Texas: Austin Regional events

AUGUST MONTHLY MEETING: Building Book Dummies: Lessons from the Maurice Sendak Fellowship

Join Keiko Hayner as she shares her experience as a Maurice Sendak Fellow and how the fellowship shaped her approach to storytelling and picture book creation. She'll also offer a behind-the-scenes look at her process for developing strong book dummies, with practical insights on pacing, page turns, and visual storytelling. Whether you're creating your first dummy or refining your next project, you'll leave inspired and ready to get back to work.

WEBINAR: Pitch Perfect with Agent, Jackie Kruzie

Come and enjoy a relaxed, guided workshop to help you craft and polish your pitch with agent Jackie Kruzie. You’ll find out how a pitch is different from a query letter and what it should and shouldn’t include. You’ll also learn what to expect at the conference during your pitch session with an industry professional. Opportunities to have your pitch workshopped LIVE with instructor.

WEBINAR: Portfolio Mastery with Author-Illustrator, Anoosha Syed

Are you participating in a portfolio showcase? Want to understand what goes into a good portfolio? Spend an evening with the talented illustrator, Anoosha Syed, as she walks you through a perfect portfolio.

SOCIAL: End-of-Summer Mixer

Celebrate the end of summer with fellow writers and illustrators over games, good food, drinks, and plenty of laughs before conference season begins.

2026 Austin SCBWI Annual Children's Book Conference

OCTOBER MONTHLY MEETING: Deaf author's journey

In this presentation, deaf author Karlie Waldrip shares her journey of discovering her voice on the page and in the world. She reflects on how writing her own identity has shaped her stories and strengthened her connection to young readers. Through personal experience, she highlights why diverse representation in kidlit is not just meaningful but necessary. Attendees will leave inspired to champion stories that let every child see themselves and imagine beyond.

BOOTCAMP: Next-Level Marketing - Choose Your Adventure

Join the Austin SCBWI chapter for six hours of online learning focused on marketing, visibility, and growing your creative 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.

2026 Texas Book Fest Signing & Volunteering

Sign up opens Oct 14th!