About this project
How would you like to be involved in a publishing project for a book about Southern dining?
Who are we?
Hi, I’m Gary Saunders, Chief Eating Officer and owner of DixieDining.com, a website devoted to promoting the Mom & Pop restaurant in the Southern region of the United States. The site began in 1993 as a list of my favorite restaurants. As my wife and I traveled the region, we added our reviews and stories to the site. It’s won several awards and has been featured in magazines like Southern Living. Our website and blog is not only used by people seeking a great place to eat in a particular town, but, we’re told, it’s viewed by other food writers and food TV producers for new story or programming ideas.
History of our project
Several years ago, we were approached by a publisher in Athens, GA to write a book for them. They thought a “best of” from each Southern state along with articles we’ve written about our travels and adventures would make an interesting read. We completed the book and before we were able to see the proof, the publisher went out of business. They’ve recently sent us the proof and editing materials and we’ve hired someone to help get it up-to-date for publication. A project like this is so time sensitive; restaurants close, burn down, move, and change ownership resulting in new menus and a whole different dining experience.
Where we're going with this?
Because of this we thought we’d both e-publish the book and make it available as a paper-back book. The book covers 12 Southern states and our favorite, classic, down home diners, BBQ joints, and restaurants. We give you a little bit of history and a review of the food. Some restaurants have even given us recipes to include and there’s usually a picture of the outside of the building or the chef/cook in action. The book also contains stories about trips we’ve taken throughout the state and cool places we have visited along the way.
How does your help benefit us?
Your financial backing will help us pay for our web designer to bring the site up to date to match the book. It will also help us pay the graphic artist, who is using his expertise to make the book look great in electronic form as well as on paper. Your financial backing will help us pay for marketing the book since we no longer have a publisher to handle it. It will also help pay for some of the rewards and shipping. International backers are welcome. The only thing we ask of you is to help pay for shipping if you are a $1,000 donor. Since we don't know where you are yet, we don't know the cost of shipping the gift box.
How does your help benefit you?
For helping us we'll reward you with some cool items. Based on the level of giving, it could include an e-copy of the book, so it's sort of like a pre-order. There are other gifts like notecards featuring photos of our Southern travels, and an opportunity to be a correspondent. Everyone will get a thank you and most will get their name listed on our website. In advance, we thank you for supporting our project.
FAQ
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3
Backers
$150
pledged of $3,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on December 28.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
A personal thank you card sent via email as a PDF and a mention on our website/blog that you personally helped us meet our goal.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
All the $5 rewards plus, next to your name we will list your favorite Southern Mom & Pop restaurant.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
All the $10 awards plus a download of our e-book. Your name will be listed in the book as a sponsor. It will be in PDF format. If additional formatting is available through our e-publisher, we'll give you an option.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
For $50 you’ll get the $25 rewards and a set of Dixie Dining notecards. These are of photos we’ve taken on our travels representative of the South with its culture, food, icons and music. One set of 8 notecards comes with envelopes.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
For $100 you'll get all of the $50 rewards plus a signed, personalized copy of the book in paperback
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
For $500 you’ll get to be a correspondant for Dixie Dining in your part of the South. If you live in another region of the U.S. we can still use your help. Scout the restaurants that are genuinely Southern yet displaced. We’ve found them, you can, too. We just can’t get to them that easily. We have editing rights to your writing in order to keep the blog's tone to our style. International backers can write about truly Southern dining experiences abroad.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
For $1000 or more you get all of these gifts and opportunities plus a Dixie Dining gift box filled with one item from each of the 12 states we write about. Could be a special BBQ sauce from Georgia, snack food from Mississippi but definitely Southern and definitely one from each of the 12 states. International backers need to pay for additional shipping costs.
Project By
Connected as Gary Saunders (624 friends)
I am Gary Saunders, CEO (Chief Eating Officer) of the award-winning DixieDining.com. Our site is the premiere web guide for Southern restaurants and essential Dixie food sources. We have been featured in Southern Living magazine, on NPR Radio, Chowhound.com and countless other local, regional, and national media outlets.
My ramblings currently appear in Alabama Coasting magazine and at www.ModMobilian.com. I am a proud board member of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum located in historic New Orleans, Louisiana (www.southernfood.org). I'm a 1981 graduate of Virginia Tech and a native of Reston, Virginia.
DixieDining.com is headquartered in the beautiful Gulf Coast community of Fairhope, Alabama. You can read more about me on my blog, listed below, and you can reach me anytime at gary@dixiedining.com.
