Regional virtual events

October 11, 2025 (registration closes October 8): Make your story stand up and out with Story Skeletons! In this structure based workshop, we will explore the elements that make a good picture book or other story (and appear in most successful stories) and discuss examples, thereby strengthening the story from head to toe! The workshop includes an actual story skeleton handout to follow when needing a solid story base to flesh out with words. A writing exercise and discussion of attendee examples will be followed by an “Ask the Author/Editor” session. A submission opportunity is attached to this workshop.

October 14, 2025: Let’s Get Graphic! In this webinar, author-illustrator Jonathan Roth will provide an overview of this ever-expanding art form and give lots of creator tips on how to write, format, illustrate and submit your ideas. This webinar will be geared toward writers and/or illustrators (you don’t have to do both!) of all kidlit genres and subjects.

October 18, 2025: Join us for a 90-minute workshop on Saturday, October 18, 2025, 2:00-3:30 pm CST with Julie Downing, and learn how to develop characters for picture books through presentations, activities and Q&A.

October 15, 2025: Whether you're an illustrator or an author, it's crucial to think early on about your manuscript in its intended format: as a picture book! Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency will help you find joy in paginating your text and pondering page turns, which can help you think about your story in a whole new way. This process will allow you to spot problems and discover solutions that you may have overlooked before. Rachel will also speak briefly about the general pacing and shape of novels. Don't miss it!

October 15, 2025: Get an insider’s look at the world of work-for-hire educational publishing. In this webinar, Melissa will share stories from her experience writing for top publishers like National Geographic and DK. We'll explore what tools writers need to succeed. Then we’ll dive into chapter book mentor texts, analyzing what works and why. Bring your favorite recent chapter books and be ready to share a few lines you love. We’ll wrap with a quick Q&A. BIO: Melissa H. Mwai is a children's author and illustrator. She's written five nonfiction books including I CAN MAKE A FRIEND (Paw Prints, '25), A PUERTO RICAN CHILDHOOD (DK, '24), and STACEY ABRAMS (National Geo Kids, '22). Melissa is thrilled that her books help kids learn more deeply about their world. She's a registered voter who lives with her husband, two kids, and bunny. She's represented by Jacqui Lipton at The Tobias Literary Agency. Webinar is free! Zoom link will be sent out in the October Ohio Central & South newsletter.

October 16, 2025: Join Creative Director Joann Hill for an evening all about elevating and finessing your illustrations. She will share examples from her decades-long career of things to avoid that can make your art seem too conventional and not memorable/distinct. She will share examples of illustrations that WOW! and enhance the story.

October 18, 2025: In our Meet the Publishers workshop, Kade Dishmon, Assistant Editor, Holiday House, and Madison Pelletier, Editorial Director, Mayhem Books and Mischief Books, will share the history and mission of their publishing houses and what they are acquiring. They will answer questions about the publishing process, securing a book contract, writing a strong proposal, navigating submissions to publishers, and the current state of publishing. Attendees will receive submission guidelines and can view the recording for thirty days.

October 19, 2025 (registration closes October 18): What does pacing really mean? What does it mean for a picture book to be “snappy”? And how does plot function in picture books, anyway? In this jam-packed session, we’ll take a dive into a mentor text, examining character, plot, design, and other elements that make up a well-done narrative picture book. Sylvie Frank, Senior Executive Editor at Flamingo Books (Penguin Young Readers), will take us through our “paces” with well-seasoned insights and examples. You’ll come away with advice and strategies from a top children’s book editor—plus a picture book dummy (or maybe a stack of them!).

November 1, 2025: From book dummy query letter to the final product on the shelf, what exactly happens?! And what are the best tactics to use for that submission? Tracy Shaw, Art Director at Little Brown Books for Young Readers, will take you through each step starting with how best to submit your picture book dummy, through what to expect when your book is in the hands of a publisher. You’ll learn about what you’re involved in as well as what you’re not, and what to do after the ink has dried.

November 3, 2025 (registration closes October 30): Creating a picture-book-dummy is the first step toward publishing a book that could have a profound impact on a child’s life. Picture-book-dummies are reviewed in-house by professional editors and art directors who have deep experience with the craft of constructing books. Don’t let your heartfelt storytelling and art be upstaged by novice typography and book design. In this talk we’ll go deep, but not too deep. After all, you’re aiming to become published, not to become a professional book designer. Instead, a carefully curated selection of just-right best-practices and pro-tips have been packaged specifically with author/illustrators in mind. Learn to make your picture-book-dummies shine!

November 3, 2025 (registration closes November 2): For young readers, the jump from reading picture books alongside caregivers to reading middle-grade books on their own can be a huge leap. This is a vital time in childhood development, but since the pandemic, we’ve seen kids struggling more and more with making this transition and reading for fun independently. Thankfully, there are many different kinds of books that can help bridge this gap—including beginning readers, chapter books, longer-form picture books, and even early reader graphic novels. In this presentation, we’ll talk about the transition readers make from picture books to middle grade stories, the different kinds of books for this age group, and how writers can craft stories for that stick with kids and help to turn them into life-long readers. A limited number of critiques are also available at an additional cost.

November 8-9, 2025 (registration closes November 7): This November, we’re kicking off a first-ever 24-hour New York kidlit creation marathon to get us ready for SCBWI's Winter Conference! Join kidlit writers and illustrators on Zoom to work on your any of your ideas with support, prompts, check-ins, from RT Volunteer hosts and other kidlit creators. Share your progress and maybe even create a little social media buzz! So please join us, it is open to all!

November 8, 2025: Natascha Morris, Senior Agent with Tobias Literary Agency, will share her professional advice and experience on the art of developing compelling Pitches and using them to create opportunities for getting a second look from Agents, Editors and Readers. Season Ticket Holders will receive a link to submit a pitch for the speaker to possibly use during their presentation.

November 9, 2025: Penny Weber, who has illustrated more than 100 books, will teach you how to model for your own reference material—for photos and videos shot also by you! She'll also share some of her favorite PhotoShop brushes she uses to create her watercolor-like illustrations. Plus, she will critique up to fifteen submissions. The webinar is $15 for premium members, and an additional $55 for adding a critique. The deadlines to register for a critique and turn in submission material are Oct. 31. It’s encouraged to register early for the webinar and a critique at the same time.

November 11, 2025: Join prolific picture book author Valerie Bolling to learn how your stories can benefit from having multiple layers to attract the attention of agents and editors.

November 13, 2025 (registration closes November 12): Picture books and middle-grade novels will always be beloved mainstays in the world of children’s literature. Yet it’s exciting to see the new categories that have arisen in order to bridge the gap between these two genres. From early readers and chapter books—to a wide range of illustrated and paneled graphic novels—there’s more of a selection now than ever for any level and interest, especially for those kids who might not be so inclined to crack a spine. Rachel Orr of Prospect Agency will trace the journeys of several projects from her author and illustrator clients that have landed in this space—some intentionally, but many serendipitously. She’ll also provide some tips for forging one’s own way into this new frontier. A limited number of critiques are also available at an additional cost.

November 13, 2025 (registration closes November 12): If you've ever thought about attending an artist or writer's residency to focus on your craft, but don't know where to start - or are overwhelmed with all the options available - this webinar is for you! Fine artist and illustrator (and Kansas/Missouri Illustrator Coordinator) Lindsey Dunnagan will shine a light into this world for you. She will go over how to find and apply to these residencies, how to prepare your materials, whether it's worth it to pay for a residency, and more! This event will take place over Zoom on Thursday, November 13th from 6-7 pm and will be recorded. FREE for members/ $5 non-members

November 13, 2025: Author, storyteller, and librarian Susan Metallo will share the history of creating stories and the science of how stories affect the human brain, using that information to nail down what makes our work meaningful and important. From there, we'll explore how we can apply those principles when choosing the stories we tell. Participants will leave this webinar armed with exercises for finding the "emotional truth" of their projects and a research-based elevator speech for explaining the value of their work. This webinar will be recorded and available to registered attendees for 30 days following the event.

November 15, 2025: Instead of facing the fear of a blank page, discover how textures and spontaneous marks can guide you toward characters and stories! Transform a blotch of ink, a bold crayon stroke, or a hesitant line made with the “wrong” hand into images that will become a narrative. You will leave the session with a unique mini-book—an improvised story born from spontaneity, chance, and the dialogue between drawing and writing. Join author-illustrator Natali de Mello, for this two-hour Digging Even Deeper workshop.

December 6, 2025: 2025 Debut Children's Literature Authors and Illustrators Share Their Different Experiences.

December 7, 2025: Virtual Only Chapter Meeting Season Ticket pays for all chapter meetings September 2025 through April 2026 and discounts on other chapter events (EX: Mentorships and Intensives). Those who purchase a Season Ticket between Sep.-Dec. will receive recordings of the meetings they missed.

February 21, 2026: Join us for an editor's perspective on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in writing for children. The 2026 San Diego Region DEI Grant recipients will be announced.

February 28, 2026: Agent Hillary Fazzari will be sharing hands-on editing strategies to polish First Chapters that hook agents, editors and readers, using examples of projects she personally represented and First Page submissions from attendees. You will also get an agents overview of the parameters and importance of a well-written synopsis when submitting novels – which more agent and editor submission guidelines are now requesting.

March 14, 2026: It’s an exciting time when you’ve finished a publishing project and are ready to query! But if you’re feeling a little lost on where to get started, we’ve got you covered. Literary agent and author, Sandra Proudman, will dive into the parts of a query letter + samples, her top ten tips for writing a standout query, the best ways to utilize and come up with comparative titles, and more in this 80-minute panel. There will be ample time for Q&A, so bring your questions and be ready to talk all about queries!

March 24, 2026 (registration closes March 23): What is a "revise & resubmit" request, and what do you do when you get one from an agent or editor? This path to publication is more common than you might think, but it doesn't always look the same. This webinar will take creators through the ins and outs of R&Rs from all angles—why an author might do one, what risks might occur, how an editor thinks about them, and what the ultimate outcome might look like. You'll be prepared for any scenario involving an R&R! A limited number of PB & MG critiques available at an additional cost.