Writing Theory Work with me
Last updated October 19, 2026

Privacy Policy

What this site collects, which third-party tools it uses, and the choices you have.

Writing Theory is a personal site run by Carson Long. This page explains, in plain language, what information the site collects, which outside services it relies on, and how you can limit or opt out of tracking. If anything here is unclear, email me at writing.theory.business@gmail.com.

The short version

  • The site uses analytics (Fathom and Google Analytics) to see which pages people read.
  • The site shows ads through Google AdSense, which uses cookies.
  • Some book pages can use the Meta Pixel so I can tell whether my Facebook and Instagram ads bring people here. In the EEA, UK and Switzerland it stays off until you say yes, and you can turn it off anywhere.
  • If you join the newsletter or fill out a form, I receive what you type, and the form provider stores it.
  • Links to Amazon are affiliate links.
  • I do not sell your information to anyone.

Analytics

Fathom Analytics runs on every page. It is a privacy-focused tool that does not use cookies and does not collect personal information. It gives me aggregate counts such as page views, referring sites, and which buttons were clicked. See Fathom’s privacy policy.

Google Analytics also runs on every page. It uses cookies to recognise repeat visits and reports how visitors use the site, such as pages viewed, time on page, and approximate location from your IP address. Google processes this data under its own privacy policy. You can block it with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Advertising

The site displays ads through Google AdSense. Google and its advertising partners use cookies to serve ads, to limit how often you see the same ad, and, where you have allowed it, to personalise ads based on your visits to this and other sites. You can read how Google uses cookies in advertising, adjust personalisation in your Google ad settings, and opt out of interest-based advertising from many networks at aboutads.info or, in Europe, youronlinechoices.eu.

Meta Pixel

Some of my book pages, currently the page for Upon Careless Gray Hills under /links/, can load the Meta Pixel. When it runs, the pixel sends Meta (the company behind Facebook and Instagram) a notice that you viewed the page, a notice if you click the Amazon button, your browser and device details, and cookie identifiers, and it sets a cookie called _fbp in your browser. This lets me measure whether the ads I run on Facebook and Instagram are bringing people to the book, and it lets Meta match that visit to your Meta account if you have one. I do not send Meta your email address or any other identifying details.

Whether the pixel runs depends on where you are and what you choose. If you are visiting from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, or if the site cannot tell where you are, the pixel stays off until you choose “Accept advertising” in the notice shown on those pages. Everywhere else it runs unless you choose “Reject advertising”. You can change your mind at any time with the Advertising settings link in the footer of those pages. Rejecting also removes the _fbp cookie. If your browser sends the Global Privacy Control signal, the pixel stays off and you are not asked.

To work out your region, the page asks this site’s own server for a yes-or-no answer about whether consent is required there. No third party is involved and nothing about you is stored by that check.

Meta uses what the pixel sends under its own privacy policy and cookie policy. You can also control how Meta uses data from sites like this one in your Facebook ad preferences.

When you arrive at a page under /links/ from a link that carries campaign tags (for example, a link I posted on YouTube or Instagram), the site reads those tags and keeps them in your browser’s session storage for as long as the tab stays open. They are used to record which platform the visit came from and are attached to the Amazon link if you click through to buy a book. They are deleted when you close the tab and are not tied to your name or any account.

If you make an advertising choice in the Meta Pixel notice, the site keeps that choice in your browser’s local storage under the name wt_advertising_choice_v1, along with the time, the region result, the text of the notice you saw, and a random reference number that is not linked to anything else. It stays until you clear this site’s data, so you are not asked on every visit. It is never sent to me or to anyone else.

Newsletter

The newsletter signup form sends your email address to Mailchimp, which stores it and sends the emails on my behalf. I use it only to send the newsletter. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can also ask me to remove you at any time. See Mailchimp’s privacy policy.

Forms

  • The coaching application is a Google Form. What you submit is stored by Google under its privacy policy and shared with me.
  • The story submissions form is handled by Formspree, which forwards your submission to my email and stores a copy. See Formspree’s privacy policy.
  • If you email me, I keep the conversation in my inbox for as long as it is useful for working together.

I use what you send only to answer you, evaluate an application, or deliver the service you asked about.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to my books on Amazon are affiliate links, which means Amazon may pay me a small commission if you buy after clicking one. The price you pay is the same. Clicking through takes you to Amazon, which sets its own cookies under its privacy notice.

Embedded content and hosting

Some pages embed YouTube videos. When you play one, YouTube (a Google service) may set cookies and collect viewing data under Google’s privacy policy.

To display fonts, icons, and images, the site loads files from Google Fonts, from public content delivery networks run by Cloudflare (cdnjs and unpkg), and from Unsplash. These services receive your IP address and browser details in order to deliver the files.

The site is hosted on Netlify, which keeps short-lived server logs, including IP addresses, for security and reliability. See Netlify’s privacy policy.

Your choices

  • Cookies. Your browser lets you block or delete cookies, including third-party cookies. Blocking third-party cookies stops the Meta Pixel and most ad tracking without breaking the site.
  • Analytics and ads. Use the Google opt-out links in the sections above.
  • Meta Pixel. Use the Advertising settings link in the footer of any book page that uses it, or turn on Global Privacy Control in your browser.
  • Newsletter. Click unsubscribe in any email or ask me to remove you.
  • Your data. If you want to know what information I hold about you, or want it corrected or deleted, email me and I will take care of it. Residents of the European Union, the United Kingdom, California, and some other places have specific legal rights over their personal data; the same email address is the way to exercise them.

Children

This site is written for adults and is not directed at children under 13. I do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Changes

If I add a new tool or change how data is handled, I will update this page and the date at the top.

Contact

Carson Long ยท writing.theory.business@gmail.com