Privacy Policy

This privacy policy explains how Southern Cross Books ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you use our online platform and services. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in an open and transparent manner.

Who We Are

Southern Cross Books is a publishing company offering services including manuscript acquisition, developmental editing, copyediting, book design and layout, printing liaison, global distribution, marketing and publicity, and rights management. Our physical address is 123 Flinders Lane, Level 5, Suite 501, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia. For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Southern Cross Books is the data controller responsible for your personal data collected via our site.

What Data We Collect

We may collect personal data from you in various ways when you interact with our site, including when you visit our site, fill out a form, register for an account, subscribe to our newsletter, respond to a survey, or use certain services. The types of personal data we may collect include:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, postal address, phone number.
• Account Information: Username, password, and details related to your account profile.
• Usage Data: Information about how you use our site, such as pages visited, time spent on pages, clicks, and other actions.
• Technical Data: Internet protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform, and other technology on the devices you use to access our site.
• Marketing and Communications Data: Your preferences in receiving marketing from us and your communication preferences.

We collect this data directly from you or automatically as you navigate through our site (through cookies and similar technologies).

How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for various purposes, including:

• To provide, operate, and maintain our online platform and services.
• To improve, personalise, and expand our online platform and services.
• To understand and analyse how you use our online platform and services.
• To develop new products, services, features, and functionality.
• To communicate with you, either directly or through one of our partners, including for customer service, to provide you with updates and other information relating to the service, and for marketing and promotional purposes.
• To send you emails or other communications regarding your account or service requests.
• To find and prevent fraud.
• To comply with legal obligations.

Legal Basis for Processing

We will only process your personal data when we have a lawful basis for doing so. This may include:

• Your consent: Where you have given us explicit consent to process your data for a specific purpose.
• Performance of a contract: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• Legal obligation: Where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation that we are subject to.
• Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms which require protection of personal data.

Sharing Your Data

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties who assist us in operating our site, conducting our business, or serving our users, provided those parties agree to keep this information confidential and use it only for the purposes we instruct. These third parties may include service providers who provide us with IT and system administration services, professional advisers, and regulatory bodies.

We may also disclose your data if required by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or a government agency).

We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties for their marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

Data Security

We implement a variety of security measures designed to maintain the safety of your personal data when you place an order or enter, submit, or access your personal information. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal data, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Data Retention

We will retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy policy, or for as long as we are required to do so by law.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under applicable data protection laws, including the GDPR, you have certain rights regarding your personal data. These rights may include:

• The right to access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data.
• The right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• The right to erasure: You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The right to object to processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The right to data portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organisation, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the physical address provided below.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. You can control the use of cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our site.

Third-Party Links

Our site may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for use by children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 16. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under age 16 without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers.

International Data Transfers

Your information, including personal data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those from your jurisdiction. If you are located outside Australia and choose to provide information to us, please note that we may transfer the data, including personal data, to Australia and process it there.

We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy and that no transfer of your personal data will take place to an organisation or a country unless there are adequate controls in place, including the security of your data and other personal information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new privacy policy on this page. You are advised to review this privacy policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this privacy policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, you can contact us by mail at the following address:

Southern Cross Books
123 Flinders Lane, Level 5, Suite 501,
Melbourne, Victoria, 3000,
Australia.