Winks WatermarksWINKS WATERMARKS
Private beta • EPUB fingerprinting

A Wink · A Word · A Watermark

Protect the copy.
Not the reading experience.

Give every EPUB you send its own hidden, traceable fingerprint — without a visible watermark, without locking the file behind DRM, and without writing the reader's name or email into the ebook.

Join the private beta See how Winks works
Currently testing with a small group of indie authors. EPUB only during private beta.
Winks Watermarks logo: Winks above Watermarks in purple and gold
◌ Hidden, signed fingerprint
♡ Reader details stay out of the EPUB
✓ Traceability without reader-facing DRM
How it works

One clean EPUB. One unique Wink per recipient.

Winks is designed for individual copies you send to real people. Each protected file can be checked later against the issue record that created it.

1

Upload

Choose your clean EPUB and enter the recipient details for your private issue log.

2

Wink

Winks rebuilds the EPUB with a hidden signed fingerprint and validates the resulting file.

3

Check

If a copy turns up where it should not, run it through Wink Check and match the fingerprint to the issued copy.

Made for indie publishing workflows

Not just ARCs.

If you send a specific EPUB to a specific person, Winks is designed to add traceability to that hand-off.

📚

ARC & review copies

Issue individual copies to reviewers without putting their personal details into the visible book.

✍️

Beta readers

Keep a record of which protected copy went to which early reader.

🎁

Giveaways & press

Protect complimentary digital copies you would otherwise send as identical files.

🛍️

Direct ebook sales

Winks is being designed for authors who sell EPUBs directly and want per-customer traceability.

Reader-friendly by design

The reader gets the book, not a warning banner across every page.

The current beta stores a random Wink ID, source hash and signature inside the EPUB. Recipient name and email stay in the author's local issue record.

Winks is traceability, not DRM. It does not claim to make copying impossible. A technically determined person may be able to remove fingerprints. The aim is a useful deterrent and audit trail without making legitimate readers fight the file.
Optional Winks Watermarks protected ebook badge featuring Rudie the dog
Optional recipient-facing badge for author emails and delivery pages. It is not inserted into the reader's ebook automatically. Download the PNG.
Founding testers wanted

Help us break Winks before the internet does.

The first beta is deliberately small. We want useful testing, not hundreds of people pressing buttons and vanishing.

  • Invite-only private beta
  • 10 new Wink Protect copies per tester
  • Wink Check does not use a protection credit
  • Test with real EPUB workflows, email transfers and reader apps
  • Direct feedback to shape the next build
SH
Founded by Sam Hambly
Indie author building a tool around a problem authors actually encounter.

Apply for the private beta

A few useful details so we can choose testers whose workflows will teach us something.

Questions, sensibly asked

FAQ

Is Winks DRM?

No. Winks is a traceability layer. It does not lock the reader into a special app and does not claim to make copying impossible.

Can the reader see the watermark?

The current beta does not add a visible reader name, email or watermark across the book. It places a hidden signed fingerprint inside the EPUB.

What personal details are inside the EPUB?

In the current local beta, the recipient's name and email are kept in the author's private local issue database. The EPUB contains an opaque Wink ID, source hash and signature instead.

What happens if I accidentally Wink an already-Winked EPUB?

Private Beta 0.3 checks for an existing Winks fingerprint and refuses to stack a second one. Use your clean master EPUB for each recipient.

Does Winks work with every ebook platform?

The private beta is focused on EPUB files. We are actively testing what happens when files are emailed, downloaded, opened in different reader apps or converted by delivery services. We will only claim support for workflows we have actually tested.

Will Winks be expensive?

Pricing is not final. The aim is to keep it practical for indie authors, with low-cost usage rather than forcing everyone into an expensive subscription.

Can I protect paperbacks?

Not with the current product. Winks is an EPUB fingerprinting tool.

Contact

A word with Winks.

Questions about the beta or a workflow you would like to test? Email Sam at hello@winkswatermarks.com.

Please describe the problem without sending signing keys, private issue records or reader details.