Date
Fri., Feb. 3 @ 3pm EST (12pm Pacific)
Department
Professional Development
Instructor
Akin Akinwumi
In this one-hour webinar, Akin Akinwumi offers guidance to writers looking to become published authors. His lecture will help them understand and appreciate the role querying plays in the book publishing industry. Writers will learn why it’s important in today’s publishing environment to know how to present the value of their book projects in clear, meaningful terms and thereby increase their chances of getting signed by an agent or publisher. He’ll offer examples of excellent query letters and show why the craft of those letters is as strong and compelling as the books being pitched.
This 45-minute live lecture is free and open to all via Zoom. Akin is available afterwards to take your questions about role querying plays in the book publishing industry, as well as his upcoming Pandemic U course The Art of Querying Literary Agents and Publishers. Stay till the end to win a prize in our Pop Quiz contest.
Event Format
Live 45-minute conversation followed by Q&A and trivia with prizes (approximately 1 hour total)
How it Works
After checkout, you’ll receive a receipt with a link and password for the live Zoom class. You’ll also receive an emailed reminder with the same information a few hours before the session. After the class you’ll get a password to access the Replay.
Accessibility & Recording
This webinar is designed for live participation, however, a temporary recording of the webinar will be provided to all registrants until February 23. Closed captioning is auto-generated and subject to error.
About the Instructor
Akin Akinwumi is the founder of Willenfield Literary Agency, an international agency dedicated to representing writers working in contemporary literature. Akin started the agency in 2019 to offer a compelling alternative to the conventional literary agency model. His main areas of specialization are literary fiction, literary nonfiction, general nonfiction, visual narrative, and poetry. Akin is especially keen on themes of contemporary and cultural interest as well as fresh angles on the human experience and the world around us. His clients include writers who have won or have been nominated for the International Booker Prize, Fitzcarraldo Editions Novel Prize, Commonwealth Short Story Prize, and others. He has placed books with Graywolf Press, Abrams Press, Penguin Canada, Coach House Press, and other esteemed publishers.
In addition to working directly in publishing, Akin is interested in the educational side of things, teaching at Simon Fraser University and guest lecturing about creative writing and publishing at Stanford University, New York University, and University of Glasgow. He lives in the Edmonton area with his family.
To learn more about Akin and the writers he represents, visit willenfield.com.