by Penny Sansevieri
If you are US-based and wondering what the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) act has to do with you, you definitely need to read this.
Because, if there’s a percentage of a chance that your mailing list has one person on it who is based in the EU, then it applies to you. And, even though it’s super unlikely that they’ll come after individual authors who don’t comply, the €20Million fine probably isn’t worth it to you.
I know it’s not worth it to me. And let me tell you, the May 25 deadline had us hopping to comply. In fact, as much as I wanted to play ostrich with my head in the sand, I had to shift some priorities to make sure we complied.
If you just read “May 25” and broke into a cold sweat because it was last Friday, don’t stress too much, especially since most authors don’t send out a ton of newsletters. However, if you haven’t prepared for it yet, you definitely need to change gears and make the time for GDPR as soon as possible. I’ve got €20Million reasons why.
And we’re not alone. You’ve probably been contacted by several companies asking you to update your preferences in the last few weeks.
If you aren’t quite sure where to start, Nicole Locker of RomanceBooks.blog has created a great resource: GDPR For Authors Cheat Sheet. And your email service (MailChimp, Emma, ConstantContact etc.) and web person or hosting platform (WordPress, etc.) will likely have additional resources you can use.
Remember, it’s not about having the time, it’s about shifting priorities. So definitely take some time (unfortunately, it will probably be at least an hour or two) to become familiar with GDPR and make sure you comply.
Penny Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. (AME) and an adjunct professor at NYU, is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns.