Aki Schilz
Watch as a full video interview on YouTube
Aki Schilz is the Director at The Literary Consultancy (TLC), where she co-ordinates partnerships and programmes. She launched the Editing Skills Training Scheme in partnership with the Publishing Training Centre, which trained over 100 aspiring editors from under-represented communities. She has been named as one of the FutureBook 40, a list of people innovating the publishing industry, and was also nominated for an h100 Award for her #BookJobTransparency campaign, as well as being shortlisted for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize for women in publishing, and has featured in the Bookseller 150 list of the most influential figures in publishing twice. In 2020, Aki launched the Being A Writer programme at TLC, a membership platform she co-devised with novelist and coach Julia Forster, which focuses on providing a space for writers to cultivate their creativity, and build emotional resilience. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
We had a great time chatting with Aki and hearing about her work with TLC, discussing what they can offer, as well as talking about whether such consultancies are right for everyone. We also talk about her support of writers away from the page, and chat about how to take the pressure off querying.