Privacy Policy

GWM & Associates Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 18, 2025

1. Our Commitment to Privacy

GWM & Associates ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information entrusted to us by our clients and website visitors ("you"). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you engage with our services or visit our website https://gwmandassociates.com/. We understand the sensitive nature of the materials and information shared with us, particularly in the context of author and expert services.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information necessary to provide you with our specialized consulting, publishing, and marketing services. This may include:

* Contact Information: Your name, email address, phone number, mailing address.

* Professional Information: Details about your work, expertise, author bio, project goals, target audience.

* Project Materials: Manuscripts, proposals, marketing plans, outlines, research notes, and other documents you provide for the purpose of our services (treated with strict confidentiality).

* Communication Records: Records of emails, calls, and other communications related to your project and our services.

* Payment Information: Billing details necessary to process payments for our services (Note: Payment processing may be handled by secure third-party payment processors; we typically only retain transaction records, not full credit card numbers).

* Website Usage Information (If applicable): If you visit our website, we may collect basic information through cookies or similar technologies, such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited, primarily for website functionality and analytics to improve user experience.

3. How We Use Your Information

Your personal information is used primarily and solely for the following purposes:

* To Provide and Manage Services: To deliver the strategic consulting, narrative development, market positioning, audience engagement, platform amplification, and related services you have requested.

* To Communicate With You: To respond to inquiries, provide project updates, send invoices, and manage our client relationship.

* To Fulfill Contractual Obligations: To carry out the tasks and deliverables agreed upon in our service agreements.

* To Process Payments: To bill for services rendered.

* Internal Record Keeping and Service Improvement: For administrative purposes and to analyze how we can better serve our clients (using anonymized or aggregated data where possible).

* To Comply with Legal Obligations: To meet legal and regulatory requirements.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure – Our Core Principle

GWM & Associates does not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise share your personal information or confidential project materials with any third parties for their independent marketing or commercial purposes.

The information you provide is used exclusively to facilitate and fulfill your needs related to the publishing and marketing services we offer directly to you.

Exceptions to this rule are limited and standard:

* With Your Explicit Consent: We will only share information if you explicitly direct us or consent to us doing so (e.g., making an introduction to a specific contact on your behalf).

* Essential Service Providers: We may utilize trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business and providing services (e.g., cloud storage for documents, email providers, payment processors). These providers are contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information and are strictly prohibited from using your data for any purpose other than providing the specific service required by GWM & Associates.

* Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, subpoena, or other legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.

* Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the promises made in this Privacy Policy.

5. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures designed to protect your personal information and confidential project materials from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure. We treat client intellectual property, including manuscript drafts and proposals, with the highest level of confidentiality. However, please note that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, including providing you with services, maintaining our business relationship, complying with our legal obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements. Project materials may be retained according to the terms of our specific client agreement or until project completion and final delivery, unless otherwise agreed upon or required for archival purposes.

7. Your Rights Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, such as the right to:

* Access the personal information we hold about you.

* Request correction of inaccurate information.

* Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal and contractual restrictions).

* Object to or restrict certain processing activities.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details below.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new policy on our website or through direct communication. Your continued engagement with our services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

GWM & Associates

consult@gwmandassociates.com

(332) 213-9593

116 East Lafayette Palmyra MO 63461