The Trouble With Series

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 20 July 2026

1. Who operates this website

The Trouble With Series website is operated by James Gutans-Cole.

For the purposes of applicable data-protection law, James Gutans-Cole is responsible for deciding why and how personal information submitted through this website is used.

The website address is: The Trouble With Series website

Questions about this privacy policy or the personal information held about you can be submitted through the website’s Contact page.

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains how personal information is collected and used when you:

  • visit this website;
  • submit a contact or enquiry form;
  • ask about original artwork;
  • contact us about books, characters, publishing, licensing or intellectual-property rights;
  • make an archive, exhibition, press or collaboration enquiry; or
  • otherwise communicate through the website.

The website does not currently allow visitors to create public accounts, publish comments or upload media.

3. Information collected through the contact form

When you submit the contact form, the following information may be collected:

  • your name;
  • your email address;
  • the type of enquiry selected;
  • an artwork reference, book title or project name;
  • the contents of your message;
  • your acknowledgement that you have read the privacy information; and
  • any other information you choose to include.

Please do not submit confidential, highly sensitive or unnecessary personal information through the contact form.

4. Technical and security information

The website, hosting provider and form-processing service may automatically receive limited technical information, including:

  • your IP address;
  • browser and device information;
  • the date and time of the request;
  • the page from which the form was submitted;
  • referral information; and
  • information used to detect spam, fraud, misuse or security threats.

This information is used only where reasonably necessary to operate, secure and troubleshoot the website and contact form.

5. How personal information is used

Personal information may be used to:

  • respond to your question or enquiry;
  • identify the artwork, book, character or project concerned;
  • discuss original illustrations or artwork availability;
  • consider publishing, licensing or intellectual-property matters;
  • consider exhibition, archive, media or collaboration opportunities;
  • take steps connected with a possible purchase, licence, agreement or contract;
  • maintain appropriate correspondence and business records;
  • prevent spam, misuse and security incidents;
  • establish, exercise or defend legal rights; and
  • meet legal, accounting or regulatory obligations.

Information submitted through the contact form will not be added to a marketing mailing list unless you separately and clearly choose to receive marketing communications.

6. Lawful bases for using personal information

Depending on the nature of the enquiry, personal information may be processed because:

Legitimate interests

It is in my legitimate interests to:

  • operate and protect the website;
  • respond to genuine enquiries;
  • maintain suitable business records;
  • manage artwork, archive, publishing and rights-related correspondence; and
  • prevent spam, fraud and misuse.

I consider whether these interests are proportionate and whether they might be overridden by your rights and interests.

Steps before entering into a contract

Processing may be necessary to take steps at your request before entering into an agreement—for example, where you enquire about purchasing artwork, licensing rights or beginning a collaboration.

Performance of a contract

Where an agreement has been entered into, processing may be necessary to perform that agreement.

Legal obligation

Some information may need to be retained or disclosed to meet legal, tax, accounting or regulatory requirements.

The appropriate lawful basis must reflect the genuine purpose for which information is used; consent is not automatically the correct basis simply because information is submitted through a form.

7. Information that you are required to provide

You are not legally or contractually required to use the contact form.

However, a name, valid email address and sufficient information about your enquiry are normally needed for me to understand and respond to it.

Without this information, I may be unable to respond.

8. Contact-form processing through Formspree

The contact form is processed using Formspree, a third-party form-processing provider.

When you submit the form, the information entered is transmitted to Formspree. Formspree may:

  • validate the submitted information;
  • apply spam and security checks;
  • send an email notification;
  • store a copy of the submission in its online inbox; and
  • provide tools for reviewing or exporting submissions.

Formspree describes itself as a processor that uses Standard Contractual Clauses for relevant international transfers. It also states that form submissions are validated, checked for spam, forwarded by email and stored in its inbox.

Formspree’s own privacy and security information is available on its website.

9. Email delivery and storage

Form submissions are delivered to a Gmail inbox operated by Google.

Google may process and store email information in accordance with its own terms, privacy information and data-protection arrangements.

Email copies may be retained where reasonably necessary to respond to enquiries, maintain records or deal with subsequent questions.

10. Website hosting and technical providers

The website is hosted using WordPress and services supplied by OVHcloud.

Hosting and technical-service providers may process limited information where necessary to:

  • deliver the website;
  • maintain server and security logs;
  • detect attacks or technical faults;
  • create backups; and
  • maintain the availability and security of the service.

11. Who personal information may be shared with

Personal information may be shared only where reasonably necessary with:

  • Formspree, as the contact-form processor;
  • Google, for email delivery and storage;
  • OVHcloud and relevant website or technical-service providers;
  • professional advisers, including accountants, solicitors or rights advisers;
  • publishers, agents, licensees, purchasers, galleries or collaborators where necessary to progress the particular enquiry;
  • public authorities where disclosure is legally required; and
  • Inky Sprat Ltd, where an enquiry specifically concerns artwork, rights, contracts or another matter managed by that company.

Only information relevant to the particular purpose should be shared.

Personal information is not sold to advertisers or data brokers.

12. International access and transfers

The website is operated by James Gutans-Cole from Australia, and information submitted through the site may therefore be accessed and handled in Australia.

Some service providers, including Formspree and Google, may also process information in the United States or other countries outside the United Kingdom.

Where applicable data-protection law requires safeguards for an international transfer, reasonable steps will be taken to use providers and arrangements that offer appropriate contractual or legal protections.

Formspree states that it relies on Standard Contractual Clauses when acting as a data processor.

13. How long personal information is retained

General enquiries will normally be retained for no longer than 24 months after the last meaningful contact.

Information may be kept for longer where it relates to:

  • an artwork sale or proposed sale;
  • publishing or licensing negotiations;
  • intellectual-property or rights management;
  • an exhibition or collaboration;
  • a contract or commercial relationship;
  • an unresolved complaint or dispute;
  • accounting or taxation requirements; or
  • the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

In those circumstances, information will be kept only for as long as reasonably necessary for the relevant legal, contractual, accounting or business purpose.

Formspree submissions are also subject to the retention period associated with the Formspree account and plan. The free plan currently stores 30 days of submission history, although email copies may be retained separately.

14. Security

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are used to protect personal information against:

  • unauthorised access;
  • accidental loss;
  • misuse;
  • alteration;
  • disclosure; and
  • destruction.

These measures include HTTPS connections, restricted account access, password protection and the security controls offered by the website’s service providers.

No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

15. Cookies

The website does not currently intentionally use advertising or behavioural-marketing cookies.

WordPress, the hosting environment and security systems may use cookies or similar technologies that are strictly necessary for:

  • website administration;
  • authorised administrator logins;
  • security;
  • session management; and
  • essential technical functions.

These generally concern website administrators rather than ordinary visitors.

Should analytics, advertising or other non-essential cookie technologies be introduced later, the website’s privacy information and any necessary cookie controls will be updated. Non-essential cookies generally require clear information and, where applicable, valid consent.

16. External links and embedded content

The website may link to external services, including:

  • booksellers;
  • publishers;
  • social-media services;
  • archive or artwork websites; and
  • third-party information sources.

External websites operate under their own privacy policies. I am not responsible for how another website collects or uses information after you follow an external link.

Where third-party content is embedded directly into a page, the third party may receive technical information about your visit and may use cookies or similar technologies.

17. Children’s information

The website concerns children’s books, but it is not intended to collect personal information directly from children.

A child or young person should ask a parent or guardian before submitting information through the contact form.

If I become aware that personal information has been submitted by a child without suitable involvement from a parent or guardian, I will take reasonable steps to review and, where appropriate, delete it.

18. Automated decision-making

Personal information submitted through this website is not used to make decisions about individuals based solely on automated processing that would have legal or similarly significant effects.

Automated systems may be used by Formspree or technical providers to identify likely spam or malicious submissions.

19. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the right to:

  • request access to personal information held about you;
  • ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected;
  • ask for personal information to be erased;
  • ask for the use of personal information to be restricted;
  • object to certain uses of personal information;
  • request information in a portable format;
  • withdraw consent where a particular use genuinely relies on consent; and
  • complain to a data-protection regulator.

These rights are not absolute, and an applicable legal exemption may sometimes apply.

A request can be made through the website’s Contact page. Reasonable information may be requested to confirm your identity before personal information is disclosed or changed.

Your right to object

You may object to processing based on legitimate interests where you believe your rights and interests outweigh the reason for using your information.

The ICO requires the right to object to be brought clearly and separately to people’s attention.

20. Complaints

Please contact me through the website’s Contact page first if you have a concern about how your information has been handled.

Where UK data-protection law applies, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the United Kingdom’s data-protection regulator.

The ICO recommends identifying the regulator people are most likely to complain to, particularly where a website regularly collects information from people in the United Kingdom.

21. Changes to this policy

This privacy policy may be updated where:

  • the website changes;
  • new services or technologies are introduced;
  • the ways in which information is used change; or
  • legal or regulatory requirements change.

The current version will remain available on this page, together with its latest revision date.