Privacy Policy

01 Who We Are

This website (helioswriter.com) is operated by Helios Shen, writing as W.J. Sam, an independent speculative fiction author based in Hong Kong.

For privacy-related matters, you may contact us at: contact@helioswriter.com

By using this website, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. This website is a static HTML site with no user accounts, no e-commerce transactions, and no server-side data processing on our end.

02 Data We Collect

This website is a static site hosted externally. We do not operate a web server that logs visitor IP addresses under our direct control. However, the following data may be collected through third-party services embedded in this site:

• Newsletter sign-up data — name and email address you voluntarily submit via the MailerLite form.
• Contact email replies — if you email us directly at contact@helioswriter.com, we receive and store your email address and message content for the purpose of replying.
• Cookie consent preference — stored locally in your browser's localStorage (not transmitted to any server). This records whether you accepted or declined the cookie notice.
• Anonymous usage data — third-party services (Google Fonts, MailerLite) may collect anonymised technical data such as browser type, approximate geographic region, and page load metrics.

We do not sell, rent, or trade any personal data. We do not use advertising networks or tracking pixels.

03 Cookies

This site uses one first-party localStorage entry (wjsam_cookies) to remember your cookie consent choice. This value is stored only in your browser and is never transmitted to any server.

Third-party services used on this site may set their own cookies:

• MailerLite — may set session or functional cookies when you interact with the newsletter sign-up form. See MailerLite's Privacy Policy.
• Google Fonts — fonts are loaded from Google's CDN. Google may log your IP address and browser information when serving font files. See Google's Privacy Policy.

You may disable cookies in your browser settings at any time. This will not materially affect your use of this site.

04 Newsletter & MailerLite

We use MailerLite to manage our newsletter mailing list. When you subscribe, your email address (and optionally your name) is stored on MailerLite's servers.

What we use your data for:

• Sending periodic newsletters about new book releases, author updates, and related content.
• Segmenting subscribers to send relevant updates (e.g., by interest or region — for example, to notify readers about region-specific book availability).

MailerLite's role: MailerLite acts as a Data Processor on our behalf. They process your data only as we instruct. Their infrastructure is GDPR-compliant.

• MailerLite Privacy Policy: mailerlite.com/legal/privacy-policy

Unsubscribing: Every newsletter email includes an unsubscribe link. You may also request removal by emailing contact@helioswriter.com. We will process removals within 72 hours.

We do not share your email address with any other third party. We do not use your newsletter data for advertising.

05 Google Fonts

This site loads the Space Grotesk and Material Symbols typefaces from Google Fonts CDN (fonts.googleapis.com).

When your browser requests these font files, Google receives your IP address and browser User-Agent string as part of a standard HTTP request. This is a technical necessity of loading resources from external servers.

According to Google's documentation, font requests are not associated with your Google account and are not used for advertising profiling. For full details, see Google's Privacy Policy and the Google Fonts Privacy FAQ.

If you prefer not to load fonts from Google's CDN, you may use a browser extension that blocks external font loading. The site will fall back to system sans-serif fonts.

06 Third-Party Links

This site contains links to external platforms including Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Bluesky, X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, and retail booksellers. Clicking these links will take you away from helioswriter.com.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies before providing any personal information.

Links to book retailers (Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, etc.) may include affiliate parameters or region-detection logic. No personal data is passed to these retailers by our site — the link simply directs you to the product page.

07 Your Rights (GDPR & Privacy)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions with applicable data protection laws, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• Right of Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification — request correction of inaccurate data.
• Right to Erasure — request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
• Right to Restrict Processing — request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to Data Portability — request your data in a machine-readable format.
• Right to Object — object to processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Withdraw Consent — where processing is based on consent (such as newsletter sign-up), you may withdraw consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@helioswriter.com. We will respond within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.

08 Contact & Data Requests

For any privacy-related questions, data access requests, or unsubscribe requests, please contact:

For publisher or press enquiries: chloe.wong@heliopolis.press

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. Continuing to use this site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.