The Problem With Proving Manuscripts & Written Works
Written works are routinely plagiarized. Book manuscripts are shared with beta readers and agents before publication. Screenplays circulate widely during development. Ideas get stolen.
Clients may claim they never received a deliverable or that it was late. A timestamped delivery record proves the facts.
For authors, screenwriters, journalists, copywriters, this is not a theoretical risk — it is a daily reality. A screenwriter pitches a concept to a studio. The studio passes. A year later, a suspiciously similar movie is in production. Timestamped drafts prove the writer had the concept first.
How TimeProof Solves This
When you timestamp manuscripts & written works with TimeProof, TimeProof uses client-side file hashing (SHA-256). That 64-character value is the unique fingerprint for the exact version you selected, and if even one byte changes, the hash changes too. Your file never leaves your device.
TimeProof proves file existence by anchoring file hashes to the Polygon blockchain. The blockchain records the hash, timestamp, and transaction ID permanently, so anyone can verify the record independently on Polygonscan without relying on editable metadata or a vendor-controlled database.
For authors, screenwriters, journalists, copywriters, that means creates evidence that you delivered a specific file at a specific time, resolving payment and timeline disputes. timestamping manuscript drafts at key milestones creates a verifiable creative timeline showing your writing existed before any published copy.
Specific to Manuscripts & Written Works
Timestamping manuscript drafts at key milestones creates a verifiable creative timeline showing your writing existed before any published copy. Common file formats include DOCX, PDF, TXT, RTF, EPUB, MD, and TimeProof handles all of them. Whether you are using Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, Ulysses, the workflow is the same.
The Metadata Problem
Many people assume file metadata is sufficient proof. It is not.
Word document metadata shows creation date but is trivially editable through document properties. Google Docs version history requires an active account and can be manipulated.
A blockchain timestamp is independent of your file’s metadata. It is stored on the public Polygon blockchain, which no one controls. Even if every byte of metadata is stripped, your timestamp remains permanent and verifiable.
Step-by-Step: Proving Your Manuscripts & Written Works
Anchor the delivered file at or immediately before handoff so payment or timing disputes turn on the exact file, not memory. Best used at delivery or submission handoff. Common files in this workflow include deliverables, submission packages, and delivery exports. Typical reviewers or counterparties include clients, reviewers, and procurement teams.
- Finalize the version that is being sent, uploaded, or otherwise handed off.
- Timestamp the exact file before or at the moment of delivery.
- Keep the certificate and Polygonscan link with the email, portal upload record, or delivery log.
- Timestamp later redeliveries or revised files separately instead of relying on the first handoff proof.
Step 1: Select your file. Open TimeProof and drag your file onto the upload area. TimeProof accepts DOCX, PDF, TXT, RTF, EPUB, MD and every other file format. The SHA-256 hash is computed entirely in your browser — your file never leaves your computer.
Step 2: Choose your timestamp type. Use scheduled timestamps for 1 credit per file, or use verified instant timestamps for 2 credits per file when immediate anchoring matters. Both produce permanent, identical proof.
Step 3: Confirm and anchor. Click the timestamp button. TimeProof computes the SHA-256 hash locally, sends it to the Polygon blockchain smart contract, and returns your proof. You pay zero gas fees — TimeProof covers all blockchain costs.
Step 4: Download your proof. You receive a PDF certificate and a direct link to the blockchain transaction on Polygonscan. Verified instant timestamps add a verified identity badge, and Legal-Grade adds the Courtroom-Ready PDF, JSON metadata, JWS identity attestation, and Complete Evidence ZIP.
Step 5: Add Legal-Grade if needed. Legal-Grade is a verified per-batch upgrade. Starter and Pro charge 50 credits for up to 25 files, then +2 credits per file after 25. Business charges 25 credits for up to 25 files, then +1 credit per file after 25. Enterprise includes Legal-Grade. It adds the Courtroom-Ready PDF, JSON metadata, JWS identity attestation, and Complete Evidence ZIP.
What You Receive
Every TimeProof timestamp for manuscripts & written works includes:
- PDF certificate - a readable proof document for the exact manuscripts & written works you timestamped, ready to keep with the project or share when timing becomes disputed.
- Polygonscan link - direct public verification of the on-chain hash, timestamp, and transaction.
Verified instant timestamps also include: 3. Verified identity badge - the certificate shows the timestamp was created by a verified account, which is useful when delivery timing, authorship, or submitter identity may later matter.
With the Legal-Grade upgrade, you also receive the core evidence-package components documented by TimeProof: PDF, JSON, JWS identity attestation, and a ZIP bundle.
- Courtroom-Ready PDF - a presentation-ready evidence certificate for disputes around prove you delivered it on a specific date, payment, originality, or formal review.
- JSON Metadata - machine-readable timestamp data for technical teams, audit trails, or structured evidence review.
- Identity Attestation (JWS) - a signed proof that ties the timestamp to a verified identity and can be verified through /.well-known/jwks.json.
- Complete Evidence ZIP - one bundle containing the Courtroom-Ready PDF, JSON Metadata, Identity Attestation (JWS), and supporting proof materials so counsel, clients, or reviewers can inspect the complete record in one place.
Why Blockchain vs Other Methods
TimeProof uses Polygon because authors, screenwriters, journalists, copywriters need proof that is fast to create, inexpensive to repeat, and easy for third parties to verify.
TimeProof proves file existence by anchoring file hashes to the Polygon blockchain. This gives reviewers a public record they can inspect independently on Polygonscan.
- Speed: about 2-second block times when verified instant proof matters.
- Cost: users do not buy crypto or manage gas fees because TimeProof covers blockchain costs.
- Public verification: counterparties, clients, auditors, or counsel can inspect the record independently on Polygonscan.
- Security: the record sits on a public, tamper-resistant network aligned with Ethereum.
- Permanence: the timestamp remains verifiable long after the manuscripts & written works have been shared, reposted, or challenged.
Real-World Scenario
A sender hands off a deliverable, then later needs proof that the exact file was ready and delivered before the payment, deadline, or acceptance dispute started. The files at issue are often deliverable exports, submission packages, and invoice attachments. Typical reviewers or counterparties include clients, reviewers, and procurement teams.
A screenwriter pitches a concept to a studio. The studio passes. A year later, a suspiciously similar movie is in production. Timestamped drafts prove the writer had the concept first.
The recipient claims the file arrived late, never arrived, or was not the version they were expecting. The timestamp fixes the delivered file to a public date so the handoff dispute focuses on evidence, not email recollection or portal screenshots.
Related Comparisons
These comparisons help you measure this proof path against common alternatives that solve part of the problem but not the full timing-and-integrity chain.
- TimeProof vs Registered Mail: Compare physical mail receipts with proof tied to the exact digital file handed off at the deadline.
- TimeProof vs Email Proof: See why email metadata alone does not reliably prove which deliverable file existed at handoff.
- TimeProof vs DocuSign: Compare signature workflows with independent timing proof when the core dispute is delivery, not only signer identity.
Related Guides
Use these related pages to go deeper on the legal, verification, or pricing context behind this workflow.
- Protect Legal Documents Before Sharing: Move earlier in the workflow when you need proof before the recipient ever receives the file.
- Build Evidence for Legal Documents: Extend delivery proof into a fuller chronology when later disputes involve multiple handoffs, exhibits, or revisions.
- Pricing: Review the current credit model for repeated deliveries, submissions, and deadline-sensitive handoffs.
Pricing
TimeProof uses one unified credit balance, so you can prove manuscripts & written works as part of normal work instead of waiting for a dispute.
- Scheduled timestamps: 1 credit per file - available to everyone, with proof available within 6 hours.
- Instant timestamps: 2 credits per file - available to verified subscribers, anchored in about 2 seconds.
- Legal-Grade: Starter and Pro: 50 credits up to 25 files, then +2/file. Business: 25 credits up to 25 files, then +1/file. Enterprise: included.
One-time packs start at $15 for 100 credits. Verified monthly plans start at $19/month and include identity verification for instant timestamps and Legal-Grade.
Timestamp each major draft using 1 scheduled credit. A novel with 10 drafts would use 10 credits. Use scheduled timestamps for routine protection, verified instant timestamps when timing must be immediate, and Legal-Grade when the record may be challenged formally.
For manuscripts & written works, the cost is based on the number of files you anchor, not the file size. Scheduled timestamps use 1 credit per file, while verified instant timestamps use 2 credits per file.
Privacy
Your manuscripts & written works never leave your computer. TimeProof uses client-side file hashing (SHA-256). Only the 64-character hash string is sent for anchoring. Because SHA-256 is one-way, it is not possible to reconstruct the original file from the hash. That lets authors, screenwriters, journalists, copywriters protect client work, unpublished material, and high-value source files without exposing the underlying content.