DATE: Saturday, June 14th | 10:00AM-12:00PM EST | ONLINE EVENT | Join Gretchen Durning, the editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers for an online roundtable critique event! You will get a chance to read your peers' manuscripts ahead of time AND to join in for an online LIVE critique roundtable session hosted by Gretchen alongside your peers on the event day. It's a great opportunity to get your MG and YA manuscripts in front of an industry professional.
Faculty Bio
Gretchen Durning | Editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers
Gretchen Durning is an editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers. While at Penguin, she's worked on titles such as the instant New York Times bestsellers Hotel Magnifique and The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor, the internationally bestselling Threads That Bind duology by Kika Hatzopoulou, and the critically acclaimed novel The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling. Gretchen works primarily on middle grade and young adult fiction, chiefly in the fantasy, mystery/thriller, or horror genres. She’s especially drawn to stories with a strong hook, an immersive voice, and an escapist plot. When not reading, you can probably find her planning a trip to somewhere new or watching a BBC nature documentary. Follow her on Twitter and Bluesky: @gretchendurning.
Registration
$130 for SCBWI members; $160 for non-members.
To register for the event, please click on the green "Register for event" button above by the event title.
PLEASE NOTE: This online event will be recorded and shared with the event participants. The recording will be available post-event for 30 days only.
Submission Information
Please upload a single Word document that includes a cover letter and up to ten (10) pages of your MG or YA manuscript. The cover letter should be single-spaced and consist of up to 250-words of a short pitch and bio. You may also include a headshot in the cover letter. The ten (10) manuscript pages should be double-spaced and in Times Roman 12 font with 1-inch margins.
Submission deadline: 11:59PM EST, May 2nd, 2025
Please submit your document here: https://form.jotform.com/250844933866166
Contact
For any questions regarding the event, please contact us at [email protected]g