Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Ingram Sparks respects your privacy and is committed to handling your personal information, manuscripts, project materials, and communications responsibly.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we may collect, how that information may be used, who may have access to it, how long it may be retained, and what choices may be available to you regarding your information.

By accessing this website, submitting a form, uploading a manuscript where an upload option is available, requesting a consultation, communicating with us, placing an order, or using our services, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Scope of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through:

• The Ingram Sparks website
• Website contact and consultation forms
• Optional manuscript or project-file upload fields
• Email communications
• Telephone calls and text messages
• Live-chat communications, where available
• Invoices, proposals, agreements, and order forms
• Customer-support requests
• Publishing and project-management communications
• Other interactions related to our products and services

This Privacy Policy does not automatically apply to independent third-party websites, publishing platforms, payment providers, retailers, distributors, or service providers that operate under their own privacy policies.

3. Information We May Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us, which forms you complete, and which services you request.

3.1 Personal and Contact Information

We may collect information such as:

• Your full name
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Business or company name
• Billing or mailing information when required for a transaction
• Country, state, city, or general location
• Preferred communication method
• Other information you voluntarily provide

3.2 Project and Publishing Information

When you inquire about or purchase a service, we may collect information relating to your book, manuscript, publishing plans, or project.

• Book title or proposed title
• Genre and subject matter
• Estimated word count
• Target audience
• Author biography
• Publishing goals
• Selected services or packages
• Project instructions and creative briefs
• Delivery requirements
• Revision requests
• Feedback and approvals
• Research materials and references
• Marketing and distribution preferences

3.3 Manuscripts and Uploaded Files

Where our website provides an upload field, you may choose to upload a manuscript or related project materials. Uploading a manuscript through a general consultation form is not mandatory unless it is specifically required for a requested service.

Uploaded materials may include:

• Book manuscripts and drafts
• Microsoft Word documents
• PDF documents
• Text files
• Author biographies
• Book outlines and notes
• Images and illustrations
• Cover references
• Research materials
• Publishing files
• Other documents related to the requested service

Uploaded files may be used to review your inquiry, understand your project, prepare a quotation, provide recommendations, assign suitable team members, or deliver the requested service.

You should not upload files containing unnecessary highly sensitive information, malicious code, unlawful content, or materials that you do not have the legal right to provide.

3.4 Payment and Transaction Information

When you purchase a product or service, we may collect and maintain transaction-related information such as:

• Customer or billing name
• Billing contact information
• Invoice number
• Selected service or package
• Amount paid
• Payment date and status
• Transaction reference number
• Refund or cancellation records

Complete payment-card details and security codes may be processed by independent payment providers. Ingram Sparks generally does not directly store complete payment-card information on this website.

3.5 Communications

We may retain records of communications exchanged through:

• Email
• Telephone calls
• Text messages
• Website forms
• Live chat
• Customer-support requests
• Project-management systems
• Invoices and proposals

These records may include questions, instructions, approvals, revision requests, quotations, complaints, refund requests, service updates, and other customer-service information.

3.6 Automatically Collected Technical Information

When you access our website, certain technical and usage information may be collected automatically.

• Internet Protocol address or a protected representation of it
• Browser type and version
• Device type
• Operating system
• Approximate geographic location
• Date and time of access
• Pages viewed
• Time spent on pages
• Referring website or advertising source
• Links, buttons, and forms used
• Cookie identifiers
• Server logs
• Error and diagnostic information
• General website-usage information

4. How We Collect Information

We may collect information:

• When you complete a website form
• When you upload a manuscript or project file
• When you request a consultation or quotation
• When you contact us by email, telephone, text, or live chat
• When you place an order or make a payment
• When you approve a proposal or project stage
• When you provide instructions, revisions, or feedback
• When you browse or interact with this website
• Through cookies and similar technologies
• Through server logs and analytics tools
• From payment providers involved in a transaction
• From service providers helping us deliver requested services
• From publicly available sources where reasonably required for a customer-requested research or publishing service

5. How We Use Your Information

We may use your information to:

• Respond to inquiries and consultation requests
• Contact you regarding requested services
• Review manuscripts or project materials
• Understand your publishing requirements
• Prepare quotations, proposals, and recommendations
• Process orders, invoices, and payments
• Provide writing or ghostwriting services
• Provide editing and proofreading services
• Provide cover design and interior-formatting services
• Provide publishing and distribution support
• Provide book marketing and promotional services
• Provide illustration, audiobook, or author-website services
• Assign appropriate writers, editors, designers, illustrators, narrators, or project managers
• Communicate about project progress
• Request feedback, revisions, or approvals
• Deliver completed project files
• Provide customer support
• Resolve complaints, disputes, or refund requests
• Maintain transaction and project records
• Improve our website and services
• Measure website usage and advertising performance
• Diagnose technical problems
• Prevent fraud, spam, misuse, and security threats
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions
• Comply with legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations
• Send marketing communications where permitted and where you have not opted out

6. Contact-Form and Lead Data Storage

Information submitted through our website forms may be stored in email records, protected server files, internal business records, customer-management systems, or structured lead files maintained for inquiry, administrative, project-management, security, and customer-support purposes.

A lead record may include:

• Date and time of submission
• Customer name
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Selected service
• Book stage
• Customer message
• Form source or page
• Uploaded manuscript filename or reference
• Advertising-attribution information
• Technical or security information associated with the submission

Contact-form records are intended for authorised internal use. Access should be restricted to individuals who need the information to respond to inquiries, provide services, maintain business records, or protect the website.

Although we take reasonable steps to protect these records, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

7. Manuscript Confidentiality

We understand that manuscripts, book ideas, outlines, unpublished materials, research, and project communications may contain confidential, personal, creative, or commercially sensitive information.

We take reasonable steps to limit access to manuscripts and project materials to authorised:

• Employees
• Writers
• Editors
• Proofreaders
• Designers
• Illustrators
• Narrators and audio-production professionals
• Project managers
• Publishing specialists
• Contractors
• Service providers

Access will normally be provided only where reasonably necessary to review your inquiry or complete the requested service.

We do not sell customer manuscripts to unrelated third parties.

Manuscripts may be shared with authorised service providers or publishing partners where reasonably necessary to complete the requested work, where you have authorised the disclosure, or where disclosure is required by law.

8. Ownership of Manuscripts and Customer Materials

Ingram Sparks does not claim ownership of your original manuscript, book concept, notes, images, or other original materials submitted by you.

You remain the owner of your original manuscript and underlying intellectual property, subject to any separate written agreement.

You confirm that you have the legal right to submit all materials provided to us and that those materials do not unlawfully violate the rights of another person or organisation.

Ownership and permitted use of completed deliverables created by us may be determined by the applicable service agreement, invoice, proposal, payment status, licence terms, and Terms and Conditions.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate website features, remember preferences, improve security, understand visitor activity, measure website performance, and improve the browsing experience.

9.1 Essential Cookies

Essential cookies may be required for website security, form processing, navigation, session management, consent choices, and basic functionality.

9.2 Preference Cookies

Preference cookies may remember choices such as display, consent, or other website settings.

9.3 Analytics Cookies

Analytics cookies may help us understand how visitors reach and use the website, which pages are visited, and how the website can be improved.

9.4 Marketing Cookies

Where applicable and permitted, marketing cookies may be used to measure advertising campaigns, understand referrals, and evaluate promotional performance.

9.5 Live-Chat Cookies

A third-party live-chat service may use cookies or similar technologies to operate chat sessions, maintain conversation history, and provide customer support.

You may control or disable cookies through your browser or available website controls. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

10. Live Chat and Customer-Support Tools

Our website may use LiveChat.com or another third-party communication platform to allow visitors to communicate with our sales or support team.

When you use a live-chat feature, the provider may collect or process information such as:

• Your name
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Chat messages
• IP address
• Browser and device information
• Approximate location
• Date and time of the conversation
• Pages visited during the chat session

Information submitted through live chat may be processed under this Privacy Policy and the separate privacy policy of the live-chat provider.

You should avoid sharing unnecessary financial information, passwords, government identification numbers, or other highly sensitive information through live chat.

11. How We May Share Information

We do not sell your personal information or manuscripts to unrelated third parties.

We may share information only where reasonably necessary in the circumstances described below.

11.1 Employees and Contractors

Information may be shared with authorised writers, editors, proofreaders, designers, illustrators, narrators, project managers, consultants, customer-support representatives, and contractors who need the information to perform the requested service.

11.2 Technology and Service Providers

Information may be shared with trusted providers supporting:

• Website hosting
• File storage
• Email delivery
• Live chat
• Analytics
• Payment processing
• Project management
• Document management
• Data security
• Customer communications
• Administrative business operations

11.3 Publishing and Distribution Partners

Where requested or authorised by the customer, book information, manuscripts, cover files, metadata, and other materials may be shared with:

• Printers
• Publishers
• Book distributors
• Online marketplaces
• Retailers
• Libraries
• eBook platforms
• Print-on-demand providers
• Marketing and promotional platforms

11.4 Payment Providers

Payment and billing information may be shared with independent payment processors, banks, or financial service providers where necessary to process a transaction, refund, or payment dispute.

11.5 Legal and Safety Requirements

We may disclose information where reasonably necessary to:

• Comply with applicable law or regulation
• Respond to a subpoena or court order
• Respond to a lawful governmental request
• Investigate suspected fraud or unlawful activity
• Protect our legal rights
• Protect customers, staff, contractors, or systems
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions
• Establish, exercise, or defend a legal claim

11.6 Business Transfers

Information may be transferred in connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, sale of assets, or transfer of all or part of our business.

Where reasonably appropriate, transferred information will remain subject to confidentiality and privacy protections.

12. Third-Party Payment Processing

Payments may be processed through independent payment providers. Those providers may directly collect and process payment-card details, bank information, billing information, fraud-prevention information, and transaction data.

Payment providers operate under their own privacy policies, security procedures, and terms.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of the applicable payment provider before completing a payment.

13. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, organisational, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information, manuscripts, and project materials from unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction.

Security measures may include:

• Restricted access to customer information
• Password-protected systems
• Secure website connections where supported
• Server and hosting security controls
• File-access restrictions
• Employee and contractor access limitations
• Reasonable backup procedures
• Website monitoring and maintenance
• Security updates
• Internal record-management procedures

However, no website, electronic transmission, email system, file-storage platform, or online service can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

You are responsible for using reasonable care when transmitting information and for avoiding the submission of unnecessary sensitive information.

14. Data Retention

We may retain personal information, form submissions, communications, uploaded files, transaction information, and project materials for as long as reasonably necessary to:

• Respond to an inquiry
• Provide requested services
• Complete an active project
• Maintain customer and transaction records
• Provide continuing support
• Resolve disputes or complaints
• Process refunds or payment disputes
• Enforce agreements
• Prevent fraud or misuse
• Meet legal, tax, accounting, or regulatory obligations

Retention periods may vary according to the type of information, project status, requested service, customer instructions, contractual requirements, and applicable legal obligations.

When information is no longer reasonably required, it may be deleted, anonymised, archived, or securely disposed of according to our business practices.

Backup copies may remain for a limited period until overwritten or removed through normal backup procedures.

15. Your Access to and Control Over Information

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information.

You may contact us to:

• Ask whether we hold personal information about you
• Request access to your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request completion of incomplete information
• Request deletion of eligible personal information
• Request restriction of certain processing activities
• Object to certain uses of your information
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Request a copy of certain information
• Opt out of promotional communications
• Express concerns about how your information is used

Some requests may be limited where retaining or processing information is reasonably necessary to:

• Complete a contract or requested service
• Maintain transaction and accounting records
• Comply with legal obligations
• Prevent fraud or abuse
• Resolve a dispute
• Establish or defend a legal claim
• Protect the rights and safety of others

We may request reasonable information to verify your identity before responding to a privacy-related request.

16. Deletion Requests

You may ask us to delete certain personal information or uploaded files.

After verifying the request, we will take reasonable steps to delete eligible information from active systems where required or appropriate.

Some records may need to be retained for legal, tax, accounting, transaction, fraud-prevention, contractual, or dispute-resolution purposes.

Information contained in backups may remain temporarily until removed through ordinary backup cycles.

17. Marketing Communications

We may send information about our services, offers, promotions, publishing opportunities, or related updates where permitted by applicable law.

You may opt out of promotional email communications by using an unsubscribe option where available or by contacting us directly.

Opting out of promotional communications will not prevent us from sending:

• Order confirmations
• Payment and invoice information
• Project updates
• Revision or approval requests
• Security notices
• Customer-service responses
• Other necessary service-related communications

18. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers offer a “Do Not Track” setting. Because there is no single universally accepted technical standard for responding to such signals, our website may not respond differently when a Do Not Track signal is enabled.

You may still manage cookies and tracking preferences through your browser settings or available website controls.

19. Third-Party Websites and External Links

Our website may contain links to independent third-party websites, payment providers, retailers, publishers, distributors, social-media services, or other external platforms.

We do not control the privacy, security, content, or business practices of those independent third parties.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected directly by an independent third-party website or service.

You should review the privacy policy and terms of an external service before submitting personal or payment information.

20. International Data Processing

Our customers, employees, contractors, hosting providers, technology providers, and service providers may operate in different countries.

As a result, personal information and project materials may be processed or stored outside the country where you live.

Where reasonably appropriate, we take steps designed to protect transferred information according to applicable requirements and contractual arrangements.

21. Children’s Privacy

Our website and paid services are not intended for children who are below the legal age required to enter into a contract in their jurisdiction.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate authorisation from a parent or legal guardian.

If you believe that a child has submitted personal information without proper authorisation, please contact us so the matter can be reviewed.

22. Information About Our Products and Services

We make reasonable efforts to describe our products and services accurately. However, service descriptions, package details, pricing, availability, website content, and project requirements may change.

We do not warrant that every website description will always be complete, current, error-free, or applicable to every customer or project.

If you believe a product or service differs from the description provided, please contact our support team so the concern can be reviewed.

23. Originality and Customer-Supplied Content

We aim to create and support original content.

Where outside information is used for research, it should be paraphrased, referenced, licensed, or cited where reasonably required.

Customers are responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts, images, quotations, references, data, ideas, trademarks, logos, and other materials do not violate copyright, privacy, confidentiality, trademark, publicity, contractual, or other third-party rights.

24. Disclaimer

All third-party company names, logos, brand names, trademarks, and service marks appearing on this website belong to their respective owners.

Unless clearly stated otherwise in writing, Ingram Sparks is not affiliated with, associated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or officially connected with any third-party publishing company, platform, retailer, distributor, marketplace, or trademark owner.

References to third-party companies or platforms are provided for identification, informational, compatibility, or descriptive purposes only and do not imply an official partnership or endorsement.

Information provided on this website is for general informational purposes and should not be treated as legal, financial, tax, investment, or other professional advice.

Any reliance you place on website information is at your own discretion and risk.

25. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when necessary to reflect changes in:

• Website features
• Products or services
• Technology
• Service providers
• Data-handling practices
• Business operations
• Applicable legal or regulatory requirements

The updated version will become effective when published on this website unless another effective date is stated.

Continued use of the website after an update means that you acknowledge the revised Privacy Policy.

26. Contact Us

To ask a privacy question, request access to your information, request a correction, request deletion, withdraw consent, opt out of marketing, or express a concern, contact us using the details below.