I Want To Write A gluten-free Cookbook

[Sweetfudge]

So, I thought since I love to cook, and I can't eat wheat, and there's only a few books out there for us, I thought I'd put one together. What my main question is, is how do I deal with copyright and stuff. Like, most of the recipes I cook are based on and adapted from other cookbooks/forum recipes. How do I not get in trouble for "stealing" someone else's recipe. Can I just change something about it and call it my own? Like my favorite soup recipe...it calls for onions, but I use onion powder. Does that make it a different recipe?

Also, if I were to use a recipe from a cookbook, like Betty Crocker, can I put it in my book, and mention where the recipe originated? I don't want to take the credit from anyone else, and I'm not out to make a fortune, I just thought this would be a fun idea, to give to friends and family, and maybe offer to the local health stores. Anyway, let me know how to deal with this if you know!! Thanks so much!

Have a great day!!!

[Gamecreature]

So, I thought since I love to cook, and I can't eat wheat, and there's only a few books out there for us, I thought I'd put one together. What my main question is, is how do I deal with copyright and stuff. Like, most of the recipes I cook are based on and adapted from other cookbooks/forum recipes. How do I not get in trouble for "stealing" someone else's recipe. Can I just change something about it and call it my own? Like my favorite soup recipe...it calls for onions, but I use onion powder. Does that make it a different recipe?

Also, if I were to use a recipe from a cookbook, like Betty Crocker, can I put it in my book, and mention where the recipe originated? I don't want to take the credit from anyone else, and I'm not out to make a fortune, I just thought this would be a fun idea, to give to friends and family, and maybe offer to the local health stores. Anyway, let me know how to deal with this if you know!! Thanks so much!

Have a great day!!!

Well, there's a lot of variables here. You might want to go look up some writer's forums and get their input. Copyright is pretty tricky but it's there to protect the creator of the work - you wouldn't want someone taking credit for your stuff, would you? Then again, I've never had to deal with recipes so I don't know what the SOP is for them. In my experience, if you're referencing someone else's work, the very least you have to do is acknowledge the source. But to keep yourself out of legal trouble, you should track down the source and get permission from them, where possible (and in cases where you can't find the source, just making a reasonable effort is acceptable). Of course, this brings up another question. When you talk to these folks, they're going to want to know what your plans are: print run, circulation, etc. It's best to get your ducks in a row ahead of time. It makes you look more professional and makes things go smoother in general.

I'll be interested in seeing how this goes. I've always wanted to make a book of cartoons related to the gluten-free lifestyle but I still haven't found the ideal publisher for it. If you run across one, let me know.

[clbevilacqua]

Well, there's a lot of variables here. You might want to go look up some writer's forums and get their input. Copyright is pretty tricky but it's there to protect the creator of the work - you wouldn't want someone taking credit for your stuff, would you? Then again, I've never had to deal with recipes so I don't know what the SOP is for them. In my experience, if you're referencing someone else's work, the very least you have to do is acknowledge the source. But to keep yourself out of legal trouble, you should track down the source and get permission from them, where possible (and in cases where you can't find the source, just making a reasonable effort is acceptable). Of course, this brings up another question. When you talk to these folks, they're going to want to know what your plans are: print run, circulation, etc. It's best to get your ducks in a row ahead of time. It makes you look more professional and makes things go smoother in general.

I'll be interested in seeing how this goes. I've always wanted to make a book of cartoons related to the gluten-free lifestyle but I still haven't found the ideal publisher for it. If you run across one, let me know.

If you make 3 or more changes to a recipe, it is considered to be a new recipe.

The easiest way to protect you material is to print out your recipes, put them in an envelope, seal the envelope and have the post office hand stamp the envelope closure edges and mail them to yourself. When you recieve the envelope DO NOT OPEN IT. Just file it away. Make sure that you have somehow kept track of what is in the envelope (written on the outside back of the envelope works) as once you get several you won't be able to remember what is in each one and if there is ever a dispute you don't want to open all of the envelopes, just the one that is needed. If there is ever a dispute, you don't open the envelope, the judge or mediator does. Since it is sealed by the post office and been delivered the federal government it will be considered that you have provided incontravertible proof of ownership. The most important thing is to be able to show that there was no way that the contents of the envelope have been tampered with, so any edges that could be steamed or otherwise opened, need to be hand stamped by the post office.

Good Luck and God bless you and those you hold dear! -Cathy

[Sweetfudge]

I was thinking of just using an online publishing co, like lulu...easy, quick, etc, since I was looking for more of a project than a career as a writer. I've heard lulu is a good one to go through. I think they have a deal w/ amazon .com too.

[clbevilacqua]

I forgot to add my 2 cents, too (aren't you excited that I remembered??? )-Writing a cookbook can be fun, but also a pain in the hind end. I bet that you will find that there are a lot of things that you just do automatically when you cook that you will now need to think about and write down-so that others can understand and duplicate the results (that's the pain in the hind quarters part!) My suggestion would be that you make sure and have someone else (who will give you an honest-not an 'I'm your friend and don't want to hurt your feelings' answer) read through and make sure that they all make sense. That having been said-I'm always up for buying a new cookbook and look forward to yours! Make sure you let us know when you publish it!

[Gamecreature]

The easiest way to protect you material is to print out your recipes, put them in an envelope, seal the envelope and have the post office hand stamp the envelope closure edges and mail them to yourself. When you recieve the envelope DO NOT OPEN IT. Just file it away. Make sure that you have somehow kept track of what is in the envelope (written on the outside back of the envelope works) as once you get several you won't be able to remember what is in each one and if there is ever a dispute you don't want to open all of the envelopes, just the one that is needed. If there is ever a dispute, you don't open the envelope, the judge or mediator does. Since it is sealed by the post office and been delivered the federal government it will be considered that you have provided incontravertible proof of ownership. The most important thing is to be able to show that there was no way that the contents of the envelope have been tampered with, so any edges that could be steamed or otherwise opened, need to be hand stamped by the post office.

As I understood it, Sweetfudge's question pertained to other people's copyrights. But in this case it might be best to go right to the source:

Open Original Shared Link

The bottom line is that copyright exists the moment the intellectual property is created:

Copyright Secured Automatically upon Creation

The way in which copyright protection is secured is frequently misunderstood. No publication or registration or other action in the Copyright Office is required to secure copyright. (See following note.) There are, however, certain definite advantages to registration. See “Copyright Registration.”

Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created, and a work is “created” when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time. “Copies” are material objects from which a work can be read or visually perceived either directly or with the aid of a machine or device, such as books, manuscripts, sheet music, film, videotape, or microfilm. “Phonorecords” are material objects embodying fixations of sounds (excluding, by statutory definition, motion picture soundtracks), such as cassette tapes, CDs, or LPs. Thus, for example, a song (the “work”) can be fixed in sheet music (“copies”) or in phonograph disks (“phonorecords”), or both. If a work is prepared over a period of time, the part of the work that is fixed on a particular date constitutes the created work as of that date.

If a work is prepared over a period of time, the part of the work that is fixed on a particular date constitutes the created work as of that date.

Put the "c" with a circle on it - you've copyrighted it.

[GFBetsy]

Sweetfudge -

My friend and I just sent a gluten free cookbook to the printers, actually! My advice is to decide what format you want to put all your recipes in BEFORE you start to type them up . . . otherwise it's a HUGE headache changing them all.

And, it really does take a LOT of time to create a cookbook, even if you already have createdall the recipes you want to include. So you have to REALLY want it in order to finish it.

Have fun!

[Gamecreature]

My friend and I just sent a gluten free cookbook to the printers, actually! My advice is to decide what format you want to put all your recipes in BEFORE you start to type them up . . . otherwise it's a HUGE headache changing them all.

Anything you can share with us at this early time? Will it be available on Amazon?

[GFBetsy]

Nope, not on Amazon. We are just privately publishing it . . . we figured if we had enough people interested in buying it that we'd see about having a larger run done through a real publishing house.

We'll have copies available at the beginning of Dec. If you'd be interested in buying one, send me a PM. (Don't want to break the board rules by promoting it here.)

[clbevilacqua]

It is true that all you need to do for a copyright is put the c in a circle; but if you ever have to defend your intellectual property-you better be able to prove that it is yours and when you came up with it or you run a significant chance of losing it.

[Gamecreature]

It is true that all you need to do for a copyright is put the c in a circle; but if you ever have to defend your intellectual property-you better be able to prove that it is yours and when you came up with it or you run a significant chance of losing it.

I agree wholeheartedly. While it is not necessary, if you are really concerned you should take the steps to register your copyright with the copyright office. There is a fee, of course, but it's pretty reasonable, all things considered.

As an illustrator, there's enough of my work out there to make it pretty easy to establish whether or not the work in question is mine. Also, most of my work is done for publishers who take care of the legal mumbo jumbo for me.

Of course, the biggest part of dealing with someone stealing your work is not proving that the work is yours, but catching them. These folks tend to work in the shadows after all. It's often not a case of someone taking the whole thing, but just taking part of it and passing it off as their own. Frequently there's not a lot of money involved, it's just protecting yourself and your reputation - that's why Disney's lawyers always swoop down on those Daycare centers that put posters of their characters on the walls.

[Gamecreature]

I ran across an interesting series of articles on copyright. This pretty much explains everything you can and can't do and why (for instance) Andy Warhol was able to get away with making art out of Campbell's soup cans.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[Lauren M]

Hey,

I'm getting my masters in Publication Management and am currently taking a "Book Proposals" class, so I can try to help you out.

If you are doing this as a project for yourself, definitely a self-publishing site would be your best bet. You could choose the style (hardcover, paperback, what type of binding, trime size, page weight, design, font style, etc., etc.) You also wouldn't need to worry about infringing on those recipes that you used for inspiration.

If you go the route of actually submitting a proposal to a book publisher, you would definitely need to research the market of gluten-free cookbooks and figure out what makes your's unique/better (ex: for one of my classes, I actually wrote a proposal for a gluten-free cookbooks for vegetarians, inspired b/c I was tired of wasting my money on cookbooks with no gluten recipes, but tons of recipes using meat!) Also, if you are submitting to a publisher, you would need to be more conscious of copyright and using recipes that are similar to ones that are already printed.

Let me know if you have any questions - I'm not an expert, but I do have some knowledge in this area

- Lauren

[Sweetfudge]

Thanks guys! I think I want to do this for more of a personal thing/something to give friends and family members to clue them in a bit...but if I were to take this to local health food stores would that be a problem? I guess I'm pretty clueless...lol. I suppose I have time to work this out (I haven't even STARTED!!)

[Gamecreature]

Thanks guys! I think I want to do this for more of a personal thing/something to give friends and family members to clue them in a bit...but if I were to take this to local health food stores would that be a problem? I guess I'm pretty clueless...lol. I suppose I have time to work this out (I haven't even STARTED!!)

Read up on "fair use" in the "Part 2" link I posted above. If you want to sell the thing (and even if you don't) you might want to make sure that you've added something of value to any recipes that come from other sources. Obviously if you've made a change to make sure it's gluten-free and doesn't grow legs and start attacking people, I think that would qualify. If it were me, I'd say something like, "This recipe originally comes from "More than 1 way to cook a Chicken" by Gomez Addams (Scary Press). To make it work I replaced the batwings with oregano and only used half an egg."

[Lauren M]

Thanks guys! I think I want to do this for more of a personal thing/something to give friends and family members to clue them in a bit...but if I were to take this to local health food stores would that be a problem? I guess I'm pretty clueless...lol. I suppose I have time to work this out (I haven't even STARTED!!)

Hey Sweetfudge,

Check out these two print on demand sites, I think they may meet your need:

www.booksjustbooks.com

www.gorhamprinting.com

I used booksjustbooks for my project, and it was very easy and user-friendly.

Let us know how it goes!

- Lauren

[Sweetfudge]

lol gamecreature, thanks for the funny example. that's what i think i will do (minus the bat wings).\

lauren, thx...i'll check those out in the morning (when I'm actually awake )