I am Averill Buchanan, a sole trader providing freelance editorial and publishing services to individuals and companies. I am based in Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK), and trade under my own name.
I need your name (first name and surname) and your email address in order to do business with you. I will ask for more information, such as location and your postal address, only if it’s needed to provide you with the services you have hired me for. Any information you provide will be used only for the purpose for which it is given. It will not be shared with any one else at any time without your express permission (in writing).
I do not keep a client database or marketing list. I collect no email addresses or IP addresses via this website. If you contact me by email, your email address is stored in my email program’s address book (Thunderbird) which can only be accessed on my office-based desktop computer (i.e. it is not accessible by any other means). I do not use webmail to send email (i.e. no email addresses are stored in any webmail programs).
I am obliged by HM Revenue and Customs to keep records of business transactions for six years. If I don’t conduct any further business with you beyond that time frame, I will delete all emails relating to our work together.
It is your right to know what information I hold about you in my general records and/or to request a copy of that information. All such requests will be dealt with promptly.
I take confidentiality very seriously. I keep the nature and content of your work confidential at all times and do not make it known to anyone without your express permission. This includes any initial discussions, including all documents you provide for the purposes of obtaining a quote or sample edit, whether or not you hire me as a result of those initial discussions.
I am bound by the Codes of Conduct of both the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (UK) (https://www.ciep.uk/standards/code-of-practice) and the Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers of Ireland (AFEPI Ireland) (https://afepi-ireland.com/code-of-practice/).
The security of your documents and personal information (and my own) is very important to me and I take all reasonable steps to protect them on my computers and devices.
My desktop computer and laptop run up-to-date software, including anti-virus and malware protection software, I run weekly maintenance checks, and I back up all data to an external hard drive once a week. All documents are also backed up to Dropbox on the fly (i.e. as I work).
I use strong passwords for all my applications and logins, each application has its own password (i.e. I do not use the same password across multiple applications), and I change those passwords regularly.
I erase all information from all old devices, and shred all paper documents before I dispose of them.
I use Google Analytics to monitor visitors to my website, but I do not have access to IP addresses.
My use of social media is covered by the privacy and security policies for those companies. I collect no information from my social media platforms.
In the event of a breach of security and if your personal data is at risk, I will notify you by email within 72 hours of discovering the breach.
If you have any further queries about this privacy policy, please contact me at averill@averillbuchanan.com.
