Regional virtual events

October 12, 2026: Whether it’s a classic whodunit or a new spine-chilling tale, kids can’t get enough of horror and mystery stories! Even though many young readers are struggling with reading right now, these two genres remain some of the most popular categories in middle grade. They continue to sell year after year and are getting more critical acclaim in awards and reviews. Kids are clamoring for their next great read—and publishers are eager to help them find it! In this presentation, we’ll discuss recent killer trends, investigate how to craft a satisfying story, and crack the case on how to help your project stand out in the market!

October 13, 2026: As an MFA Playwright, Amy Fellner Dominy learned how to write smooth and natural dialogue for the stage. Those same writing principles can help writers avoid many of the common pitfalls of dialogue and create dialogue that will come to life on the page. Amy will break down the elements of dialogue and present actionable tips for attendees to improve their scenes. This webinar will be recorded and available to registered attendees for 30 days following the event.

October 13, 2026: NARRATIVIZE YOUR NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK: HARNESSING THE TOOLS OF FICTION TO WRITE INFORMATIONAL TEXTS THAT SHINE. In this one-hour workshop with award-winning picture book author Leslie Barnard Booth, learn how to elevate your nonfiction manuscripts by thinking like a fiction writer. Analyze mentor texts to see how techniques and structures from the other side of the literary aisle can bring nonfiction to life for young readers. Consider the role of character, tension, and plot in informational and nonfiction mentor texts, then try an exercise designed to bring the propulsiveness of fiction to your nonfiction manuscript and strengthen its narrative arc.

October 14, 2026: There are a variety of ways to frame a picture book. Prolific picture book author Tammi Sauer will discuss many of these structures (classic, how-to, reversal, etc.), provide examples of books that have used these structures successfully, and share tips for utilizing these structures in our own writing. This is a free event, but registration is required. This event is made possible by a grant from SCBWI and the Authors Coalition of America.

October 14, 2026: Hear Amy discuss how the UK's annual Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) helped her find an agent, get published and be part of a thriving YA writing community. There will also be a writing exercise and audience Q&A.

October 15, 2026: Author and homeschooler Desira B. Stewart will teach us how to build authentic and mutually beneficial relationships with the diverse and growing homeschooling community.

Registration closes October 16, 2026: Karina Granda, Art Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will give 7 written portfolio critiques. On November 14, each illustrator will have 15 minutes to discuss their artwork and written critique one-on-one with Karina during the two-hour virtual roundtable event. It's a great opportunity to present 10 - 12 pieces of your artwork to an industry professional for feedback. Portfolio Deadline: October 22, 2026 / Roundtable: November 14, 2026

October 17, 2026: Have you been told your book is “too quiet” or “needs more arc”? Do you have a vignette or mood-piece that wants to become a whole story? In this webinar with Melissa Manlove, Executive Editor at Sourcebooks, we’ll look at how these rich beginnings can turn into extraordinary connections with your reader--and whether your ‘rollercoaster’ leaves your readers’ hearts pounding…or just makes them pleasantly dizzy, we’ll explore how you can end up with a ride that is worth the price of admission!

October 17, 2026: This program uses storytelling as a pathway to reimagine writing through an Indigenous-centered lens. Participants will write, reflect, and connect their own paths, building creative practices rooted in balance and wellbeing. Together, the workshop fosters meaningful change for individuals and communities. Attendees will engage in story mapping, narrative reframing, reflective storytelling, and guided creative writing exercises that encourage them to examine inherited narratives, explore lived experiences, and develop their authentic voice. This process supports participants in cultivating a writing practice rooted in balance, well-being, cultural identity, and relationality, empowering them to create stories that inspire personal transformation while contributing to stronger, more connected communities.

October 19, 2026 (registration closes October 12): Based in the London office of the Creative Artists Agency, Agent Rachel Mann represents a broad range of work – including young adult, and middle-grade markets. She gravitates towards darkly comic and formally inventive works. She seeks compelling voices, unpatronizing writing, and vivid, complex characters. International settings and traditions and radical social commentary will always capture her attention. Rachel will provide feedback on 8 query letters submitted in advance.

October 19, 2026: Whether you're writing picture books, middle grade, or young adult fiction, creating a story with series potential requires a careful balance. The first book needs to feel complete and satisfying on its own, while also leaving room for readers, editors, and publishers to imagine what might come next. In this presentation, agent Estelle Laure (Folio Jr.) will take a practical look at today's publishing landscape. What do agents and editors mean when they say they're looking for "series potential"? How can writers position themselves to take advantage of opportunities without sacrificing the integrity of the story in front of them? And how do you avoid making the common mistake of spending all your energy setting up future books at the expense of the first one? Whether you're dreaming of a long-running series or just want to keep your options open, you'll leave with a deeper understanding of the publishing landscape and a bit of inspiration for developing stories, characters, and concepts that have room to grow while still delivering a compelling, marketable first book.

October 19, 2026: ‘Tis the season for…creepy books! Join fellow writers and illustrators in a discussion of "The Dark" written by Lemony Snicket and illustrated by Jon Klassen (HarperCollins 2013) and "Nice to Eat You" written by Karen Yin and illustrated by Carolina Caroa (Scholastic 2026). How do picture book creators manage unsettling scenarios, creepy phenomenon, and unnerving events? How do picture books strike the right balance between an exciting frisson of fear versus the genuinely disturbing? What’s the “creepy spectrum” for picture books? Hosted by Jennifer Harris, an English professor at the University of Waterloo, and a picture book author.

October 21, 2026: Success in publishing isn't just about finding the right opportunity. It's about becoming someone people remember, trust, and genuinely want to champion. In this practical webinar, Sara Grintz, President of GIFT∙OLOGY, shares a proven relationship strategy for building a career through intentional generosity, meaningful follow-up, and authentic connection…not awkward, exhausting networking.

October 22, 2026: Join Tita Berredo to discover new ways of showcasing your work! Find out how to make yourself memorable in a way that suits your style. It's not about being loud, but being seen as a creator.

October 24, 2026 (registration closes October 22): Take Two! Developing a Cinematic Eye for Illustrators with Sheli Petersen. You’ve got a great manuscript and character studies—now what? In this workshop, we’ll put you in the director’s chair by covering the basics in staging your character. Develop a map of your character’s world to envision “camera” angles and framing that can best convey your visual narrative. Bring a sketchbook and a fresh cinematic eye! Learning Outcomes: Basic understanding of mapping to envision the character’s world; Basic understanding of framing a scene through the cinematic model; Basic understanding of point-of-view through linear perspective.

October 27, 2026: WRITING AN ENGAGING MYSTERY: ATMOSPHERE, TENSION, PACING AND PREMISE - An engaging mystery successfully melds together a creepy or foreboding atmosphere, swift pacing, mounting tension to an exciting conclusion, and a killer premise. Join us as literary agent Christa Heschke provides tips on making sure your premise stands out. She’ll address how to add surprising twists to keep your reader in suspense as they eagerly turn pages, and how to create a captivating cast of characters. **Many tips can apply to any genre!** Christa will offer a limited number of paid written critiques and will be open to submissions by attendees. Offered by SCBWI Nebraska as part of their Creative Connections series.

October 28, 2026: Are you afraid of using photo references in your illustration practice for fear that it's "cheating"? Or the opposite: are you too reliant on them, and unable to use your imagination to draw? This webinar is for you then - as well as for everyone else in-between! Meredith Lucius, illustrator of six children's books, will show us how she uses art and photo references to guide her illustration practice. You'll learn how to use references in a way that doesn't feel like cheating and that inspires to create something new, rather than rigidly adhering to your reference. Participants will also get to practice on several photo references of children under Meredith's guidance. This webinar will be recorded and available for 30 days afterwards. $10 members/ $20 non-members

October 29, 2026: From building characters readers want to revisit to creating worlds with room to grow, editor Carina Licon (Henry Holt) will discuss the qualities editors look for when evaluating series potential in middle grade and young adult novels, with a brief look at what works for picture book series as well. Whether you're drafting book one of a planned series or wondering if your manuscript has sequel potential, this session will offer an inside look at how editors think about series in today's children's publishing market.

Registration closes October 31, 2026: Celebrate World Kidlit Month with eight dynamic, 20-minute presentations during this multi-region collaborative event. From picture book basics to querying, portfolios and publishing paths, each session includes time for questions, so you can connect, learn, and move your work forward. Join us all month long for this fast-paced, inspiring series created for writers and illustrators ready to grow their careers. Recordings available until October 31. Presented by the Inland Northwest, Los Angeles, Midsouth, Southwest Texas, Nebraska, Illinois, and Wisconsin Regions. This series is made possible by a grant from SCBWI and the Authors Coalition of America.

November 3, 2026: WORLD BUILDING - Join us as the Skyborn series author, Jessica Khoury, shares six practical principles on how to incorporate, strengthen, and perfect worldbuilding on the scene, page, and even sentence level (which she calls "Micro-worldbuilding"). Whether you are writing an epic fantasy or a contemporary tale, these simple yet highly effective techniques will help you transform your settings from dull, flat backdrops to dynamic, unforgettable locations that will resonate with your readers! Offered by SCBWI Nebraska as part of their Creative Connections series.

November 5, 2026: "When I first started thinking about writing for children I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't have the first clue about the industry, how it worked or what was expected. I just had a passion for writing and liked the idea of getting a book published. I now have around 80 published titles, a further 10 in production, and have worked with many of the big UK publishing houses. In this session I'll tell you how I got my first deal and how I've grown my career over the past 26 years, while demystifying the industry to help you move forward in your own career."

November 6-8, 2026: Join us in Albuquerque—Friday night at Books on the Bosque and Saturday at CNM Workforce Training Center—for an enriching, community-building conference celebrating children's literature and its creators. Follow up with an online Handsprings Pitch Party Sunday afternoon.

November 7, 2026: Join the Austin SCBWI chapter for SIX hours of online learning focused on marketing, visibility, and growing your career! Learn from published authors and industry experts as they share practical strategies for using Pinterest and Facebook Groups, creating an effective website, building confidence in public speaking, and networking with purpose.

November 8, 2026: Calling all illustrators! Curious what art directors are looking for in a portfolio geared toward the children's publishing industry? Join us as Tracy Shaw, art director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR), shares advice on best practices for organizing/curating your portfolio. Apply learned techniques to your portfolio, and assess the effectiveness of those changes by signing up for an optional 15-minute virtual portfolio review. Portfolio reviews participants are invited to a Virtual Happy Hour to debrief with other attendees and build community. The webinar will be on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at 1pm CST. Portfolio Reviews will be on Sunday, December 13, starting at 1pm CST.

November 11, 2026: Join us at 11am London time as popular creator Beatrice talks us through writing and illustrating books, high-quality self-publishing, marketing and building an audience, organising school events, and creating additional products around her characters.

November 11, 2026: Janet Bruins, founder and publisher of Picnic Heist Publishing, will share what a small press may be looking for in nonfiction and take participants behind the scenes of how Picnic Heist develops its nonfiction titles. Explore how to identify a book’s genuine “value added”—not simply why its topic is important, but what this particular book contributes that existing titles do not. Participants will learn how to research relevant organizations and subject-matter experts and approach experts to help vet their stories. This webinar will be recorded for registrants. Submission opportunities available for registrants. Optional critiques are available for an additional cost.

November 14, 2026: Style is what an illustrator is recognized by, but how do you find yours? How do you know if your style is something publishers want to use? What if you have multiple styles? How do you wrangle them into a marketable portfolio? In this workshop, Christie Megill, literary agent with The CAT Agency, will lead bewildered illustrators to clarity through a live feedback session on submitted artwork. Illustrators seeking to hone their illustration style will be asked to create three illustrations of the same scene/subject using three different styles and/or media, based on provided subject/action prompts and technique/style suggestions; or, they may choose their own. The illustration-submission option is for Premium SCBWI Members only, and limited to 20 entries on a first-come-first-served basis. However, everyone is invited to register for the virtual Illustration Style Lab, to learn what works and what may not fly with art directors in today's market.

November 14, 2026: Join us for a walk through of what goes into Scholastic’s graphic novel files and the best practices for setting them up for print. This will go over book templates, using the correct color space, layering files and grouping layers, best practices for lettering, and a walk through the final process of adjusting color and optimizing files for print.

November 14, 2026: Join us for a full day of keynotes and classes with professional faculty, as well as our wonderful PALs assisting with teaching. There will be opportunities for professional critiques, submission opportunities, an illustrators showcase, purchasing of members' books, and of course, mingling with your regional team and fellow members. Don't Miss This!

November 14, 2026: Meet The Editors: Frankie DeGiorgio, Assistant Editor, Scholastic, and Olivia Haase, Associate Editorial Coordinator of Children’s & YA Publishing, Sourcebooks, and Claire Tattersfield, Associate Editor, Viking Children’s Books. Get an inside look at the world of children’s publishing. They’ll introduce their publishing houses and the lines they acquire. They’ll also highlight favorite past and current projects and reveal their wish lists for future projects. There will be time at the end for a Q&A, and attendees will receive submissions guidelines following the meeting.

November 14-15, 2026: This event will run continuously for 24 hours. You can create a new project, revise an existing project, work on a dummy, or design your next portfolio piece. There will be guided prompts, accountability, check-ins, and the amazing kidlit community to support you.

November 19, 2026: Early readers are deceptively simple. They need to be achievable for a new reader to decode … but not at the expense of the story! In this hour-long webinar, author Kiah Thomas will talk you through the process of creating the Lone Wolf series, look at the structure of early readers (what works and what doesn’t), and give tips and tricks for writing early readers that kids remember. *This event is made possible by a grant from SCBWI and the Authors Coalition of America.

November 30, 2026: Join Costa Award winning author Jasbinder Bilan and discover more about her publication journey from the beginning to the present day. What does a typical day look like? Why are school visits and events a crucial part of being a children’s author? With eleven books under her belt in seven years, she will talk about her early inspirations, how she creates the magical worlds of her novels and why middle grade is her natural home.

The SCBWI San Diego Virtual Chapter Meeting Season Ticket pays for all chapter meetings through April 2027 and provides discounts on other chapter events. Tickets available through December 12, 2026.

December 8, 2026: Alice McGinty has spent the last 12 years successfully supporting herself as a writer through her writing camp (https://wordsonfirecamp.wordpress.com/), school visits, presentations, educational writing, book sales, writing coaching, tutoring, online writing workshops, and book reviews. While everyone’s journey and goals vary, in this presentation McGinty will cover techniques everyone can apply. These include: bread and butter (generating income you can count on); trajectory (setting a path); setting a minimum wage; thinking of yourself as a business person (setting financial and business goals, self presentation); and reaching (marketing, generating new ideas, growing as a writer). This webinar will be recorded and available for 30 days following the event.

Application period ends December 15, 2027: We welcome mentees from all regions to join our program! Our six-month program runs from January 10 - July 11, 2027. Once you pay the nonrefundable application fee of $15 you will be provided with the link to the application form. You may list your mentor preferences and a writing or illustration sample is needed to evaluate your placement. You must be a member or preview user of SCBWI to qualify and must apply by December 15, 2026 to be considered. If selected, our six-month program costs $575 for members, $650 for nonmembers, which is due by January 9th, 2027. You will be working one-on-one with your mentor online. Goals and objectives will be established during your first meeting.

December 19, 2026: 2026 Debut Children's Literature Authors and Illustrators from the SCBWI Global Community share lessons they learned on the path to publication.

January 16, 2027: In FABULOUS FIRST PAGES, Rachel Orr from Prospect Agency will take a look at what makes a strong, enticing beginning in picture books and novels, using examples from classic texts, her own clients’ work and manuscripts from San Diego SCBWI Season Ticket Holders. She’ll give tips for how to catch an agent’s eye in those opening lines, and warn against common pitfalls you’ll want to avoid. If time allows, Rachel will offer thoughts on how best to wrap-up a manuscript as well. Don’t miss it!

February 6, 2027: Children’s books help shape how young readers see themselves, understand others, and make sense of the world. As authors and illustrators, we can create stories that help children feel seen while introducing them to experiences and perspectives different from their own. Allyship means listening to voices and communities that have historically been underrepresented, challenging stereotypes, seeking authentic perspectives, and supporting a broader range of creators and stories. It also means recognizing that we don’t have to share someone’s experience to care about it or stand beside them. As readers, we can practice allyship by seeking out diverse books, recommending them, and supporting authors and illustrators who bring these perspectives to young readers. Together, we can help create a children’s publishing community where more voices are heard and more experiences are represented.

April 4, 2027: In this workshop senior literary agent Adria Goetz delves into how to incorporate humor into books for young readers. The instructor will examine successful humor-driven books, decode the secret to their success, and identify specific techniques you can use in your own work. Humor is a fantastic entry point into reading, particularly for kids who are intimidated by books, so the instructor takes silly books very seriously.