by Ruth Belena

Created on: June 18, 2008

Some of the jobs I had when I was employed in publishing and in the book trade could well be described as 'fun' jobs.

When I was twenty I worked for a publishing company, as an editorial assistant in the office of a small circulation magazine. This fortnightly publication covered various show animals and fancy birds which breeders enter into contests for best in breed awards, at local and national exhibition level. I learned a lot about keeping and showing rabbits, guinea pigs, poultry, pigeons and cats. I attended some of the biggest events, to promote and sell copies of the magazine. I was paid for my travel expenses, and occasionally for an overnight stay, and I always had the opportunity to view the animals and birds on display and to meet some of their proud owners.

Some years later I worked for a very large and well-known global magazine and book publishing corporation. I met several famous authors and various experts, who were acting as consultants for their publications. I was based in London and I was often invited to attend book launches there, including a memorable one held inside the Palace of Westminster, the British Parliament building, where I drank pink champagne and chatted with a book critic from a national newspaper. I discovered that most publishing events involve free alcoholic drinks and having a good time!

My career in the world of books continued when I worked as a retail manager in a bargain book store, selling remaindered books and publishers' returns. One of the best parts of that job was buying in books to sell at the store. Book dealers and representatives used to call on me so I could choose from their range of titles and samples. For someone who has always loved books this was not only fun, it was a dream job! However, I would point out that having a job which is involved with books does not mean sitting and reading all day, as some people think. I never had any time to read at work, but I did take advantage of the generous staff discount I was offered on my personal book purchases, and I acquired a substantial number of books, which I enjoyed reading in my own time.

I can certainly look back on my career in magazines and books as being a lot of fun. I met a great many interesting people and had some unique experiences. If you have an interest in the printed word you could do a lot worse than to look for work involving books and publishing.

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