For literary agents, scouts & publishers
Manuscripts on submission, read only by the editors you chose
Each editor gets their own copy with their name on every page. Turn on Require Password and it opens only when they sign in as themselves: no PDF to forward, nothing for an impersonator to request, and access ends when the round closes.
Built for a submission round
- 1
Upload the manuscript
Upload a PDF, or a Word file and it is converted for you. It stays encrypted, and the original is never sent to anyone.
- 2
Add the round
Paste the editors for this round, or use a saved group. Each person gets their own copy.
- 3
Set the rules
Turn on Require Password so each editor signs in as themselves, and leave downloading, printing and copying text off. Set the date the round closes and take any copy back at any time.
- 4
See who is reading
See who opened it and when. With Advanced File Tracking, see the page each editor reached and how long they spent.
Why agents are locking down submissions
Impersonators ask for manuscripts
A man who impersonated agents, editors and scouts from look-alike email domains obtained more than 1,000 unpublished manuscripts before pleading guilty in federal court (US Department of Justice). Copycat requests were reported again in 2026, with stolen manuscripts turning up online (The Boston Globe).
A copy only opens for the person you chose
Copies go only to the people you add, and there is no PDF attachment to pass on. With Require Password on, a forwarded email does not open the file.
Their name on every page
Every copy carries its reader’s name or ID as a watermark, so a photographed page still says whose copy it was.
The round closes when you say
Copies stop opening on the date you set, and you can end any reader’s access early, even after it has been opened.
Who uses it this way
Literary agents
Submission rounds to editors, with each round’s readers tracked separately.
Film, TV and foreign rights
Book-to-film reps already send manuscripts to studio and streamer buyers on Embershot. The same send works for scouts and translation publishers.
Publicity for embargoed titles
For the books that would otherwise be numbered paper galleys under lock and key: a short list of named readers, each watermarked, each copy revocable.
Audio and production partners
Narrators, producers and adaptation teams who need the text before anyone else.
Questions
Can editors read on a Kindle?
No. Copies open in the Embershot reader in a browser or the Embershot apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. That is what keeps the file from being forwarded or sideloaded. For a mass review campaign where reviewers expect Kindle copies, a galley platform may suit you better; Embershot is built for the copies you cannot afford to lose track of.
Can readers take screenshots?
No software can stop someone from photographing a screen with a second device. That is why every page carries the reader’s name: a leaked photo still says whose copy it was. In the Embershot apps, and for screenshot shortcuts on a computer, a screenshot attempt is logged with the page, device and IP address, and access is cut off.
What file types can I send?
PDF and Word. Word files are converted to PDF on upload so every reader sees the same pages.
What does it cost?
Pro is $29 a month for one agent. A Project adds multiple admins and 2,500 shares a month for $100. Agencies can put every agent under one Enterprise account. Compare plans.
Running a submission this season?
Start free, or talk to us about setting up your agency.