Regional virtual events

June 10, 2025: Sharing your story with others in a powerful way of creating meaning out of challenging life experiences. However, publishing your story so that others may benefit is a unique skillset that requires multiple layers of content review, editing, and networking. In this presentation. author and psychologist Dr. Korie Leigh will share a roadmap of taking a lived experience and turning that into published books which are currently being used by school districts, grief centers, therapy practices, and hospitals around the world. This webinar will be recorded and available to registered attendees for 30 days.

June 12, 2025: Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach to working with others that validates their experiences, builds feelings of safety and trust, and provides space for shared growth and empowerment. Commonly implemented in social work, counseling, and human services fields, TIC provides guiding principles for interacting with anyone who might have experienced trauma, but it's not "special treatment"; it's a form of universal design that can make any environment more welcoming and respectful. This workshop will first provide a background on the fundamentals of trauma-informed care. Then, we'll discuss ways to incorporate those principles into storytelling, as well as into author/illustrator school visits and events.

June 14, 2025 (registration closes June 12): For the finale of the Creative Mindset series, we will speak with four industry professionals about their creative processes. These published authors and illustrators will talk about their rituals, inspirations, challenges, and more. The panel will include author/ illustrator Shadra Strickland, agent at Painted Words; young adult and picture book author Marie Lamba, agent at Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency; author of novels, nonfiction, picture, and board books Ammi-Joan (Joan) Paquette, agent at Erin Murphy Literary Agency; and illustrator Mariam Quraishi, senior designer at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Panelists will also be open to submissions from session attendees.

June 14, 2025 (registration closes May 2): Join Gretchen Durning, 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.

June 14, 2025 (registration closes June 13): Join Adam Blackman, Editor at Cardinal Rule Press for his presentation: "From Submission to Shelf: A Journey through the Acquisitions Process at an Independent Publisher." Jumping out of the slush! R&R for the win! Making it to the short list! A deep-dive into acquisitions process using examples from Cardinal Rule Press's recent list. Zoom recording available.

June 14, 2025: Join us for one or both of our virtual workshops, geared especially toward illustrators! In the first session, Mirka Hokkanen will help you take your character designs from bland and stiff to charming and energetic, using the personality of your character to guide its design and give it energy and using shapes to explore character design--plus five tips on how to draw characters consistently. In the second session, borrowing techniques from cinema, Stan Yan will show you how a graphic novelist approaches sequential storytelling, from writing, to storyboarding, to process for comic strips, picture books, graphic novels and more. Choose one session or register for both! These sessions will be recorded and available to registered attendees for 30 days.

June 14, 2025: Design has the power to make or break your book dummy. Learn from Scholastic's Executive Art Director, Brian LaRossa what to do and what to avoid to make your book's text layout as professional as possible.

June 17, 2025: Using her own Newbery Honor and Caldecott-winning picture book, Watercress, as well as books by others as examples, Andrea will discuss the differences and similarities between fiction PBs and memoirs, including elements such as plot, structure, theme, and research. Andrea will also talk about some of the methods she’s used to mine her life for emotion and conflict, and how she has applied them to her own work. She will lead attendees in some guided freewriting exercises, so come prepared to write! She’ll also offer suggestions on how to incorporate the results of your freewriting into your works-in-progress, whether they're memoirs or not. This event will be recorded, and a replay will be available for 30 days after the live event.

June 18, 2025: Join literary agent Carter Hasegawa for a focused session on how to pitch your work, what to include, how to tailor it for agents or editors, and when you're ready to submit. Includes live Q&A, personal critiques, and a submission opportunity! After nearly 15 years in publishing—first as an editor and now as a literary agent—Carter Hasegawa has seen thousands of pitches and query letters. From debut to seasoned authors, from agents to international publishers, his inbox has seen it all. And if there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s this: there is no single “right” way to pitch your work. In this focused, practical session, Carter will walk you through what makes a strong pitch package—and when you're ready to send it. You’ll learn what to include, how to tailor your pitch depending on the type of project (fiction vs. nonfiction, narrative vs. concept, text vs. illustration), and how to adjust your approach based on who you're pitching to—an editor vs. a literary agent. We’ll cover the key components of a pitch or query letter, but also zoom out to explore where pitching fits in the bigger picture of your creative career. The session will conclude with a live Q&A and a submission opportunity for attendees. (Submission window and full guidelines will be shared after the event.)

June 18, 2025: Are you an artist in need of a refresh and update to your portfolio? Are you an illustrator prepping a portfolio for conference season? This webinar is for you! Nicole Tugeau, agent-owner of T2 Art & Literary Agency, will help you break free from dated portfolio rules and expectations, and break out a portfolio that connects. This interactive discussion will be based on Nicole's experience agenting artists in a competitive marketplace: children's publishing.

June 21, 2025: Join us for Marketing Labs in the morning to learn more about Branding, Platform, Website, and Pinterest. Afternoon Social Media Labs will demonstrate Canva, Video Making, & Book Trailers. Half-day and Full-day tickets available. A limited number of consultations and personalized tutorials are also available at an additional cost.

June 25, 2025: Enjoy unlimited viewings of these recorded Illinois programs with a small convenience fee. Your fee supports Illinois’ free events & opportunities like Networks (offered online or in-person for free) and scholarships and mentorships. This month, six (6) recorded Network Events are offered for unlimited viewing, plus two (2) Regional Event recordings.

July 9, 2025: Learn how to increase engagement during kids in presentations, like school visits. Learn how to utilize games, how to illustrate concepts in a way that capture the attention of even the reluctant student. Let Marty Chan show you how to structure your visit in a way that brings your presentation to life and gets you invited back again and again. Learn how to give them something to remember!

July 14, 2025 (registration closes July 15): Although every creator's path to publication is different, there are some insights to be gleaned from Matt's Forrest Esenwine's particular journey. In this presentation, Matt will share how he first approached the prospect of getting traditionally published, how critique groups and networking helped him develop his skills and grow his career, and why he remains unagented after publishing for ten years. (Hint: the answer to that last question is surprisingly simple!) Critiques are limited.

July 15, 2025: Author and agent Eric Smith of Neighborhood Literary will do on-the-spot query critiques. Queries will be chosen at random from those submitted one week in advance (due to time constraints and the number of queries submitted, not all will be chosen). There will be time for Q and A as well. The webinar will be recorded and available for 30 days following the event.

July 17, 2025 (registration closes July 15): No matter your story’s genre, research can save you time when writing or illustrating and bring your work to life! Join nonfiction author-illustrator Melissa H. Mwai as she shares her research tips and experiences from working with publishers like National Geographic, DK, and Paw Prints. Along with a Q&A, there will be an interactive research challenge! Critiques are limited.

August 26, 2025: Learn the components of a successful nonfiction book proposal in this presentation by literary agent Maria Vicente. Maria will share everything agents and editors expect to read in your book proposal, then break it down section by section so you can easily apply the blueprint to your own project. You will gain a deeper understanding of the MG and YA nonfiction market and the knowledge to turn your nonfiction book idea into a book deal. PB, MG, YA, & Graphic Novel critiques for both fiction and nonfiction projects are also available at an additional cost.

September 13, 2025-April 25, 2026 (registration closes September 10): Join renowned chapter book expert Marcie Colleen in this 8-month virtual workshop and learn how to captivate readers ages 6-10. Participants will learn what defines a chapter book, use mentor texts, develop a strong premise for a chapter book series, create compelling characters, hone plotting and pacing chapter-by-chapter and across a series, engage and participate in peer critiques, and conclude with a finished Book 1 of a chapter book series.