Content Creation Collabo with Strangers

I am not sure if the title captures the content of this article, but I guess I will leave it for now. The idea to write this came as a Facebook post, but as I started writing, more thoughts kept adding up and changed my mind to put it on my blog. Today, I am thinking out loud about a proposed global cookbook.

Someone who inspired my desire to see the world is working on a cookbook with recipes from around the globe. I will call this person "the adventurer" for the purpose of this article. The comments under the post where the adventurer is asking for contributors from specific countries are full of questions on credit and ownership since the adventurer will "allegedly" not be cooking those selected local meals 100%. The adventurer is alleged to be there to scoop the content based on the information available on the adventurer's page. I guess if it were a case of self-prepared meals for self-indulgence rather than going to seek people out for the sole purpose of this book, there might maybe be fewer prying questions.

People have gone as far as asking the adventurer questions on how much these contributors who are actually going to be doing the cooking will be paid because it remains to be seen at this point if the adventurer wants to be the sole author of that book. Is it a one-off payment, or do these contributors keep getting royalties since the book is backed by a HUGE travel organization?

Also, there are questions on how this adventurer is deciding which recipe to pick for each country because each country is diverse with ranging palates and traditional meals. Justifying the reasons a meal from a region is chosen at the expense of others is another challenge.

There are questions on why the adventurer just won't focus on the adventurer's roots (countries this adventurer already has passports for), because it would be easy to write a book about a place you have stronger connections to as opposed to "tourist connections". I dare say that "a tourist will always be a tourist", no matter how many times you visit a place compared to someone who has that lived experience in a country or some family connection.

All those prying questions

I see the relevance of the questions asked, and one can see how much of these questions are a reflection of the present state of the world. Never underestimate how much people now understand about content creation, the money involved, and bits of intellectual property in this social media age. All the data, lawsuits, the lifestyle, and rumors about how much content creators have in the bank is somewhat a double-edged sword in this age. Everyone is careful about who they choose to collaborate with. Not many people will agree to jump around for free in front of the camera where there is nothing to gain. You even risk future problems even with signed non-disclosure agreements because if that content "blows" such that it is raking in all those numbers and you are "deep in your bag", someone may be coming for you if they suddenly feel cheated.

When the lawsuits start flying and you start wondering how? when?

That you were able to travel globally and take nice photos that you own, which you turned into a beautiful, successful travel book, does not mean making a cookbook will come that easy. I foresee this cookbook being a bigger challenge. All the back-and-forth conversations should is a learning point for me as someone still adding up one and one here and there in this content creation business. Once collaboration and money (big or small) are involved, you need to be clear before you put the final work out there and claim "ownership". Your reputation is also on the line in the short term and long term.

Struggling to create something with a global reach

The adventurer did good with answering some of the questions, but you could sense the struggle with drawing the line on what to divulge publicly. Even so, they are fair questions, and people pushing for open details of what is involved (rather than a DM) is understandable. There is some inherent risk of finding someone to cook the dish based on a non-disclosure agreement, traveling thousands of miles, and realizing you have been played.

I am sending the adventurer good vibes and success on the global cookbook journey.

Cover Photo from Unsplash (Wix)