Submission Week
Monday, July 20th – Saturday, July 26th, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET
How to go about a Manuscript Critique in 5 easy steps
A professionally formatted submission shows that you understand the business of writing and publishing for children.
Step 1. Check the Faculty page to ensure your preferred faculty member offers critiques for your manuscript’s genre.
Step 2. Register for your critique. You can select this option when registering OR add a critique to an already existing registration.
Step 3. Polish your PB submission OR your novel submission (includes Chapter Books, MG, YA, GN text, Verse novels)
PB
- First 500 - 600 words for fiction. First 800 - 1000 words for non-fiction.
- Text only. Register for a PB Dummy Review if you are submitting art and text as an author/illustrator.
- Picture books do not require a synopsis.
Novel (includes Chapter Books, MG, YA, GN text, Verse novels)
- Submit only the first 10 pages of one manuscript, even if it cuts off in the middle of a chapter.
- No word count needed.
- Include a single spaced, 1-page synopsis.*
*The synopsis demonstrates whether an author can write a beginning, middle, and end, and whether the plot is enticing. For more information on writing a synopsis, we suggest Jane Friedman’s Blog.
Step 4. Prepare a single document. Synopsis included in document with novel submissions.
- Double spaced (novels in verse may use single spacing), 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman Font
- First page, upper left corner: Name, Email, Category (PB, CB, MG, GN, YA, NF)
- Page numbers in the upper right corner: PAGE #, Last Name/TITLE
- Title in all CAPS, centered at top of page. Manuscript begins below the title
- Word.docx files only
- Label file: LastName_Title_Faculty.docx
Step 5. Submit Monday, July 20th – Saturday, July 25th, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET using the submission form found under the MY EVENTS tab of your Member Home. Click the green MEETING INFO button.
Scheduling
After critique registration closes, the link to schedule your meeting will appear in the MY EVENTS tab of your Member Home.
Critiques/Reviews will be held Saturday, Sept 19th, 1 pm – 3 pm. Check in at the Critique/Review desk 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment.
- Sessions are booked back to back—if you are late, your session will still end on time.
- Missed appointments cannot be rescheduled.
- Because we have guaranteed your payment to our faculty, missed appointments cannot be refunded.
- Editors and agents provide submission opportunities to all attendees as part of this conference. Do not ask an editor or agent to take your full manuscript or to look at it during the event.
- Another attendee has paid for the appointment right after yours. Be considerate of this and exit the meeting when time is called.
Questions
Contact our Critique Team if you have any questions. Looking to join or start a critique group? Visit our Critique Team near the check-in desk and learn how!
Feeling jittery? That’s totally normal. Check out Linda Sue Park’s advice on receiving critique.
NOTE: Faculty are asked to respond to the SCBWI Gold Form or provide line edits for critiques.
