SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE: Eastern PA SCBWI's 2026 Submission Shine Online Critique Intensive
ABOUT THE EVENT:
So, you have a handful of manuscripts or illustration styles ready to query. Which one should you lead with? Is your other work strong enough to hook an agent if they request to see more? And what will an agent think about the variety of work you bring? Whether you have multiple submission-ready picture book manuscripts, write across age categories, have a variety of illustration pieces and illustrated works, or a combination of all of the above, Submission Shine is an opportunity to talk with one agent about four submission-ready works AND your writing/illustrating career as a whole. In addition, you'll have access to a bonus webinar to help center your confidence as you begin querying AND receive additional feedback from a peer critique group of other Submission Shine participants.
Event dates: February 19-21, 2026.
Full event details can be found at https://www.scbwi.org/events/eastern-pa-online-critique-intensive-submission-shine-2026.
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE SCHOLARSHIP:
The scholarship will cover the cost of registration for the full 2026 Submission Shine event (five 20-minute Zoom meetings with the faculty of your choice, participation in the peer cohort critique group, and access to the webinar "Querying From Both Sides of the Trenches" with Monica Rodriguez of Context Literary) for a total value of $425 (based on premium member rates).
WHO CAN APPLY:
Eastern PA SCBWI and its Equity and Inclusion Team are honored to offer one full Equity and Inclusion/Financial Need scholarship for our 2026 Submission Shine online critique event. The scholarship will be awarded to one writer or illustrator who self-identifies as a member of a community that is traditionally underrepresented in the field of children’s literature (including but not limited to people of color, people with disabilities, people from the LGBTQIA+ community, Native people, and people from ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities) AND/OR who has a financial hardship (and would not otherwise be able to attend).
HOW TO APPLY:
The scholarship application period will be open from September 1 through September 15, 2025.
General registration will open October 1, 2025.
Please read the following information carefully to apply for the scholarship:
EQUITY AND INCLUSION / FINANCIAL NEED SCHOLARSHIP
Scholarship applications will be collected through a Google form between September 1 and September 15. [Google form URL to come.]
You will be asked to submit a personal statement, explaining why you are applying for the scholarship, a little bit about your creative journey, and, to your level of comfort, explaining how you self-identify as a member of a community that is underrepresented in the field of children’s literature or/and the nature of your financial need/circumstances.
You will be asked to upload ONE of the following:
- a five-page sample from your chapter book/middle grade/young adult manuscript, OR
- one full picture book manuscript, OR
- the first half spread plus the next two full spreads of your picture book dummy, OR
- a link to a website where we can see your illustration work; OR
- three portfolio-ready illustrations.
Note: The samples do not need to reflect experiences within an underrepresented or marginalized community. Our goal, and mission, is to uplift and support the creators.
Deadline to apply for the scholarship is September 15, 2025.
Scholarship applicants will be informed of the decision on or before September 29, 2025.
In the event that equally qualified applicants apply, priority may be given to SCBWI members who reside within the Eastern Pennsylvania region, which includes the following Pennsylvania counties: Adams, Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montgomery, Monroe, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, Wyoming, and York.
Please note that if no applicants meet the requirements, Eastern PA SCBWI reserves the right not to award the scholarship for this event.
If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].