Chrystal Comley

The fine print, in plain English

Privacy

I collect very little, I never sell it, and you can ask me to delete it any time.

Last updated: November 13, 2026

This is my website, chrystalcomley.com, and I’m Chrystal Comley. This page explains what happens to your information when you visit, join my newsletter, or send me a message. If anything here isn’t clear, ask me. Details are at the bottom.

The short version

  • If you join the newsletter, I get your email address (and your first name, if you choose to give it).
  • If you send me a message, I get your name, email, and whatever you write.
  • I count visits with a privacy-friendly tool that uses no cookies and doesn’t identify you.
  • No ads. No selling, renting, or trading your information. Ever.
  • Unsubscribe in one click, and ask me to see or delete your information any time.

What I collect

When you join the newsletter

Your email address (required), your first name (optional), and the date and page you signed up from. My newsletter service, Kit, also records whether each email was delivered and opened, and which links were clicked. Kit does this for every newsletter it sends and doesn’t let me switch it off. I only look at the overall numbers, like how many people opened an issue, and I never use it to build a profile of you.

When you send me a message

Your name, your email address, and your message. If you share something personal, like your own story, your recovery, or your family, I’ll treat it with care. I will never publish it, quote it, or share it without asking you first.

When you visit

I use Cloudflare Web Analytics to see things like how many people visited, which pages they read, which site sent them here, their country, and what kind of browser or device they used. It doesn’t use cookies, doesn’t follow you around the internet, and doesn’t tell me who you are.

Like every website, the company that hosts this site (Cloudflare) briefly processes technical details such as your IP address so the pages can reach you and so attacks can be blocked.

What I don’t collect

No accounts or passwords, no payment details (when the book is out, “buy” links take you to the bookshop or retailer), no advertising or social-media tracking pixels, and nothing about you is bought from anyone else.

Cookies

The public pages of this site don’t set cookies. There’s a private working area that only I use, which needs a sign-in cookie. Visitors never see it. If you click through to Instagram or a bookshop, their own cookies and policies apply there. Because I don’t track you, there’s nothing to opt out of. And if your browser sends a “Global Privacy Control” or “Do Not Track” signal, that’s already how this site behaves.

How I use it

  • To send you the newsletter you asked for, including news about the book, preorders, and events.
  • To reply to your messages.
  • To understand which pages people read, so I can make the site better.
  • To keep the site safe and working.

I won’t add you to anyone else’s list, and I won’t email you about anything you didn’t sign up for.

Who helps me run the site

A few trusted services do the behind-the-scenes work. They only use your information to provide their service to me:

I may share information if the law requires it, but I’ll never sell it.

How long I keep it

  • Newsletter: until you unsubscribe. After that I keep only your email address marked “unsubscribed”, so you aren’t accidentally added again. Or I’ll delete it completely if you ask.
  • Messages: as long as I need to reply and for up to two years after, unless you ask me to delete them sooner.
  • Visit counts: kept only as totals that don’t identify anyone.

Your choices and rights

Wherever you live, you can:

  • Unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of any newsletter, or just reply and tell me.
  • See what information I have about you.
  • Correct anything that’s wrong.
  • Delete your information.
  • Take a copy of it with you.

Email me at [email protected] with “Privacy” in the subject. I’ll reply within 30 days, it’s free, and asking will never change how I treat you. If you’re in the UK or Europe: I rely on your consent for the newsletter (which you can withdraw any time) and on my legitimate interest in replying to messages, counting visits, and keeping the site secure. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.

Emails from me

Every newsletter says who it’s from, includes a one-click unsubscribe link, and includes a postal address, as the law requires.

Children

This site and newsletter are for adults. I don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 16. If you think a child has signed up, tell me and I’ll delete it.

Keeping it safe

The whole site uses a secure (HTTPS) connection. Only I and the family member who helps me run the site can get into the behind-the-scenes accounts, and they’re protected with sign-in codes. No system is perfect, but I keep what I collect small, which is the best protection there is.

Where it’s stored

I’m in the United States, and the services above may store or process information in the US and other countries. They’re required to protect it wherever it’s handled.

Links to Instagram, bookshops, and other sites take you somewhere with its own privacy policy. I’m not responsible for those, so it’s worth a look.

Changes

If I change this page I’ll update the date at the top. If it’s a big change, newsletter subscribers will hear about it first.

Contact me

Chrystal Comley
[email protected]