The Harlem Book Fair Launches ‘My Book Selfie,’ A Call to the African American Book Nation

— Uses Social Media to Promote African American Reading —

Harlem, NY — The Harlem Book Fair has launched an innovative literacy-awareness initiative, My Book Selfie, that rewards readers who share their love of books. Using social media, the Harlem Book Fair is offering weekly rewards and prizes for readers who post a picture of themselves showing their favorite book or current reading.

The goal of the ongoing program is to create an online presence where readers are acknowledged for being a large and vibrant nation-wide community and are rewarded for their love of reading. The best book selfie will be selected from submitted photos on a weekly basis by the staff of QBR/The Black Book Review (www.qbr.com)and the Harlem Book Fair. Selected readers will be notified by email. No additional participation is required to be selected; simply take a picture with a favorite book and post it online at www.facebook.com/mybookselfie.

“There is a perception that we, as an often underserved community, have little relationship to reading as a way of life,” says Max Rodriguez, founder of the Harlem Book Fair. “They often forget that reading has long served as the means by which we have changed the course of our American experience. We have long been a nation of readers. I expect that children to grandma’s will post their favorite books. My Book Selfie will acknowledge us as a lifelong reading community that values entertaining stories, access to information, and the fun of reading.”

My Book Selfie is open to readers with valid email addresses or new or existing registrants of QBR.com with valid email addresses or readers who are Facebook “fans”/”followers” of QBR.com and the Harlem Book Fair (www.harlembookfair.com) with a valid email address.

About the Harlem Book Fair:
The presentation of the QBR Wheatley Book Awards will open the Harlem Book Fair on the evening of July 17th. The program blends awards presentations into an entertaining evening of music, letters, and stellar performances. The Wheatley Awards are open to industry professionals, independent authors and publishers, media, readers and the general public. To reserve seating for the QBR Wheatley Book Awards, visit the Harlem Book Fair website or EventBrite.com. To submit your book for Book Award consideration, download and submit the Book Award Submission form.

The Harlem Book Fair invites publishers, independent authors, book vendors, and artists to exhibit, promote and sell their work to its receptive audience. Applications are available online at www.harlembookfair.com. The Harlem Book Fair is a family event that is free and open to all.

 

PRESS CONTACT:
Pittershawn Palmer
ppalmer@qbr.com
914-231-6778