Pennsylvania: East Regional events
Serious about improving your craft? SCBWI's regional events provide opportunities for professional growth and help you connect with a supportive, creative community.
Illustrator Day & PB Author Day—LIVE! in Lancaster 2025
Sep 27, 2025
3 event
Available seats 24
Lancaster Public Library: Lancaster City Branch
Join us live in Lancaster for a full day of learning for illustrators and picture book writers! This in-person event will feature a track for illustrators and a track for picture book writers with presentations and critique opportunities from industry professionals.
Workshop: Plot Meets Character with editor Kate Prosswimmer
Oct 09, 2025
1 event
Online event
Unlimited seats
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Discover the key to plotting and revising a cohesive, satisfying novel through the intersection of plot structure and character development. In this interactive workshop, you’ll be introduced to a variety of storytelling structure tools from the basic three act structure to the more complex Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. Each storytelling guide will be applied to Star Wars: A New Hope to see how guides overlap and intersect with each other, and attendees will have the chance to experiment with applying these tools to their own work during the workshop portion of the presentation. A limited number of PB, MG & YA CRITIQUES available at an additional cost.
Webinar: Editor Says—Chapter Book & Early Graphic Novels with editor Emily Daluga
Nov 03, 2025
1 event
Online event
Unlimited seats
THE SPACE BETWEEN PICTURE BOOKS AND MIDDLE GRADE: 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
Webinar: Agent Says—Chapter Book & Early Graphic Novels with literary agent Rachel Orr
Nov 13, 2025
1 event
Online event
Unlimited seats
NEW FRONTIERS: EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SPACE BETWEEN PICTURE BOOKS AND MIDDLE GRADE NOVELS: 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.
Eastern PA Webinar: Arting When Able—What to Do When You Can't Be Creative
Jan 05, 2026
1 event
Online event
Unlimited seats
Webinar description: You've probably heard the advice to write every day. While this approach works for some of us, it can be actively harmful to others, creating a culture of shame if we don't live up to expectations. Eric Bell is a disabled writer who's found an alternate approach: doing as much as he can when he's able, and being kind to himself when he isn't. Eric will talk about his "Five Things" method: five broad categories of tasks he tries to do at least three of us every day, as a means of being kind to his limitations.
Eastern PA Critiques with author Eric Bell
Feb 10, 2026
1 event
Available seats 15
Join us for the FREE webinar Arting When Able—What to Do When You Can't Be Creative on Monday, January 5th with author Eric Bell. Then, add-on a PB, MG, YA, or a Query Letter critique. Spots are limited and are available at an additional cost.
Eastern PA Webinar: Querying From Both Sides of the Trenches
Feb 12, 2026
1 event
Online event
Unlimited seats
SUBMISSION SHINE 2026 PARTICIPANTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED FOR THIS EVENT!! Webinar Description: Literary agent Monica Rodriguez started her publishing career as a querying writer, this webinar examines lessons learned from both sides of the query aisle as an agent and an author. From one side, this class will help you get your manuscript ready to query, and how to track your submissions as you head into the query trenches. From the other side of the aisle, you'll get insights from an agent on how the querying process looks for them and what agents are looking for when they're reading your submission. There will be a Q&A afterwards. A limited number of Illustration Portfolio, PB, CB, MG, YA, & GN CRITIQUES available at an additional cost.
Eastern PA Online Critique Intensive: Submission Shine 2026
Feb 19, 2026 - Feb 21, 2026
5 event
Online event
Available seats 23
Event Description: So, you have a handful of manuscripts or illustration styles ready to query. Which one should you lead with? Is your other work strong enough to hook an agent if they request to see more? And what will an agent think about the variety of work you bring? Whether you have multiple submission-ready picture book manuscripts, write across age categories, have a variety of illustration pieces and illustrated works, or a combination of all of the above, Submission Shine is an opportunity to talk with one agent about four submission-ready works AND your writing/illustrating career as a whole. Plus, a webinar to help you prepare as you begin querying AND additional feedback from a peer critique group of other Submission Shine participants.