Oh honey wait til you hear about publishing

Don't be an editor purely because you "love books." Don't be an agent because you "love books." Don't work in a bookstore because you "love books."

If you love books, buy books. Read them. Share them. Work in publishing or a bookstore because you like those industries/the work.

Working in an industry where book sales are prized over the content of the books is REALLY frustrating, and your love of books is irrelevant to that.

A job in the book industry will most likely take you away from reading [published] books.

Probably, your love will cool off or at least complicate as you learn and realize books are products. You need to be able to tell the difference between the books and the book industry.

I don't want to make it sound so soulless or lacking in passion, because that isn't true either! But this industry that requires a spine, resilience, the ability to think critically and hard. Not everyone has those qualities. Even some people who already work here.

That's also not to say you shouldn't try. But think hard about your reasons. Do you want books to be your job. Not your love, not your passion, not your dream.

Your job. Do you want to do your job?