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Details: Written by: Texas Authors Institute of History; Category: Uncategorised; Published: 05 December 2025; Hits: 25

Effective date: January 1, 2025
Last updated: December 5, 2025

The Texas Authors Museum and Institute of History (“Texas Authors Museum,” “TAMIH,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and share information when you:

Visit our websites (including [insert primary domain] and related subdomains),
Interact with our programs, events, and membership services,
Make donations or purchases,
Communicate with us in person, by email, phone, or through social media.

By using our services or visiting our sites, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Important: This document is for informational and planning purposes. It is not legal advice. Before publishing, you should have it reviewed by a qualified attorney licensed in Texas.

1. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to:

Online interactions with TAMIH (websites, forms, newsletters, online stores, event registrations, donations, and membership sign-ups), and
Offline interactions (museum visits, in-person events, paper forms, and direct communications).

It does not apply to third-party websites, platforms, or services we don’t control, even if we link to them (for example, external ticketing platforms, payment processors, or social media sites).

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in three main ways:

2.1. Information You Provide Directly

You may provide personal information to us when you:

Join as a member or renew membership
Register for events, programs, or contests
Make a donation or purchase (online or onsite)
Sign up for newsletters or email updates
Apply as a volunteer, partner, or vendor
Submit manuscripts, books, or materials for inclusion in the museum or related programs
Contact us with questions, feedback, or support requests

This information can include:

Contact details – name, mailing address, email address, phone number
Professional information – author biography, pen name, titles published, organization name, role
Transaction information – donation amounts, membership level, purchases, event registration details (note: payment card data is generally handled by third-party processors; see Section 4 & 6)
Demographic information – city, state, country, and (optionally) other demographic data if you choose to provide it in forms or surveys
Content – messages, survey responses, manuscripts, reviews, applications, submissions, or other material you choose to send us.

2.2. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our websites, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain information using cookies and similar technologies (see Section 7):

IP address
Browser type and version
Device type and operating system
Referring and exit pages
Pages viewed and links clicked
Date/time of visit and approximate geographic location (city/region level, not precise GPS)

This information is generally used in aggregated form and does not directly identify you, but it may be treated as personal data where local law requires it.

2.3. Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

Payment processors (confirmation of payments, limited billing information)
Email and marketing platforms (subscription status, engagement metrics)
Event platforms and ticketing services
Social media platforms (if you interact with us or log in via those services)
Publicly available sources (e.g., author websites, public bibliographic databases).

We use this information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To operate and improve our services
- Manage memberships, donations, programs, and events
- Maintain museum records, archives, and collections
- Run contests, festivals, and awards
- Provide customer service and respond to your requests
To communicate with you
- Send confirmations, receipts, and administrative messages
- Provide updates about museum activities, programs, events, and initiatives
- Send newsletters and marketing communications (where permitted by law and your preferences)
To support authors and readers
- Feature authors and books in our programs, events, and communications
- Administer review, verification, or rating programs (e.g., book reviews, curated collections)
- Build and curate collections and educational resources.
To analyze and improve our outreach
- Understand how our sites and campaigns are used
- Improve user experience and content
- Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing, fundraising, and educational efforts.
To protect our organization and comply with the law
- Detect, prevent, or investigate fraud or security issues
- Enforce our terms, policies, and museum rules
- Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorities.

Where required by law (e.g., for individuals in the EEA/UK), we rely on legal bases such as: consent, performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations, and legitimate interests (such as operating and improving TAMIH, supporting authors, and serving our mission) when processing personal data.

4. Payments and Financial Information

We use third-party payment processors to handle donations, membership fees, purchases, and other financial transactions. These processors collect and process your payment card details directly; we do not store full credit card numbers on our systems.

We may retain limited transaction records (e.g., date, amount, last four digits of card, method, and your contact details) for accounting, tax, reconciliation, and donor record purposes.

You should review the privacy policies of our payment processors for more information on how they handle your payment information.

5. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share your information in the following situations:

Service Providers and Vendors
We engage third parties to help us operate our services (e.g., website hosting, email delivery, payment processing, analytics, marketing tools, event registration platforms, data backup). These providers are allowed to use your information only as necessary to provide services to us.
Partners and Collaborators (Limited Cases)
In some programs (for example, co-sponsored events, festivals, or reading initiatives), we may share limited information (such as your name and email) with trusted partners only when:
- You register for a co-branded event/program; or
- You have given consent or reasonably expect that your information will be shared for that purpose.
Legal, Security, and Protection
We may disclose information if we believe it is necessary to:
- Comply with laws, regulations, or legal processes
- Respond to lawful requests by public authorities
- Protect the rights, property, or safety of TAMIH, our staff, visitors, authors, donors, or the public.
Organizational Changes
In the unlikely event of a major structural change (such as merger, reorganization, or transfer of museum assets), your information may be transferred as part of that process, subject to continued protection consistent with this Policy.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We and our service providers may use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to:

Recognize your browser or device
Remember your preferences (e.g., language, cookie choices)
Understand how visitors use our sites
Improve site performance and content
Support basic marketing and outreach analytics.

You can usually set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being used. However, some site features may not function properly if you disable cookies.

If we use third-party analytics or advertising tools (e.g., Google Analytics), those providers may also collect or receive information from our sites and other sites and use it to provide measurement services and targeted ads, subject to their own privacy policies.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to:

Fulfill the purposes described in this Policy,
Maintain accurate membership, donor, and archival records,
Comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations, and
Protect our rights and maintain historical records central to the museum’s mission.

When information is no longer needed, we will delete it or anonymize it, subject to any legal or archival obligations that require longer retention.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our primary audiences are adults, educators, librarians, and authors, but some programs may involve children and young people.

We do not knowingly collect personal information online from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent, as required by applicable law.
If we discover that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without consent, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.
Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided personal information to us without consent may contact us at the email listed in Section 13.

On-site programs for minors may collect limited information via paper forms, subject to parental/guardian consent and applicable laws.

10. Email Communications and Marketing Preferences

You may receive emails from us regarding:

Membership, donations, or purchases
Event registrations and confirmations
Newsletters, updates, and marketing related to the Texas Authors Museum and its programs.

You can opt out of non-essential marketing emails at any time by:

Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in the email, or
Contacting us at [insert contact email] with your request.

We may still send you transactional or service-related emails (e.g., receipts, confirmations, important notices) even if you opt out of marketing communications.

11. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

Access – Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Correction – Request that we correct or update inaccurate or incomplete information.
Deletion – Request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal and archival obligations.
Restriction or Objection – Request that we limit or stop certain types of processing.
Opt-Out of Marketing – Opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 13. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. Some rights may be limited where we have overriding legitimate interests or legal obligations (for example, archival or tax records).

If you are in the EEA, UK, or another jurisdiction that grants additional data protection rights, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

12. International Visitors

Our primary operations and data storage are located in the United States, specifically in or under the laws of the State of Texas.

If you access our services from outside the U.S., you understand that your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. We will take appropriate steps, where required by law, to ensure a suitable level of protection.

13. Third-Party Links

Our sites and communications may contain links to third-party websites, services, or social media platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third parties.

We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or organizational structure.

When we do, we will:

Change the “Last updated” date at the top of this Policy, and
Post the updated Policy on our website.

In cases of material changes, we may also notify you by email or by a notice on our sites, as appropriate.

Your continued use of our services after any changes take effect will signify your acceptance of the updated Policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, or if you wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:

Texas Authors Museum and Institute of History
Attn: Privacy
[Street Address]
[City], Texas [ZIP]
United States

Email: [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.] (replace with your actual email)
Phone: [XXX-XXX-XXXX]

Details: Written by: Texas Authors Institute of History; Category: Uncategorised; Published: 27 November 2025; Hits: 147

Texas Authors TV Podcast: Where Your Story Becomes Part of Texas Literary History

What is Texas Authors TV?

Texas Authors TV Podcast is the official interview show of the Texas Authors Museum & Institute of History (TAMIH). It’s a video podcast hosted by B. Alan Bourgeois that features in-depth, one-on-one conversations with Texas authors across genres—fantasy, memoir, spirituality, children’s books, nonfiction, and more. youtube.com+2youtube.com+2

Episodes are released on YouTube and shared through TAMIH’s website and social media, so each interview becomes:

A permanent, searchable author spotlight
A living piece of Texas literary history
A marketing asset you can use again and again

Why being on Texas Authors TV actually matters for your success

This isn’t “just another podcast guest spot.” For a Texas author, it’s leverage.

1. You step into an instant credibility boost.
Being interviewed by the Texas Authors Museum ties your work to a respected nonprofit whose mission is to champion Texas storytellers. That third-party validation is marketing gold: it tells readers, librarians, and event organizers, “This author is worth paying attention to.”

2. You get long-tail, evergreen discovery.
Your episode doesn’t disappear after launch week. It lives on YouTube, on the TAMIH site under “Texas Authors TV,” and in social feeds where new readers can find you months or years later via search (your name, your book title, your topics). texasauthors.net+2youtube.com+2

Every time someone searches your name or book, your interview becomes one more way for them to meet you—and decide to buy.

3. You get high-quality content you can reuse everywhere.
One appearance on Texas Authors TV can be repurposed into:

Clips for TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube Shorts
Embedded video on your website or Amazon Author page
Content for your newsletter (“Watch my interview with Texas Authors TV”)
Proof for speaking / event proposals (“Featured on Texas Authors TV Podcast”)

You do the interview once; you benefit from it indefinitely.

4. You reach the right audience: people who care about Texas books.
TAMIH’s ecosystem—contests, magazine, bookstore, VTAP verification, and events like Lone Star Festival—attracts exactly the people you’re trying to reach: Texas readers, librarians, booksellers, and fellow authors. texasauthors.net+1

Showing up on Texas Authors TV puts you directly in front of that ecosystem, not just a random global audience that will never find your book again.

5. You strengthen your author brand story.
The interviews go deeper than “tell us about your book.” Episodes often explore:

Why you wrote the book
The life experiences behind it
The themes that matter to you
What you want readers to walk away with from YouTube

That kind of context helps readers feel connected to you as a person, not just a product—and connection sells more books than any banner ad.

6. You plug into a bigger support structure.
Texas Authors TV is not a one-off marketing stunt. It’s one spoke in a larger wheel that includes:

Texas Authors Success Center (TASC) membership
Texas Authors Magazine
Contests and spotlight programs
Texas Bookshelf and other sales/visibility channels

That means your interview can be cross-linked, cross-promoted, and integrated into other opportunities as TAMIH continues to grow.

Details: Written by: Texas Authors Institute of History; Category: Uncategorised; Published: 27 November 2025; Hits: 136

Texas Authors Big 12: One Museum. Twelve Programs. Complete Career Support.

If you’ve been building your author career with duct tape, late-night Googling, and random “tips” from social media, you’re in familiar company. Most Texas authors are trying to juggle contests, reviews, events, bookstores, and “platform” with almost no real infrastructure behind them.

The Texas Authors Museum & Institute of History (TAMIH) exists to change that.

Beginning in 2026, TAMIH is bringing everything it does under one clear banner:

Texas Authors Big 12 – One Museum. Twelve Programs. Complete Career Support.

The Big 12 is not a slogan. It’s a system—twelve connected programs designed to move you from first idea to finished book, from invisible to visible, and from scattered efforts to a coherent, long-term career.

This feature walks through each of the twelve, how they fit together, and how you can plug in.

1. Texas Authors Success Center (TASC)

Your home base.

The Texas Authors Success Center is the core of the Big 12. It’s where you go when you’re serious about treating this as a career, not a hobby.

Here’s what you find inside:

Education: classes, videos, workshops, and resources focused on Texas authors’ realities
Strategy: guidance on what to do next and how to sequence your moves
Community: access to authors who are actively writing, publishing, and marketing

If you’re starting out—or if you’ve been at this for years without a clear plan—TASC is where you stop guessing and start building.

2. Y’all Write Challenge

Words on the page, not just in your head.

Nothing happens without pages. Y’all Write Challenge exists to get you writing and finishing, not just talking about your project.

It’s built around:

Output over perfection – get the draft done
Accountability instead of guilt – you’re not doing this alone
Momentum, not burnout – sustainable progress, not a 30-day crash

You use Y’all Write to draft, complete, or reboot a manuscript. It’s the engine that powers everything else in the Big 12.

3. Manuscript Mastery Assessment (MMA)

Is your manuscript ready—or just typed “The End”?

Before you spend money on editing, design, or ads, you need clarity. MMA gives you a professional, big-picture evaluation so you don’t throw resources at a shaky foundation.

You get:

An honest assessment of structure, pacing, clarity, and overall craft
Identification of strengths, weaknesses, market fit, and red flags
Concrete guidance on what to fix before you move forward

This is where “I finished a draft” starts becoming “I’ve got a publishable book.”

4. True Voice Review (TVR)

A serious editorial review that doesn’t flatten your voice.

When your manuscript is strong, you need feedback and credibility you can actually use. That’s where True Voice Review comes in.

TVR provides:

A professional, paid editorial review—not a casual star rating
Marketing-ready pull quotes for your cover, website, and ads
Detailed commentary on craft, emotional impact, and market positioning

It’s built to serve readers and support you with smart, quotable language about your book.

5. Texas Authors Short Story Contest

A fast, controlled way to test your work.

Short fiction is a powerful lab for experimentation. The Texas Authors Short Story Contest gives you a focused way to:

Test new genres, voices, and ideas
Build publication credits and visibility
Reach readers without waiting on a full-length book

For newer authors—or seasoned ones trying something different—this contest is an ideal proving ground within the Big 12 system.

6. Texas Authors Book Contest

Recognition that actually means something in Texas.

“Award-winning author” isn’t just a vanity label when the award matters. The Texas Authors Book Contest helps you:

Stand out to readers, bookstores, and libraries
Strengthen media pitches and event proposals
Add durable credibility to your author brand

Combined with MMA and TVR, the Book Contest can turn a solid book into a recognized one.

7. Texas Authors Press (TAP)

Publishing with mission, not just mechanics.

Texas Authors Press is a mission-driven press focused on Texas voices and long-term careers—not quick cash-grabs or one-off releases.

For the right titles, TAP offers:

Professional editing, design, and production
Distribution and sustained catalog support
Built-in links to the rest of the Big 12 (reviews, contests, Texas Bookshelf, festivals, and more)

It’s not the only path. But when it’s the right match, it creates a far more coherent and supported publishing experience than going it entirely alone.

8. Verified Texas Authors Program (VTAP)

Proof of real, human authorship.

In a market flooded with AI-generated content and fake personas, verification matters. VTAP exists to establish:

That you are a real, human Texas author
A trusted badge and listing that signal authenticity to readers, media, librarians, and bookstores
A way to stand apart from the noise and build long-term trust

VTAP also ties directly into Texas Bookshelf, Read Safe Ratings, and event programming, making your verification work harder for you.

9. Read Safe Ratings

Transparency that removes barriers.

Some readers—and many institutions—need to know what’s in a book before they put it on shelves or into hands. Read Safe Ratings is a voluntary content-rating system that describes, without moral judgment, what your book contains.

It addresses:

Language intensity
Violence
Sexual content
Drug and alcohol use
Sensitive themes and topics

For libraries, schools, and content-conscious readers, this clarity is priceless. For you, it means fewer roadblocks and more green lights.

10. Texas Bookshelf

A bookstore designed to favor Texas authors.

Most retail systems are built for the retailer first and the author last. Texas Bookshelf shifts the balance:

Better royalty splits and options for Texas Authors Success Center members
Campaigns and promotions that are actually author-centric
A catalog comprised entirely of Texas authors in all genres

Texas Bookshelf is both a sales outlet and a marketing platform—another integrated piece of the Big 12 network.

11. Lone Star Festival

Where the ecosystem shows up in person.

Lone Star Festival is the public, physical expression of everything TAMIH stands for. It gathers authors, readers, musicians, filmmakers, and artists into one vibrant event.

For authors, it offers:

Face-to-face visibility with readers and industry people
Panels, signings, and speaking opportunities
A chance to showcase your VTAP status, Read Safe Ratings, contest wins, and Texas Bookshelf presence in one place

If the other Big 12 programs are your training and infrastructure, the festival is the stage.

12. Texas Authors TV

A broadcast platform built for Texas stories.

Texas Authors TV extends your reach beyond print and events into video and streaming.

Through Texas Authors TV, you can:

Appear in interviews, spotlights, and panel-style conversations
Share the story behind your books with readers who prefer watching to reading posts
Highlight your involvement with the rest of the Big 12—TASC, TAP, VTAP, contests, and more

It’s both a discovery engine for readers and a credibility builder when you’re pitching media, bookstores, and festivals.

How to Use the Texas Authors Big 12 Without Burning Out

You do not need to use all twelve at once. A realistic path might look like this:

Join the Texas Authors Success Center for structure, training, and community.
Use Y’all Write Challenge to finish or restart your manuscript.
Submit to Manuscript Mastery Assessment to see what’s working and what isn’t.
Revise, then obtain a True Voice Review for deep feedback and marketing quotes.
Enter the Short Story Contest or Book Contest for added visibility and credentials.
Decide whether Texas Authors Press is the right publishing path—or use TASC resources to go another route.
After release, secure VTAP verification and a Read Safe Rating to increase trust and access.
List your book on Texas Bookshelf to plug into a Texas-focused retail channel.
Apply for panels or signings at Lone Star Festival and pitch yourself to Texas Authors TV for interview or feature opportunities.

That’s the Big 12 in action: not twelve separate “things,” but a pipeline.

Why This Matters Now

The landscape isn’t getting easier:

AI noise is exploding.
Discoverability is broken for most indie and small-press authors.
Everyone keeps saying “build a platform” while offering almost no structural help.

TAMIH’s response is straightforward:

Build real infrastructure.
Make it Texas-centered.
Focus on long-term careers, not one-off launches.