I’ve just launched a new project at kickstarter to fund winemakers who want to write a book about their region.  Do you all know what kickstarter is?

Here’s how they describe themselves:

Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.

It’s a fundraising platform that helps you hold a pledge drive for worthy projects in all sorts of fields.  They have whimsical pipedreams like the guy who made a flying delorean hovercraft and very savvy manufacturing presales like the dudes who raised a million bucks for a watchband designed to hold an ipod nano.   They also do lots of book deals.  And if I don’t hit my goal of $5000 (which is admittedly pretty high) then no money changes hands.  Your pledged donations only go through if the pledge drive is successful, so there’s a crowd buying element to the site.

Anyway, I want to publish a book about several small wine regions.  The book would be written by winemakers.  Who better to talk about their regions with the passion and romance that they deserve?  Each section of the full length book will follow the model of my booklet on the Wines of Carcassonne.

If you can donate, great. But just telling other people about my project is already a big help.  The more people tweet, facebook, blog, etc (even old-fashioned talking about it over dinner) the better the chances are that this project will get funded.  (Plus I think kickstarter brings attention to projects that are already “going viral”).  So please take the time to at least write a tweet. It’s just 140 characters. Include @kickstarter and the url of my project: http://bit.ly/vinobook in any tweets.  And just big it up!!