Part-Time Mobile Bookseller

Do you love books, community, and uplifting marginalized voices?

Lost The Plot is looking to expand our team with a part-time mobile bookseller to help support our mobile bookstore operations. We’re looking for someone to run a portion of (and have the opportunity to eventually take over, for the right fit) our mobile bookstore pop-ups as an on-the-go bookseller.

Our ideal candidate will be able to attend at least 1-2 pop-ups a week, think on their feet to provide recommendations across genres, and be flexible with the ever-changing conditions between different types of events. Our mobile bookstore can be found at a wide range of events, including retail pop-ups (where we park in front of another partnered storefront for a few hours), vendor markets, and self-hosted events at venues including breweries, coffee shops, and wineries.

While we don’t require you to be an extrovert, you must be comfortable with chatting with our customers as they come into the truck, and be able to provide the genuine quality of service they come to expect from Lost The Plot.

This is an hourly, part-time position with around 5-15 hours a week, depending on what pop-ups we have scheduled. It requires weekend (Thursday-Sunday) availability, as well as travel flexibility. Most of our pop-ups are North of Seattle, so someone with ease-of-access to this area (ranging between Ballard & Everett primarily) is ideal.

For the right person, this role has flexibility to grow into our head of mobile operations and/or event coordinator, helping us run the mobile side of our business as we expand into a brick-and-mortar space.

You’ll love this job if you…

  • Love to read books, especially those by underrepresented authors (queer/BIPOC/disabled/etc.) and feminist fiction

  • Enjoy having conversations with those in the book community

  • Are always looking to discover new (to you) and exciting books to recommend to people who may not have heard of them otherwise

  • Love building community and helping people feel safe and welcome in our space

  • Enjoy participating in social events and meeting new people

We’re looking for someone who can help us with…

  • Greeting customers who come into the truck looking to discover their next read(s)

  • Running the checkout counter and/or table (depending on size of event)

  • Wrapping blind dates and assisting with small tasks in between customers

  • Providing quality recommendations to the best of your ability based on customer interests without being overly pushy

  • Setting up and taking down the setup for each pop-up

  • Helping create content for the mobile bookstore (which may include filming & taking photos at events and/or appearing in videos)

  • (Eventually) Driving the mobile bookstore to and from events

  • Bonus: Helping us brainstorm pop-up & event ideas and eventually helping coordinate these

We’re hoping you have…

  • At least 1+ year of retail experience, bonus if in the bookselling world

  • A cheerful and friendly demeanor around customers

  • Willingness to travel around North Seattle/Snohomish County/Everett areas as needed for pop-ups (bonus if willing to travel to Redmond/Tacoma for very occasional pop-ups)

  • Weekend availability is required, as well as Thursday-Friday night availability

  • Zero tolerance for the use of generational AI for book recommendations, social content, or anything else related to the job. We have a strict no AI policy and any evidence of it being used will result in a termination of our agreement.

  • Bonus: A love for books and reading, especially underrepresented authors, and a desire to help indie bookstores grow

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About Lost The Plot

Lost The Plot is a bookstore that sells new & used adult fiction, prioritizing stories by and about underrepresented voices. Our mobile bookstore is full of incredible stories, many of which are written by marginalized voices such as authors who are BIPOC, queer, disabled, or some intersection of these.

Lost The Plot is woman, LGBTQIA+, and disabled-owned. We are proud to be a champion of diverse voices, and as such, want to build an inclusive space where people can feel safe and belonging. As such, we encourage people of all backgrounds to apply for this role.

Job Type: Part-Time

Pay: $22/hr (including drive time to & from events)

Work Location: Varies, but always in person