JAMES ELSENER

Jim Elsener has four decades of experience in the newspaper industry as a publisher, editor, reporter, columnist, sales manager, and association executive.

His first journalism job was as a reporter and editor with the legendary City News Bureau of Chicago. He later worked for the Chicago Tribune, then managed a national newspaper trade association.

In 1993, Jim and his wife Pat, also a former Tribune journalist, founded The Business Ledger, a regional publication covering business in Chicago’s suburbs.  It was sold to the Daily Herald, where he worked until his retirement.    

His newest book is non-fiction, “Sirens in the Loop – A History of the City News Bureau of Chicago” (Eckhartz Press – Chicago), which he co-authored with legendary editor Paul Zimbrakos.    

He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. His experience during the early days of the Vietnam War was chronicled in his novel Reflections of Valour (Ledger Publishing Company – 2021).  His debut novel was The Last Road Trip (2018).

Jim has earned degrees from Western Michigan University and Columbia University (New York). He enjoys working with new and established authors, editing their manuscripts, and helping them get their work published.