ExistBefore
IT

Creative

How to protect a text before sending to a client or publisher

A text sent too early can start circulating without you. A few minutes are enough to secure version and content before sharing. Here is how to do it simply without burdening your work.

3 min read

1. How it usually happens

You write, proofread, fix a sentence, change a title at the last second. Then send.

From there text takes a life of its own: forwarded, copied, pasted into internal docs, maybe commented by multiple people. Sometimes returns with modifications. Other times vanishes.

Most common situations:

  • publisher receives manuscript and circulates it among collaborators
  • client copies copy parts to test them "on the fly"
  • agency uses your proposal as base for other contents

An interesting point: text is among easiest assets to reuse. No software needed, no technical adaptation. Just select and paste.

A copywriter told of finding his presentation email turned into campaign headline. Client vaguely remembered the phrase, but not where from.

2. What you need to prove

When talking about texts, the issue is very concrete: proving that content already existed in a precise form before being shared or reused.

Concretely:

  • that text was already complete or structured
  • that it included specific choices (tone, headline, structure)
  • that it existed in that version on a certain date
  • that any subsequent versions derive from it
  • that these are not generic phrases but a recognisable whole

In practice:

"This text already existed like this, before being used elsewhere."

3. What to collect

For texts, version and context make the difference.

Collect:

  • original text file (Word, exported Google Docs, Markdown, etc.)
  • "locked" PDF or exported version
  • any previous drafts
  • email or messages sending text
  • received brief
  • accompanying notes (explanations, strategy, tone)
  • document screenshot if on online platforms
  • any comments or revisions received

A useful detail: even a well-written email, with text pasted and contextualised, becomes a precious proof.

4. How to proceed

Goal is creating a clear, secured text version before it starts circulating.

When text is ready:

  • save definitive version (even if "advanced draft")
  • export stable copy (PDF or unmodifiable file)
  • assign clear file name (title + date)

Then:

  • use ExistBefore to timestamp that version
  • keep original file without modifying it
  • send text via traceable channel

After sending:

  • avoid modifying already shared file
  • if updating text, create new version
  • maintain link between version and communication

A useful habit: every time you think "ok, this is a version I could send", pause and secure it. It's a quick step avoiding complicated reconstructions.

5. Mistakes to avoid

Some behaviours make text hard to protect:

  • always working in same file without versions
  • sending only pasted content in chat without saving
  • sharing editable documents without snapshot
  • losing previous drafts
  • changing text after sending without trace

Useful precautions:

  • maintain "still" version before every send
  • keep context too, not just text
  • avoid generic file names like "final_text.docx"

Free timestamping lets you quickly secure precise version, so you always know where your text's story starts.

6. After documenting

Once you have documented text, you can better manage any evolution.

You can:

  • clarify with client which version was shared
  • use text as base for formal proposal
  • monitor any reuses
  • manage revisions more orderly

If doubtful situations emerge:

  • compare versions
  • collect usage examples
  • evaluate direct confrontation based on concrete elements

When text is tracked in time, conversations become simpler too: fewer interpretations, more clear references.