Privacy Policy

The Second Reach Publishing LLC · www.thesecondreach.com · Effective June 19, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how The Second Reach Publishing LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use the Platform located at www.thesecondreach.com (the “Platform”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data with transparency and care.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly.When you create an account, we collect your name and email address. You may optionally provide a phone number. When you use the Platform, we store content you post to your private profile wall, the public community discussion forum, and Conversational Throughput spaces. Private wall content is stored in the Platform’s database and is not accessible through the administrative interface. The administrator does not review private wall content in the ordinary course of operations but may access the database for technical maintenance, security, or legal compliance purposes.

Reading Engagement Data.The Platform includes a “Put the Book Down” button that is available throughout the reading experience. When you choose to press this button, the Platform records the chapter you are reading, your approximate position within the chapter (expressed as a percentage of the chapter completed), and any optional written reflection you provide (up to 280 characters). This data is stored in the Platform’s book_stops database and is associated with your user account. Submitting a written reflection is entirely optional; you may record a pause without providing any text.

Conversational Throughput Data. When you and another user engage in sustained dialogue in the community forum and both choose to continue your conversation in a dedicated Conversational Throughput space, the contents of that conversation, including the five preceding exchanges and all subsequent messages within the dedicated space, are stored on the Platform and visible to the Platform administrator.

Payment Information. Payment transactions are processed by Stripe, Inc. We do not collect, store, or have access to your full credit card number, bank account information, or other financial account details. Stripe processes your payment information in accordance with its own privacy policy, available at stripe.com/privacy. We receive only a confirmation of payment and a transaction identifier from Stripe.

Information Collected Automatically. The Platform uses only essential cookies required for session authentication: that is, to keep you logged in as you navigate the site. We do not use third-party tracking cookies, advertising cookies, analytics cookies, or pixel tracking of any kind. We do not track your behavior across other websites. We may collect basic server logs (such as IP address, browser type, and access timestamps) solely for security and platform integrity purposes.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes and no others: to create and maintain your account; to provide you access to the Work, audio narration, and community features; to display your User Content within the Platform as you direct (private wall content remains private; public forum posts are visible to other members; Conversational Throughput spaces are visible to both participants and the administrator); to study how readers engage with the Work, including analyzing reading engagement data from the “Put the Book Down” feature and patterns of sustained dialogue through Conversational Throughput; to communicate with you about your account or material changes to these policies; and to maintain the security and integrity of the Platform.

We do not use your information for marketing, advertising, solicitation, or any purpose unrelated to the operation of the Platform and the author’s study of reader engagement. We do not build behavioral profiles. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes. We do not display your information publicly beyond what you voluntarily post in the community forum or Conversational Throughput spaces.

3. Author and Administrator Access

The author of The Second Reach serves as the Platform administrator and has access to the following data for the purpose of studying how readers engage with the Work: public community forum posts; contents of Conversational Throughput spaces (both the initial exchanges and all subsequent dialogue); reading engagement data from the “Put the Book Down” feature, including chapter, position, optional written reflections, and associated user account information; and aggregate engagement patterns across the readership.

This access exists solely for the author’s research into how ideas are received, where readers pause and reflect, and how sustained dialogue emerges between readers. This data is not shared with third parties, is not published in any form that would identify individual users without their explicit consent, and is not used for commercial purposes beyond the operation of the Platform.

4. User-Generated Content and Privacy

Content you post to your private profile wall is visible only to you within the Platform’s user interface. The Platform’s administrative interface does not provide access to private wall content. However, private wall content is stored in the Platform’s database infrastructure, which the administrator may access for technical maintenance, security, or legal compliance purposes. The administrator does not review, monitor, or use private wall content for research or any other purpose in the ordinary course of Platform operations. Content you post to the public community discussion forum is visible to all registered Platform members and the administrator. Content within Conversational Throughput spaces is visible to both participants and the administrator. The Platform does not use profile pictures, follower counts, like counts, or any other social metrics. Your identity within the community is established through your words and contributions alone.

Please exercise discretion when posting in the public forum and Conversational Throughput spaces. Do not post sensitive personal information (such as financial details, government-issued identification numbers, or medical information) in any shared space on the Platform.

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We share your personal information only in the following limited circumstances: with Stripe, Inc. for the sole purpose of processing your payment; with service providers who assist in hosting and maintaining the Platform, subject to contractual obligations to protect your data; and when required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your personal information with advertisers. We do not permit third parties to collect information about you through the Platform.

6. Data Retention

We retain your account information and User Content for as long as your account is active. If you request account termination, we will delete your personal information within thirty (30) days, except for information we are required to retain by law or for legitimate business purposes (such as resolving disputes or enforcing our Terms of Service). Public forum posts and Conversational Throughput contributions will remain on the Platform unless you specifically request their removal prior to account termination. Reading engagement data from the “Put the Book Down” feature will be retained in anonymized form (with your identifying information removed) for ongoing research purposes, even after account termination.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Cookies

The Platform uses only essential cookies necessary for session authentication. These cookies keep you logged in as you navigate between pages and expire when you close your browser or after a set session period. We do not use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or any third-party tracking cookies. Stripe may set its own cookies for fraud detection and payment processing; these are governed by Stripe’s privacy policy.

Because we use only essential cookies, we do not require a cookie consent banner. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies, but doing so may prevent you from logging in to the Platform.

9. Your Rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you; to request correction of inaccurate information; to request deletion of your account and personal information; to request a copy of your data in a portable format; and to withdraw from the Platform at any time by requesting account termination.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at thesecondreach4@gmail.com. We will respond to your request within thirty (30) days.

10. Children’s Privacy

The Platform is not intended for use by individuals under the age of eighteen (18). We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that a user is under eighteen, we will take steps to terminate their account and delete their information.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or by posting a prominent notice on the Platform at least thirty (30) days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

12. Contact

For questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact: The Second Reach Publishing LLC · thesecondreach4@gmail.com · (704) 750-5448