Monday, March 4, 2013

The Importance of Being a Bookseller

You know how in the movies and on TV, the aspiring actors/singers always work part time as a waiter/waitress? Well, the literary universe has its own stereotypical side-job for those wanting to break into publishing. You may have noticed that a lot of us work in bookstores. Now, it isn't all about a simple love for books that drives us to be booksellers. Working in a bookstore can provide valuable knowledge and connections that can help you as you work your way through the publishing waters.

As a bookseller, I have been fortunate enough to meet many wonderful authors, interact with various publisher reps (including sale reps, publicists, and editors), and I get to see firsthand what readers want, love, and hate. The thing I love most, though, is that I have been able to dip my toes into the various aspects of the book-selling world. I've helped plan events, create new marketing strategies, and I edit customer-submitted reviews. What do these three things have in common? They resemble aspects of the publishing industry. I love that the industry possesses this sort of fluidity that allows its members to work in the different areas, yet still walk away with valuable experiences that can help in other areas.

So, my advice to anyone wanting to be a bestselling author, editor, agent, or cover artist is this: work at a bookstore. A job like that can give you incredible amounts of knowledge and experience, and besides, working with books is fun! :-) If you can't find a job at a bookstore, though, then I encourage you to apply for some internships. Check out Sharon's post on How to Become an Intern.



6 comments:

  1. Not gonna lie, I work at GameStop now and have for two years, and I've also worked at a Books-A-Million and honestly, I HATED working at BAM. Maybe it was because no one I worked with liked me, or it was the fact that we were graded on how many discount cards we sold, or maybe it was just because the pay sucked, but I was miserable working for a bookstore. GameStop, which also has us sell discount cards, is a much better work environment in my experience. BAM just sorta sucked. The only good thing about it was the employee discount.

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  2. Arianna: So sorry to hear your bookselling experience wasn't ideal, but I'm glad GameStop is working out! I work at an indie store, so the environment is probably different than a chain/franchise-type store like BAM. We have a very hands-on approach.

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  3. I WANTED TO WORK AT MY LOCAL BARNES AND NOBLE! But they aren't too keen on hiring :(

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  4. I love the customer service aspect of working at B&N. The conversations and the recommendations I've gotten from the customers that come in have been so great and memorable. That said, it is still a coorporation and I often feel like a blank faced drone working the salt mines there. Can't wait until I can quit and open my used bookstore/wine bar and no longer be under the thumb of "the man" ;)

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  5. Oh how I wish. Every time I go to B&N I end up giving someone recommendations in the YA section. There's no one at that store who reads YA! They really should just start paying me :-)

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