Event Schedule
2026 Midsouth Conference Schedule
Use #SCBWIMidsouth26 in your social media posts to win a bookstore gift certificate!
Saturday, September 26th
600 Marriott Drive
Nashville, TN 37214
NOTE: Face-to-Face Manuscript and Portfolio Critiques and agent AMAs (Ask-Me-Anything meetings) are scheduled throughout the day. During the conference, please refer to your individual schedule for your specific assigned time and location.
7:30–8:00 a.m. | Registration & Portfolio Drop-off at Registration Table
8:00–8:20 a.m. | Welcome
8:20–8:50 a.m. | Keynote Address from NYT Bestselling author, Alan Gratz
8:50–9:00 a.m. | Break
9:00–9:50 a.m. | Breakout Session I (Click HERE for more details on breakouts!)
- A. Saribel Pages – Picture Book Query 101
- B. Rebecca Eskildsen – Understanding Genre Distinctions
- C. Jennifer March Soloway – The Art of Voice
9:50–10:00 a.m. | Break
10:00–10:50 a.m. | Pitch Critique Sessions: Pay to Pitch or Watch and Learn! (Paid Pitch, $30. Observation, FREE!) (Click HERE for more details on Pitch Sessions!)
Have your pitch critiqued by an agent or observe and take notes! It’s exciting to share your idea with an industry pro. This session is designed to help you improve and strengthen your pitch, whether you’re meeting industry professionals, querying, or writing a proposal!
- A. Picture Books/Graphic Novels – Andrea Colvin
- B. Picture Books – Saribel Pages
- C. Middle Grade/Young Adult – Rebecca Eskildsen
- D. Middle Grade/Young Adult – Jennifer March Soloway
11:00 a.m.–12:50 p.m. | Lunch Buffet and Author/Illustrator Panel in Capitol Ballroom (buffet included with conference tuition with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options)
12:50-1:00 p.m. | Break
1:00-1:50 p.m. | Breakout Session II (Click HERE for more details on breakouts!)
- A. Jonah Heller – Navigating Editorial Feedback
- B. Tracy Shaw – Top 5 Tips from an Art Director
- C. Alan Gratz – A Writer’s Checklist
1:50-2:00 p.m. | Break
2:00–2:50 p.m. | Breakout Session III (Click HERE for more details on breakouts!)
- A. Andrea Colvin – Great Beginnings: Why First Pages Matter So Much
- B. Rebecca Eskildsen – Creating Compelling Stakes
- C. Mary Reaves Uhles – Picturebook Cinematography: Composing Effective Illustrations with Perspective
2:50-4:30 p.m. | Break (NOTE: 3 p.m. is the deadline for turning your First Pages in at Registration so they can be included in Sunday’s sessions! For detailed instructions on submitting First Pages, click HERE.)
4:30-6:00 p.m. | Manuscript/Portfolio Critiques, Agent AMAs
This block will hold most of our critiques, though they will be scheduled throughout the day, during sessions, as well. Make sure to check your personal schedule for your exact critique or AMA time! Missed critiques will NOT be rescheduled.
5:00–7:00 p.m. | Midsouth Autograph Party with Portfolio Showcase and Cocktail Hour
We are closing out day one of the conference with a celebration! Mingle with us, check out illustrator portfolios, and purchase that special book you want to have signed by a faculty member or an SCBWI author or illustrator. The bar opens at 4:30 p.m. Don’t forget to bring your credit card to use at the bar. Cash will not be accepted.
Click HERE for PAL opportunities for this party!
Sunday, September 27th
8:00–8:30 a.m. | Welcome
8:30–8:40 a.m. | Break
8:40-9:20 a.m. | First Pages (Click HERE for more details on First Pages!)
Witness an agent or editor’s first impression when reading a new manuscript. Anonymous first pages are chosen at random and read aloud to the room before feedback is given by faculty. (First page submission is not required to attend this session.)
- A. Picture Books— Andrea Colvin
- B. Middle Grade— Rebecca Eskildsen
- C. Young Adult— Jonah Heller
To submit a first page, please turn them in at the registration table SATURDAY, following the guidelines listed HERE.
9:20–9:30 a.m. | Break
9:30-10:20 a.m. | Session IV (Click HERE for more details on breakouts!)
- A. Saribel Pages – The Art of a Rhyming Picture Book
- B. Jonah Heller – Establishing Setting Through Character
- C. Tracy Shaw – From Idea to Print: What Happens After Your Submission Gets Noticed
10:20-10:30 a.m. | Break
10:30-10:50 a.m. | Closing Remarks, Awards, and Giveaways
10:50 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Break/Lunch
Those who wish to stay and mingle, either before getting on the road, or before their afternoon intensives, may bring their own lunch, or get something nearby.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTENSIVES
Post-conference intensives are available on Sunday for an additional fee. Registration is limited. (Click HERE for more details on intensives!)
12:00–1:30 p.m. | INTENSIVE 1 ($60) – Tracy Shaw: Character Design Illustrator Intensive
12:00–1:30 p.m. | INTENSIVE 2 ($60) – Jennifer March Soloway: Standing Out in a Sea of Slush
1:30-1:40 p.m. | Break
1:40–3:10 p.m. | INTENSIVE 3 ($60) – Alan Gratz: Plotting with The Magic Eight Block
1:40–3:10 p.m. | INTENSIVE 4 ($60) – Mary Reaves Uhles: Leaving Room for the Illustrator (and Blood in the Gutter)