure. But the helpful information here is that affiliate links use tracking codes that benefit the owner of the link if the person who clicks on it buys the recommended item, or in some cases, buys any item from the linked store within 24 hours (that’s the Amazon way). By using affiliate links, the company providing affiliation (like Amazon) will give the referrer a commission from the sale. It never costs the consumer extra, (it’s a courtesy payment of a small percentage from the one selling the product), but it is often the monetary source that keeps websites and their owners alive. It’s basically a finder’s fee the site owner earns from a store or product site for “referring” a visitor to the item he or she purchases from that site. Many online sales arenas use this system, and it benefits all involved. The customer gets his product, the seller gets to sell his product, and the referrer gets another cup of coffee as a thank you from both parties.
But yeah, I don’t have any affiliate links set up yet. They’re coming, though.
-Heat Maps and Session Recordings-
Okay, so now for something I do use.
Have you ever made something that’s taken up a year of your life, and you wanted to know how others might use it? Do you ever wish you could just take a moment to actually see the feedback in action, see in real-time how people interact with it? You ever wonder if that one thing you thought everyone would love is actually the least noticed or popular item of the entire project?
Well, this site is that project for me, and heat mapping and session recording are the tools I have to help me see how users like you interact with the site.
I use a tool called TruConversion to accomplish these tasks. TruConversion actually has a few useful components like microsurveys for quick visitor feedback and regular surveys for more in-depth feedback, as well as funnel tracking to see where customers or visitors give up on the journey toward buying a product. (This is a product showcase site, remember?) But it also has the ability to screen capture site sessions for second-by-second video playback and analysis (what shiny quarter caused a visitor to stop scrolling?), as well as generate heat maps that reflect the site’s most popular (and least popular) click locations.
I use this tool to help me better understand the user experience. By analyzing trends, I’ll have a clearer idea which pages attract the most visitors, which ones repel the most, and which ones have the highest drop-off rates. By collecting this information, I’ll know how to redesign the site to better accommodate visitors, if that’s even necessary.
That said, TruConversion collects this information anonymously. It will record IP addresses, but it doesn’t indicate whom it belongs to. It also records country, device, date, time, and all the usual analytics you should expect any site to gather by now. Here’s what my session recording dashboard looks like.
I state this in my “Site Disclaimers” pop-up at the top of the home page, but in case you missed it, you can choose to opt-out of TruConversion’s tracking sessions by clicking on this link and pressing the big button in the middle of the page.
At some point, when I have a better idea of what works on this site and what doesn’t, I’ll turn off the session recording feature. Once it’s off, the “Site Disclaimers” pop-up will report an “inactive” status. Heat maps, on the other hand, will remain active until I’ve gotten the requested number of page visits assigned to that map. I won’t actually see this heat map’s results until the quota has been reached. But again, you can turn all of that off at your end by choosing to opt-out with the link above. This will disable TruConversion on any site you visit that uses its service.
Note: Recordings are automatically deleted after a year.
Update (2024 Edition): I turned off the session recording features in late 2022, and until I start getting regular traffic and meaningful trending reports again, I don’t see any reason to turn them back on. So, for the time being, the only TruConversion feature I’ll still use on occasion is the microsurvey pop-up and only on pages where I need user feedback. For this reason, I’ve removed the “Site Disclaimers” pop-up from the main page, as its only purpose is to remind users that their sessions are being recorded. That said, if the button returns, you should assume I’ve turned session recording back on to test some new designs. I’ll turn it back off once I’ve gotten the trending reports I need to finalize a design.
-Roadmap Tools-
To keep readers and site visitors updated on my book progress, as well as any other item that might demand a following, I share information via a roadmap tool called LoopedIn. Even though the roadmaps exist on the LoopedIn server (or whatever they use for storage), I still embed them on this site for user convenience, so it’s a good idea to read LoopedIn’s privacy and cookie policies, as well as its terms of service, to understand your rights when using its apps.
As an overview, interacting with a LoopedIn roadmap will generally involve browser cookies, so you can’t game the upvoting system and rate for the same feature twice. It may also require you to register and sign in if you choose to leave a comment, just like any run-of-the-mill message board, which this app ultimately is. So, you should expect to share that information with LoopedIn if you interact with the site in a more personal or public way.
For the purpose of this site, the pages with embedded roadmaps may install the tracking cookies for recording upvotes, but I’m not actually sure. Definitely expect that if you click on anything that records information (like upvotes). But again, if in doubt, read LoopedIn’s policies.
What I Don’t Collect:
Although this could change in time (and I’ll let you know if it does), I don’t currently accept payments of any kind on this site. This is not an e-commerce site. This is a content library of books I’ve written and other media. The only information transferred (that I know about) is your IP address (anonymized, for the analytics apps mentioned above), geographical information (country only), first name (or whatever you type in the “name” field) and email address (when you message me or sign up for one of my mailing lists, and first name, only if you aren’t using a fake name), Gravatar photo if you’ve assigned one to your Google account, cache information (cookies), comment time and date, session date and time (anonymized, analytics—pretty much TruConversion), navigational links into, inside, and out of the website, and device and browser information (anonymized, though analytics apps). That’s it. Okay, that actually looks like a lot of things. You know, The INTERNET!!! But most of these things aren’t collected together. I won’t know who you are unless you call me and tell me, “Hey, guess what, I’m on your site, RIGHT NOW!” And you don’t have my number, so…
That said, my “Buy Now” book links will take you outside of my page to a Universal Book Link (managed by Books2Read), where you can click on the retailer of your choice to view and/or purchase my books. Once you leave my site, you will have a different set of privacy rules to work with, and clicking “Buy Now” anywhere on this site will take you outside of this site. Even if you decide to buy my books, I will never have access to your monetary information. That will be between you and the retailer of your choice.
On a similar note, I don’t sell your information to anyone. I wouldn’t even know how to do that. The only information that transfers out of this site based on parameters I’ve set is your name and email address, and only if you sign up for my newsletter. Again, that information gets stored on my private account at my email list service, SendFox. Oh, and using my Contact form will send a message to my email address.
Regarding IP, geolocation, timestamps, and device and browser settings, those are defaults for Linkjoy and TruConversion (analytics services). Again, those are stored on my private account through those services. The information “sold” is to my own account on a different platform.
Once I implement affiliate marketing and the Facebook Pixel, then we’ll slide into browser information for marketing purposes. But I’m not there yet.
So now you know.
Site Security:
This site is protected by an SSL Certificate, which you can verify in the site’s address bar.
If there’s ever a security breach and your data is compromised, I’m obligated to tell you about it, so be sure to check for announcements in that regard, should that happen. Because your data on this site is IP-based, I have no other way of alerting you but through an official announcement on this site, or through email if you’re subscribed to my newsletter. If the breach is based on email, then I’ll let you know through email. Yes, that sounds backwards, but that’s how it works.
I monitor hacking attempts via Wordfence. They’re pretty good.
Right to Removal Information:
According to California law, if you’re a California resident, you have the right to have your information removed from this site, though I’m happy to remove your information even if you live in Kentucky. I believe GDPR has similar conditions.
In most cases, you should be able to remove yourself, since the only information this site keeps, as far as I know, is your cookie information, and that’s only for a period of up to a year in most cases.
If you don’t want cookies tracking your moves on my site, then you should be able to disable them via the pop-up that warns you that I use cookies. You can also clear your browser history for the same effect. Or, if you really want to move around anonymously, then you can use your browser’s “Incognito” or “Privacy” modes while visiting this site. These modes don’t record cookies (but they still record clicks, so I’ll still know which pages and posts are popular). This is probably the safest option if you’re that worried about your privacy.
If you don’t want me to send you emails, then don’t sign up for my newsletter. But if you want to receive my newsletter, and then decide later that you don’t like it, you can click on “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of the email to remove yourself from the list.
Regarding comments, you should be able to delete your own, but if for some reason that doesn’t work, you can send me a message (via the Contact form) and ask me to remove it, and I will.
For any other privacy concerns, please message me at jeremy@jeremybursey.com (the professional email that I check when I remember) or zippywings@hotmail.com (the personal email that I actually check nearly every day) and let me know how I can help you. Remember that the Contact form will message me at jeremy@jeremybursey.com, so please use this form for any site or book-related inquiries. However, if your request is urgent, you may email me directly at zippywings@hotmail.com instead. Just be sure to put an appropriate title in the subject bar (like, “Regarding Your Author Site’s Privacy Policy”) if you expect me to open it. Like you, I’ll ignore any message that looks like SPAM.
For my own privacy, I do not give out my cellphone number or home address, so if for any reason you cannot email me, then you can reach out to me through social media instead (same expectations as email apply). All of my relevant links are available in this site’s footer bar. But please be aware that I’m really bad about checking my social media accounts, especially Twitter, so use social media only if there’s no other way. Messaging me through social media is a great way to ensure I get your message six months from now, maybe. Honestly, if you can’t email me yourself, then you should probably get a friend or family member to do it for you (that’s what my mom does). The end result is the same.
Note: I use Iubenda for my privacy and cookie policy business, and they have the ability to remove the things I can’t remove myself (if I’ve read and understand their services correctly). Hopefully, removal doesn’t have to become a big deal. Creating the privacy and cookie polices were a big enough headache. No need to pile it on.
Privacy Policy Update Information:
I’ve drafted this document on December 22, 2020 while the site is still under construction. I will update this site’s privacy policies on the day I unlock it for public use.
Document Updated: October 20, 2021.
Terms and Conditions:
Terms and Conditions updated as of December 23, 2020.
Official Terms and Conditions here.
Author/Writer Jeremy Bursey is a showcase site with some focus on the topics of writing, pop culture (including food and beverage), or artsy things. But it also reflects the views and opinions of me, Jeremy Bursey, the site’s owner and operator, as well as promotes whatever novel(s) I’m writing. By visiting this site, you understand that you are reading about my observations, reviews, opinions, and promotions, not necessarily expert advice or information. Therefore, DO NOT USE THIS SITE AS A HARD NEWS SOURCE, unless the news is in reference to my books. I may occasionally opine about current events, but I am not an expert in these fields, so do not assume I am, and do not quote me as if I am.
As a visitor to this site, you may read and respond to any article I post, as well as link it to your own site or share it on social media. If you’re a content creator, and your product or article is reviewed on this site, and you’d like to capture a quote for your own site, you may, as long as the proper attributions are made.
Please note that images used on this site are the property of their creators, and this site does its best to provide links to its original source (in the case of stock photos, this original source will almost always be Pixabay). Whenever an image has the term “screenshot” in its description, that typically means that I, Jeremy Bursey, have captured it digitally via “Print Screen” off my desktop. These screenshots will often be in reference to the product or game I’m reviewing. Personal photos and composites will either be uncredited or clearly attributed to me. Unless otherwise permitted, these images should not be shared without proper attribution or context.
Note that I am the author of any image or media item posted in the “Other Media” section, and no additional attributions will be made as that would be redundant.
If you agree to these terms and would still like to use one of my photos in your work or article, please send me an email letting me know which one and how you’d like to use it. I’ll likely grant you permission if I created the image and the context is sound and it doesn’t have any faces visible.
Regarding e-commerce, this site also links visitors to my books, but it does not contain my books directly on this site. If you wish to purchase one of my books, you will first have to click on the link taking you to your retailer of choice, and then you’ll have to agree to their terms of service before you can buy it. Also note that I am responsible for the quality of the product, not the handling of payment. If you have a problem with the book, please let me know. If you have a problem with the payment, you’ll have to contact the retailer you bought it from.
Each book will have its own set of disclaimers attached inside its copyright page, so please read through it before reading the book. As a rule, all works of fiction are from my imagination and should not be considered reality or a representation of actual persons, places, objects, or trademarks. And with the exception of capturing snippets for review or referential purposes, you should also not be taking pieces of any part of my books for your own book or literature without express permission. You may use excerpts for reviews or writing craft books as long as it’s not too generous an excerpt. As long as you keep it under 1000 words per snippet or 5000 words for the entire resource (review, craft book, etc.), I probably won’t get too jumpy about it.
I also have a few links to downloadable story templates on this site. These downloads are available through Google Drive. By downloading these products, you agree to use them according to their intent, and that you keep them for your personal use. These templates are not available for resale, nor should you use them as a base for your own product. You may, however, adapt their designs for your own needs, personal or commercial, if you wish. Just don’t take my template, add to it, and start selling it. You should do your own thing in your own voice in this case. If your design is basically the same thing with different wording, that’s fine.
If you wish to do a video review of any part of this site or any media I post, that should be fine. Just remember that images are the property of their owners and creators, so as long as your video respects that, I don’t think it should be a problem to screen capture them. Just remember to blur out any image or information that is sensitive or exclusive in nature. For example, if I post a picture of my cat, I do so for the benefit of my audience, not yours, so in that regard, I’d ask you to respect my privacy. But regarding products, I consider them available for public use, so as long as they are not exclusive to this site (which would be the case for special announcements or coupon codes reserved for readers of this site, not viewers of your YouTube page), they should be considered fair use.
Lastly, be nice.
If you have any questions regarding these terms of service and conditions, please send me an email and let me know. Likewise, if you think I’ve left something important off this page, let me know that, as well.
Thank you for respecting the content of this site.
Once again, if you cannot or choose not to abide by these terms and conditions, then you should not visit this site. Thank you.
Finally:
Even though I’ve taken a lighthearted approach to this site’s policies, privacy laws, terms of service, et cetera, having access to these policies is very important for site health and good customer service, and it’s important that you check out the actual professionally worded policies (listed at the top of this page and in the footer) to really understand what this site does and how you can use it better. Each form provides the legally binding terms that this site adheres to, and in the event that issues arise, these are the forms that shall address these concerns.
But they’re also probably boring to read, so hopefully this article has bridged the gap a little.
–Jeremy Bursey
Katniss in a box.