Hachette Book Group is on the hunt for a skilled senior publicist to join its New York-based Grand Central Publishing division.

In this role, you’ll be responsible for overseeing and implementing publicity campaigns for the Forever and Forever Yours romance lists, while also handling other women’s fiction titles. You’ll create and distribute press releases, pitch letters, promotional materials and media lists to secure placements in print, broadcast and online outlets nationwide. Read more

A number of publisher announced new hires this week.

Matt Parkinson (pictured) has been promoted to vice president of marketing at Dark Horse Comics. He has been with the company for seven years and managed the development of its digital promotions, advertising efforts and social-media strategies.

Courtney Nobile has been promoted to publicity manager at Penguin Group (USA)’s Hudson Street Press and Plume imprints. Since joining the company in 2010, she has overseen the campaigns for many bestselling titles such as The Longevity Project, 30 Lessons on Living, Turn Right at Machu Pichu and The Magician King.

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Women’s fiction writer Jennifer Weiner always seems to have a story to share. She has wielded her pen to write ten books, speak out about gender balance in The New York Times‘ fiction coverage and live-tweet episodes of The Bachelor.

Drawing from the experiences of working as the executive producer/screenwriter on the ABC Family TV show State of Georgia, Weiner (pictured) presents her latest novel The Next Best Thing. It features dramatic characters, a Hollywood dream and an inside look into the Los Angeles show business culture.

We caught up with Weiner to pick her brain for social media tips, advice on connecting with readers on her blog and how to write about controversial issues. The highlights follow below…

Q: Do you have any tips on how writers can use social media to connect with readers?
A: (1) Be yourself. I know that sounds trite, but that’s really the only thing I can tell you that will help. Don’t try to sound like Colson Whitehead or Neil Gaiman or Judy Blume; just be yourself.
(2) Talk to readers! Thank them for reading your books, re-tweet observations they make.
(3) Make connections. One of the joys of social media has been that it’s given me ‘people’ again – a virtual water cooler where I can hang out and discuss The Bachelor, or the book I can’t wait to read this fall (Jami Attenberg’s The Middlesteins, in case you were wondering).
(4) Pay attention. Look at the authors who are doing it well, and figure out what’s making it work. How often do they tweet? What’s it about?
(5) Finally, give. Give recommendations, tell jokes, talk about a great new restaurant you found or recipe you tried.

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Here are some handpicked titles from our New Books section. Want to include your book? Just read our Facebook Your New or Upcoming Book post. Don’t forget to include your title’s exact release date and a link.

Adopted Reality: A Memoir by Laura Dennis: “Spies, delusions, the Illuminati, oh my! In a September 11 memoir unlike any you’ve read, this thrilling, psychological adventure follows the ups and downs of bipolar, and examines relationships biological and adopted.” (June 2012)

The Beautiful Anthology: Essays, Stories, & Poems edited by Elizabeth Collins: “What is beauty? Why do women usually think they are not beautiful, and what do women (and men) find truly beautiful in life? These important questions are answered in this collection.” (June 2012)

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Spider-Man comes to live again in a summer blockbuster that comes out next week. To support the film Disney Publishing Worldwide has released a new book app that uses augmented reality.

AppNewser has more: “The Amazing Spider-Man Augmented Reality HD Book App includes interactive art, photos, and games inspired by the film. The games lets readers experience Peter Parker’s transformation into Spider Man through interactive augmented reality elements like putting on a Spider-Man mask, wearing Peter’s father’s glasses, and controlling spiders as they crawl on the character’s face.”

Earlier this week Barnes & Noble released a new way of reading digital comics panel by panel, and added more than 100 DC Comics to its store.

Zinio created an infographic called “Summertime & the Reading is Easy,” exploring some key statistics about how Zinio customers consume digital magazines.

We’ve embedded the whole infographic below to help you learn about how Zinio users are reading digital magazines.

For example, 85 percent of people who subscribe to a title at Zinio have never had a subscription to that title in print before. The infographic also reveals that over 10 percent of all people read the same magazine on 3 types of devices each month.

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Did a book ever help you cope with bullies? Reader Sacia Flowers once wrote a long letter to J. K. Rowling explaining how the Harry Potter series helped her cope with bullying and a difficult family life.

The novelist responded with a warm and encouraging letter, sharing some advice that all you people can use during the rough times. Letters of Note has reprinted both letters, sharing them with a wider audience. Here is an excerpt rom Rowling’s letter.

I know what it is like to be picked on, as it happened to me, too, throughout my adolescence. I can only wish that you have the same experience that I did, and become happier and more secure the older you get. Being a teenager can be completely horrible, and many of the most successful people I know felt the same way … You’re now standing on the threshold of a very different phase in your life, one where you are much more likely to find kindred spirits, and much less likely to be subject to the pressures of your teenage years.

News Corp. confirmed rumors that the media company would be split into two entities, an entertainment business and a publishing business.

HarperCollins will join The Wall Street Journal and the Times of London in the publishing business. The Fox News Channel, the Fox broadcast network and 20th Century  Fox will become part of the entertainment division of the company.

In an internal memo that News Corp.’s chief Rupert Murdoch sent to employees, which was published by The Wall Street Journal, Murdoch writes: “Much of our foundation already exists — because of you. We have the creative minds. We have the assets. We have the brands. But we must realign and reorganize in this moment of opportunity so that we can heighten our focus and be faster, more nimble, and more adaptable to change.” Read more

The authors and editors behind Canteen Magazine work with under-served Harlem 7th-graders to promote a love of reading, writing and photography. At the end of each academic year, the volunteers produced a printed book compilation called canTeens. This year, they lack the funds to create the 2012 edition of “canTeens” which is why they have turned to Kickstarter in the hopes of raising $5,000. Above, we’ve embedded a video about the project–what do you think?

Here’s more about the project: “Each year culminates in the publication of canTeens—a beautifully designed print publication, distributed throughout the US and Canada, that presents the students’ best work. Our students are highly motivated by the fact that their work will appear in print—they work harder and pay closer attention than they would otherwise. Sadly, after a great year of writing and learning, we lack the funding to produce our sixth issue of canTeens.”

Welcome to our Kickstarter Publishing Project of the Week, a feature exploring how authors and publishers are using the fundraising site to raise money for book projects. If you want to start your own project, check out How To Use Kickstarter to Fund Your Publishing Project.

William Shakespeare‘s poetry collection The Sonnets is available in various free eBook editions for the iPad. But the latest edition from Faber and Touch Press (coming out next month) includes videos of celebrities reading each of the 154 poems, as well as the compete Arden notes on Shakespeare.

The app also includes interviews with Shakespeare scholars including professors Katherine Duncan-Jones, James Shapiro and Henry Woudhuysen.

In addition, the app has new commentary from Don Paterson. In addition, it is integrated with social media, so that readers can share sonnets and notes via Twitter, Facebook and email. Read more