Every bookworm knows the feeling of laying in bed and picking up a book to read it cover to cover. You love reading books so much that you would be willing to do anything for more time to read all day long. Well here is your chance to do just that, and turn your passion into a career. These 8 jobs for people who love reading books are the best ones out there that will let you read all day and pay you for it.
1. Book Editor
If you love reading books, then editing them must be a dream job. As a book editor, you would be responsible for reviewing, editing, and proofreading manuscripts to make sure they are ready for publication. When thinking about how to become a book editor, there are three main things to keep in mind: having a degree in English, being an avid reader, and having editing experience. There are different kinds of editing that you should be aware of as well:
- Line editing – focusing on the style, structure, clarity, and overall quality of the manuscript for publication.
- Developmental editing – changing the manuscript to make it more readable.
- Copy-editing – reviewing the manuscript for grammar errors.
- Proofreading – checking over the finished product to look out for any typos or formatting errors.
Depending on whether you’re in love with a language or the art of writing, you might be interested in different kinds of editing. But, if you want to be a book editor, having a degree in English and being an avid reader are two musts.
2. Teacher’s Aid
Teaching English literature is an incredibly rewarding experience. However, it does require a lot of work and dedication. If you’re looking for a career that will let you read books all day long, teach the next generation how to find beauty in the written word, but still have enough time and flexibility in your daily schedule to do other things, being a teacher’s aid is a great option. You would be responsible for preparing materials and helping the teacher run their class.
This job also requires having a degree in English and being an avid reader. Of course, there are other things that a teacher needs help with, so if you’re interested in being a teacher’s aide, it would be good to have some experience working at a bookstore or library. Depending on which grade level you’re interested in working with, it might be necessary to have a teaching degree or certificate.
3. Book Critic
If you’re passionate about reading and have strong opinions about books, then a career in book criticism might be for you. As a book critic, you would be responsible for writing reviews of books for newspapers, magazines, or websites. While this job doesn’t necessarily require a degree in English, it is helpful to have some background in writing and critical thinking.
More than that though, it’s important to be able to step outside of your personal preferences. While you might not like a certain book personally, as a critic, it would be your responsibility to recognize whether it has objective qualities that are noteworthy or not.
4. Literary Scout
This job would be perfect for the truly ambitious person who wants to work in publishing, but doesn’t necessarily want to become an editor. As a literary scout, you would be responsible for finding new books that are marketable at home and abroad. This requires knowing what will sell well overseas, as well as what people are reading locally. You’d not only get to read as much as you’d like but also get to shape the cultural scene in a significant way.
You’re the one that would have significant control over what gets published, which is exciting in itself. You might also be responsible for helping authors negotiate their contracts, finding them an agent or publisher, and then buying their book once it’s published. This is a super exciting job that requires being an expert in the book industry.
5. Translator
Translating books is one of the most important jobs in literature. It requires spending a lot of time with literary works and gaining an understanding of their meaning. As a translator, you work with the original text, making sure that everything comes through clearly for your audience.
This job requires an advanced degree in English or literature, as well as fluency in at least one other language. There’s an art to translating books since you can’t do it verbatim. You sometimes have to choose between the most literal translation in the logical sense or the one that’s more accurate in regards to the rhythm – depending on the author and their writing style.
6. Librarian
As a librarian, you would be responsible for collecting and organizing books as well as helping people find the right book for them. This job requires spending time with literature and sharing that experience with other people. Whether you work in a school, college, or a public library, librarians are always in demand.
This is a great job for people who love reading books because it gives you the opportunity to talk about books with other people and help them find what they’re looking for. It also allows you to work with books on a daily basis, which can be really satisfying. You don’t need a degree in English or literature but should have an interest in reading and popular culture.
7. Tutor
One of the most satisfying parts of being a teacher is helping people learn new things. If you’re passionate about literature, then working as a tutor might be for you. You would work one-on-one with students who are struggling to understand particular books or authors.
This job allows you to share your love of reading books with other people and help them gain a better appreciation for literature. You need to have strong teaching and interpersonal skills, as well as an in-depth understanding of the English language and literary texts. It’s also important to be able to relate with students and motivate them in a positive way in order to achieve their full potential.
8. Brand Marketer
Perhaps on the more business side of things, you can take your passion for storytelling to a completely different level. This is the perfect job for anyone who wants to work in literature but doesn’t want to be limited by school and teaching qualifications.
As a brand marketer, you would be responsible for coming up with new ways of reaching an audience and establishing brand identity. Since brand marketers need to be creative and think outside the box, it’s an exciting job that also allows you to get your creative inspiration from your most favorite books and find a way to apply what you know and love to the modern kind of storytelling.
No matter what your career aspirations may be, it’s always important to find a way to intertwine your passions with your work. For people who love reading books, there are plenty of jobs that can satisfy that craving. From being a book editor to working as a librarian, there are plenty of opportunities for you to use your skills and continue to be surrounded by literature on a daily basis.
