Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Thank you to Susan @Bloggin’ bout Books who submitted the original topic for this week, “Bookish Jobs I Would Do For Free (Real or Imaginary).”
I’m tweaking it a little because from what I have observed there’s already too much pressure to work for free in a lot of interests that attract people who are passionate about them. If you are a woman and belong to certain niche groups, the pressure can be even stronger due to stereotypes about women being inherently kinder and more generous than men (speaking again here in my experience. Your mileage may vary!)
This wouldn’t be a problem if we lived in a Star Trek world where everyone’s needs for clothing, education, housing, healthcare, and nutritious food are automatically taken care of for their entire lives.
It absolutely can be an emotionally healthy thing for people who have the time, money, and energy to devote their lives to their favourite topics or causes, but I’ve also seen it misused to extract far too many hours of unpaid work out of folks who deeply care about subject X but whose basic needs are NOT currently being met.
I’m ethically uncomfortable with those sorts of arrangements, so I’m going to be blogging about some bookish jobs that sound cool instead.
May we all someday have such abundance in our lives that we can do cool bookish jobs for free if we wish to, though!
Job: Researcher
Why It Sounds Interesting: Research is my idea of a good time. Before the pandemic began, I used to go to the library to look up all sorts of interesting topics from foster care to marsupials to the history of medicine and see how much I could learn about them. Now I dive deeply into these things at home instead!
Job: Indie/Small Press Book Reviewer
Why It Sounds Interesting: I know I blogged about this last summer, but there are so many amazing indie and small press books out there that I wish I could introduce to new audiences. I do what I can in my spare time, but it would be awesome if this could be a full-time, salaried position with benefits so that many more authors and readers could benefit from it.
Job: Creative Writing Professor
Why It Sounds Interesting: Even if you happen to be born with an aptitude for writing, it still takes many years of practice to hone that skill. It would be so rewarding to teach others how to evaluate their own stories and make them sharper, crisper, and more imaginative.
Job: Bibliotherapist
Why It Sounds Interesting: Imagine combining the work of a therapist with that of a librarian! Bibliotherapists recommend specific books to their clients based on what their client currently needs, so being extremely well-read is an integral part of the profession which is honestly my idea of the perfect job.
Job: Bookish Event Planner
Why It Sounds Interesting: Word on the Street is a Toronto book festival that’s always well planned and delightful to attend. I wish that the event planners who work on that festival could organize all bookish events! In my opinion, festivals, book signings, book release parties, panels, talks, and other similar things often flow better when they’re designed and organized by people who are already passionate about reading in general and, even better, fans of the specific books and authors being featured there as well.
Job: Audiobook Narrator
Why It Sounds Interesting: A great narrator makes all the difference when I’m listening to audiobooks. I admire people who are able to narrate well and think that is a fabulous talent to have.
Audiobook narrator does sound great though with all the voice troubles I’ve had over the years, I don’t think my voice would hold out.
That’s a good point! I hadn’t thought of that.
An audibook narrator can make or break a title for me! After struggling several times to read/listen to one book about urban planning (I got it for free a few years ago via a promotion), I finally broke down and picked up a used paper copy so I actually finish it.
It’s interesting how some books are better read and others work better as audiobooks.
Bibliotherapist sounds so good, but what a nice job
Thank you. 🙂
Audiobook narrator sounds so cool! Great list. 🙂
Thank you. 🙂
I almost put Bibliotherapist on my list. Great idea! Have a wonderful day! ☕📚🍁👻🧡
Thanks. You, too!
I always thought it would be fun to be an audiobook narrator, but I’m guessing it is a lot harder than it sounds.
Oh, I’m sure you’re right about that!
I’ve never heard of bibliotherapists before! Sounds interesting though.
I learned of it while researching what to put in this post. 🙂
Great ideas and totally get where you are coming from regarding being paid.
Thank you. Glad to hear it.
An event planner for book events!?? That sounds fun! Organizing is something I (most the time) don’t mind doing so that seems like a job that would be cool to have, too. 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my website today.
You’re welcome. Organizing can be so much fun. 🙂
A bibliotherapist sounds like such a great and satisfying job! I would also love to be an audiobook narrator, if I had the skills of course 🙂
Cool!
I like your tweak for today’s prompt!
Thank you. 🙂
A great list of jobs and reasons why they are interesting.
Have a good week!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
Thank you. Have a good week yourself.
I keep trying to push my husband to give voice acting (which many audiobook narrators do) a try because he loves playing with his voice.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/books-featuring-book-related-jobs/
I hope he listens to you someday!
I’ll definitely jump at the opportunity for a bibliotherapist job!
🙂
That’s a great point. And I love researching too. Also a creative writing professor. Yes, how rewarding that would be!
My couisn does art therapy and I think combining therapy with books or recommending books that can help someone is fabulous.
Art therapy sounds really cool.
Thank you for your email. I hope my reply went through. I appreciate you trying to comment. 🙂
Hope you’re having a good week!
Yes, it did. I just forgot to reply, but I’ll do so tomorrow.
Hope you’re having a good week, too.
A bibliotherapist sounds like a cool bookish job!
Thanks. 🙂
Audiobook narrators are so amazing. The amount of work that goes into it aways astounds me.
I know, right? But it’s so worth it in the end. A well-done audiobook is amazing.
I think Bookish event planner would be so much fun!
Glad to hear it. 🙂
Research can be a lot of fun!
🙂
I should have worded this prompt differently. I didn’t realize until after I’d submitted it that it might be problematic in a few different ways! I honestly only meant it to be a fun, imagination-fueling topic.
Are bibliotherapists real? Interesting. I don’t know how good my life advice is, but my reading recommendations are often on point! LOL.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
No worries, Susan! Thanks for explaining. It was a fun prompt nonetheless. 🙂
I’ve never been to a bibliotherapist, but it does seem to be a real type of therapist from what the Internet tells me.
I’d love to be an audiobook narrator, I just know I wouldn’t be able to stop stuttering all the way through 😂
Some great jobs listed here!
I stutter, too! So you’re not alone there. 🙂
A research role sounds like it would be absolutely fascinating – I love doing that myself, and fall down some wonderful rabbit holes on my university’s online library
That’s awesome.
Research papers were my favorite thing in college! Everyone thought I was weird. Ha!
Honestly, same here. I tried not to act too excited when we were assigned more of them.
You and I could have been good buddies, indeed, if we attended the same school. LOL.
Years ago, I had the perfect job as a Researcher where I read all day.
Alas that job eventually went electronic and then moved to another country. But I’ll always have good memories and made life long reader friends, too.
That sounds amazing! If only such jobs were still around.
A great audiobook narrator can make a big difference in audiobooks, I would love to know how to narrate well.
Bookish event planner sounds like a dream!
Thank you. 🙂