Thinking of a career in bookselling? Love books and reading? Are you regularly recommending books to friends? A job in bookselling could be the job for you.

A bookshop is much more than shelves lined with stories — it’s a lively hub where creativity, community, and curiosity meet every day. Behind every stack of novels, display table, and author event is a team of passionate people who make the magic happen. Working in a bookshop offers a surprisingly wide range of roles, each with its own focus, responsibilities, and rewards — all united by a shared love of books and readers.


What are the main roles?

Here we list four of them, with a job description for each. Beginning as a Bookseller, you can progress to Senior Bookseller, then Assistant Manager and eventually to Bookshop Manager.
       * Bookseller
       * Senior Bookseller
       * Assistant Manager
       * Manager


If you are interested in learning more about bookselling as a career, this excellent video features five experienced booksellers discussing the joys and (occasional) challenges of their profession. Click here to view.

Follow us on Instagram and search on #BooksellerStories to hear from more booksellers on why they love working in bookshops.