The Montclair Public Library belongs to the Bergen County Cooperative Library System, a consortium of 75 libraries that awards scholarships (more than 60 so far) to students studying for a degrees library and information science. The BCCLS raises money for the scholarship fund partly through an annual raffle, and this year the consortium would like to include a basket of signed books by local authors.

Can you help by sending a signed copy of your book? If so, please send it by Sept. 15 to:

Arlene Sahraie
Library Services Director
BCCLS – Bergen County Cooperative Library System
810 Main St.
Hackensack, NJ 07601

Many of the beneficiaries of these scholarships are still working for consortium, so some could be in Montclair. Thanks.

IndieReader.com Launches Review and Distribution Program for Self-Published (a.k.a. Indie) Books

IndieReader announced today the launch of IndieReader Reads™, their new review service and distribution program, combining the selling power of the independent bookstore with the vast community of self-published authors. This new program will provide an easy and efficient way for booksellers to stock and sell branded, self-published books.

Authors will be able to join the IndieReader Reads program for a fee, which will include a review of their book, inclusion in a searchable database for booksellers and subsequent placement in independent bookstores. These reviews will be made available to booksellers looking for a selection of pre-vetted, indie books. In turn, booksellers who decide to stock indie books will be able to work out a customized merchandising program with IndieReader Reads to optimize sales. They will also get a page on the IndieReader.com website and all book sales through their page will be credited back to their stores.

MEWSie DAVID HOLMBERG writes: My novel, “The Hurricane Murders,” came out recently and I’ll be doing a reading/signing at Watchung Books on Wednesday, September 15th.

I’m a former reporter for New York Newsday and a former senior editor of The Village Voice, and this novel should be of interest to Montclair media people. It’s a quasi-literary novel that’s prescient (unintentionally) about the crisis in print journalism. It’s set in South Florida in 1998. Its other themes are the false seductiveness of Florida and the victimization of women.

“The Hurricane Murders” is available to order on Amazon books.

North Jersey Media Group provides a broad spectrum of news and information products to serve the needs of diverse communities all across North Jersey. Our award-winning daily newspapers, The Record and Herald News, serve Bergen and Passaic counties. Our Community Newspapers, representing over 40 weekly and bi-weekly newspaper titles in five counties in North Jersey, include some of the best community newspapers in the state.

Montclair Magazine and Millburn-Short Hills Magazine, two direct-mailed publications distributed to affluent homeowners and local businesses in those and surrounding communities, are in need of a Part-time (approx. 15-20 hours a week) Editor.

We seek an editor who operates on the principle that it is his or her job to make the magazine a piece of inspired, educational and entertaining work. He or she must have the ability to present a magazine that meets the needs of its targeted audience. The Editor will be involved in developing and assigning stories, writing articles, editing and working with the art and production team.

In addition to passion and vision, the successful candidate will have at least three years of comparable experience and excellent communication skills.

If you have the talent and enthusiasm to make our magazines the best they can be, then email your resume immediately to flannery@northjersey.com

North Jersey Media Group embraces diversity in our workforce, our products and the communities we serve. We offer competitive salaries, flexible benefits and an inclusive work environment. EOE

August, 2010—The Fine Grind, a dynamic neighborhood coffeehouse in Little Falls, is looking for local talent to lead interesting and informative seminars for their upcoming fall seminar series entitled “Penny University.” These seminars take place on a weekly basis, meeting in the comfortable and cozy living room area of The Fine Grind every Tuesday morning from 9:30am-11:30am.

The term “Penny University,” originated in the eighteenth century coffeehouses in London, England. Instead of paying for drinks, people were charged a penny to enter a coffeehouse. Once inside, the patron had access to coffee, the company of others and various discussions with philosophers and intellectuals, thus receiving their “education” for a mere penny.

Past specialists have included authors leading writing discussions and advice on how to get published, as well as blogging and social networking experts. This seminar series is a perfect way to advertise your services and books for free, network with local people and potential customers and is a boon to the community.

Please contact Jessica Maarek, Event Coordinator at The Fine Grind Coffee Bar at Jessica@thefinegrindcoffeebar.com, if you are interested in being a speaker for Penny University.

New Jersey native Brad Parks has been nominated for the Shamus Award, one of the most prestigious honors in crime fiction.

Parks is one of five finalists in the “Best First Novel” category for his book, “Faces of the Gone,” which features the exploits of a Newark-based newspaper reporter. The Shamus is given annually by the Private Eye Writers of America, with the winner scheduled to be announced at a banquet to be held in San Francisco this October during Bouchercon, the world mystery convention. Past winners of the award, now in its 29th year, include Sue Grafton, Michael Connelly and Harlan Coben.

It is the second major award nomination of the summer for Parks, who was also nominated for the Nero Award, named after the legendary Nero Wolfe, in June.

A career journalist turned fiction author, Brad Parks worked at The Washington Post and The Star-Ledger as a sportswriter and news feature writer. His website is www.BradParksBooks.com. The next book in Parks’s series, “Eyes of the Innocent” is due out in February.

About.com has an exciting opportunity for an experienced, creative, self-starter with sharp editorial instincts and judgment to build Spanish-language web content. Our aim is to create a series of sites that will address the needs and interests of the U.S. Latino consumer market.

Experience in an online publishing environment and working with Spanish-language content is required. Experience working with freelance writers or independent contractors is strongly preferred.

The initial primary responsibility of the About.com Español Editor will be to create, from the ground up, a robust Hispanic vertical that addresses the major interests and concerns of Latino internet users. This will involve selecting the taxonomy, writing site descriptions, and helping to recruit and hire contract writers (Guides).

For more information, visit About.com’s job listing (http://jobs.about.com/#ed5) or contact MEWSie Sarah Scalet at sscalet@about.com.

PHIL SIMON is looking for a freelance editor for his third book. It’s called The New Small and it’s a management/technology text.

If interested, email phil@philsimonsystems.com.

MEWSie PHIL SIMON writes: I’m pleased to announce that you can now preorder my third book: The New Small: How small businesses are using emerging technologies to attract new customers, reduce costs, and win the war for talent

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/705402671/the-new-small-my-third-book

Author is looking for an intern to assist with transfering friends from a profile Facebook page to a fan page. Must be familiar with how Facebook works.

Please send resume and cover letter to dot@dotfrank.com.