Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how 36Seas Publishing (“36Seas,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) handles personal information when you use First Mate, our AI Author Studio, related publishing services, and associated websites. It applies to account holders, prospective authors, and visitors.

36Seas is responsible for the personal information described here. Questions and privacy requests may be sent to legal@36seas.com.

Account and identity information may include your name, email address, profile image, authentication-provider identifier, account preferences, service tier, and records of your acceptance of applicable terms.

Author Content includes manuscripts, notes, prompts, images, recordings, Story Bible information, generated assets, editorial instructions, and other material you choose to submit. Your fundamental copyright and ownership remain yours as described in our Terms.

Transaction information includes plan, purchase, invoice, credit, refund, and subscription status. Payment processors handle payment-card details; 36Seas does not intentionally store complete payment-card numbers.

Technical and usage information may include IP address, device and browser information, timestamps, authentication events, diagnostics, feature usage, cookies, and security logs. We also collect communications you send to support, legal, editorial, or publishing teams.

We use information to create and secure accounts; authenticate users; provide writing, editing, design, formatting, publishing, and support services; process payments; maintain project continuity; communicate about the service; prevent abuse; troubleshoot; comply with law; and enforce our agreements.

When you request an AI-assisted feature, we process only the content reasonably needed to provide that feature. 36Seas does not use Author manuscripts to train open or public large-language models and does not sell Author Content.

For AI-assisted writing, editorial, image, video, and audio features, the limited content needed for the request may be transmitted to contracted AI infrastructure and model providers. Current providers may include Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Vercel AI Gateway or its routed provider, Kling AI, Runway, Seedance, Replicate, Stability AI, ElevenLabs, Murf, and Typecast. Materials may include prompts, selected manuscript excerpts, Story Bible summaries, reference images, audio, generation settings, and related identifiers. Clicking or submitting an AI action directs us to perform that processing. Provider routing may change to maintain quality and availability.

36Seas and its providers may automatically scan or analyze submitted media, prompts, and generated output to detect prohibited content, fraud, infringement, security threats, or illegal activity; operate moderation and safety systems; investigate complaints; and comply with law. Portrait, voice, and reference-media features may analyze visual or audio characteristics needed to generate the requested output. First Mate does not use those characteristics to identify a person unless identification is expressly part of a requested and lawful service.

If you choose Facebook Login, we may receive your Facebook public profile information, provider identifier, name, profile image, and email address when available and authorized. We use this information only to authenticate you, create or connect your First Mate account, prevent fraud, and support that account.

Using social sign-in is optional. You can use another available sign-in method, subject to account-matching and security requirements. Removing First Mate from Facebook does not automatically erase information already needed to maintain your 36Seas account; follow our Data Deletion Instructions to request deletion.

We disclose information to service providers that help operate First Mate, including hosting, authentication, AI processing, storage, email, analytics, security, and payment providers. They may process information only to perform contracted services and are subject to appropriate confidentiality and data-protection obligations.

AI and media providers may retain and use submitted materials and output for service delivery, safety review, abuse prevention, billing, support, legal compliance, reliability, or service improvement as permitted by our provider agreement and the policy applicable to that feature. We use commercially reasonable provider controls where available and avoid sending a complete unpublished manuscript when a limited excerpt or production asset is sufficient.

At your direction, we may disclose content or project information to editors, production specialists, retailers, distributors, licensees, or publishing partners. We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect users or the service, in connection with a corporate transaction subject to appropriate protections, or with your consent.

36Seas does not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

We retain information while your account is active and as reasonably necessary to provide services, preserve project history, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, meet accounting and legal obligations, and enforce agreements. Retention periods vary by data type and purpose.

You may request account and personal-data deletion using our Data Deletion Instructions. We will delete or de-identify eligible information within a commercially reasonable period, subject to backups, transaction records, active publishing or agency schedules, fraud prevention, legal holds, and other information we are required or permitted to retain.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, portability, restriction, or objection, and to appeal certain decisions. You may also withdraw consent where processing depends on consent. We may verify your identity before completing a request.

You can manage social-app permissions through the applicable provider, unsubscribe from non-essential marketing communications, and control browser cookies. Essential cookies and similar technologies are required for secure sign-in and core service operation.

We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards. No internet service can guarantee absolute security, so keep independent copies of important work and protect your credentials.

Information may be processed in the United States, Singapore, and other countries where our providers operate, subject to applicable safeguards. Data-protection laws in those locations may differ from those where you live. First Mate is intended for adults who can enter a binding agreement and is not directed to children under 13.

We may update this Policy as the service, providers, or law changes. We will post the revised date and provide additional notice when required. Material changes do not expand manuscript-specific publishing or agency rights.