General Support and Services
In addition to the usual job sites and recruiters there are dedicated dyslexia recruitment agencies, such as Exceptional Individuals. There is also a scheme called Access to Work run by the government that supports disabled people (dyslexia is legally recognised as a disability in some circumstances). There are mentorship schemes for dyslexics and some of the dyslexia charities offer services or initiatives to help with employment. Dyslexia charities are often themselves employers so it can be worth asking if they have any employment opportunities.
You can find out more about finding employment as a dyslexic in the BBC YouTube video below.
Find Writing and Publishing Related Work
It can be difficult to get straight into a publishing role, it is a very competitive industry and you will need experience to gain your first paid position. Interning to gain experience is common and most major publishers run internship schemes. If you study the right degree then sometimes these include a year working in the industry, which would give you an advantage.
Approaching small presses and asking if they have any opportunities, including voluntary ones, can increase your chances of landing your first position. Networking at literary events and volunteering at book festivals can also help.
A good transitional role if you want to work with books rather than magazines is to see if you can get work as a bookseller, or at the head office of a company that sells books. These are also excellent jobs for writers. Selling books to the general public will teach you about the industry, introduce you to a broader range of books, give you an insight into human nature, is a great opportunity to meet your writing heros through book signings, will teach you about organising events, and you will learn what actually makes books sell. There are sometimes discounts on books and it is easy to find part time work. This means steady pay and time to write or pursue other types of freelance work.
Subscribing to The Bookseller can be very helpful as it will keep you up to date on the current trends and changes in the industry, as well as the latest employment opportunities.
If you are a writer then you have a better chance of getting work and being published if you have some sort of pre-vetting. There are a lot of talented writers and there are usually far more submissions than a publisher can read. You need to make sure you stand out in your cover letter and give them a reason to pick up your manuscript. This could be via finding an agent, studying a degree with a Creative Writing component, winning writing competitions or getting published by smaller presses, newspapers, and magazines.
RASP (Rebelling Against Spelling Press) and Dyspla help dyslexic writers to develop their work and to get their first writing credits.
Writers are encouraged to read The Artists and Writers Year Book, the majority of libraries should hold a copy but buying one can be more convenient. The Mslexia Indie Presses Guide is also very useful when looking for places to submit work, or organisations to contact about work opportunities.
There is more information and support for writers on our writers pages.
If you want to be a librarian then look for volunteer opportunities at your local library. You will normally have to complete a degree in librarianship if you want to be a full librarian. Archivists, who preserve collections at newspapers, some libraries and museums also need to have a degree followed by postgraduate study. The courses must be approved by the ARA.
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