Chapter Meeting Dates and Speakers
Sept 19, 2026, 2-4 p.m. (PT) How To Hook An Agent: Fishing For The Perfect Match, with Paige Terlip, Agent and Co-Founder, Starling Literary + Media. For more info and to register click here.
October 17, 2026, 2-4 p.m. (PT) How to Build a Rollercoaster: Creating an Emotional Arc That Moves Your Story with Melissa Manlove, Executive Editor at Sourcebooks. For more info and to register click here.
November 14, 2026, 2-4 p.m. (PT) Meet the Editors Featuring Editors from Scholastic, Sourcebooks, and Viking. For more info and to register click here.
December 19, 2026, 2-4 p.m. (PT) Lessons Learned on the Path to Publication. For more info and to register click here.
January 16, 2027, 2-4 p.m. (PT) - Fabulous First Pages with Agent Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. For more info and to register click here.
February 6, 2027 2-4 PM (PT Stories for Everyone: Allyship for Authors and Illustrators. For more info and to register click here.
No Chapter Meeting In March - SCBWI International Winter Conference
April 3, 2027, 2-4 p.m. (PT) - Laugh Out Loud: Writing Humor for Kids for PB, MG, and YA Authors & Illustrators with Adria Goetz, Senior Literary Agent and Illustration Coordinator at KT Literary. For more info and to register click here.
All meetings will be virtual.
We will send a Constant Contact email with the Zoom access link to attendees on the Thursday before the event. The Zoom access link will also be displayed on each member's homepage under "My Events."
All meetings will be recorded, and all registered attendees (Season Ticket or Individual Purchase) will receive the link to the recording, which will be available for 30 days after the event. On the Tuesday after the event, we will send a Constant Contact email with the recording link and any applicable submission guidelines.
Individual Chapter meeting cost: $10 for SCBWI members, $25 for nonmembers.
We will send a Constant Contact email with the Zoom access link to attendees on the Thursday before the event. The Zoom access link will also be displayed on each member's homepage under "My Events." On the Tuesday after the event, we will send a Constant Contact email with the recording link and any applicable submission guidelines.
Times subject to change.
2:00-2:20 p.m. Announcements and Member News
2:20-3:30 p.m. Craft Talk by Guest Speaker
3:30-4:00 p.m. Questions
Season Ticket
A San Diego SCBWI Season Ticket Provides:
- Automatic free registration to all chapter meetings
- Access to chapter meeting recordings
- Discounted pricing for intensives, workshops, and the MayFest conference when you use the provided discount coupon for each special event (if the provided discount coupons don't work for you, it is up to you to notify the ARA)
- Extra submissions opportunities--submit your first page to Rachel Orr and your humor excerpts to Adria Goetz and they might choose your submissions as positive examples in their presentations
- One complimentary black and white and one color headshot for season ticket holders who purchase by September 30, 2026 from photographer Alberto Lau
Price: $60 for SCBWI Members, and $115 for Non-Members.
Registration for season tickets is now open and will remain open through December 20, 2026. Those who purchase a Season Ticket between Aug.-Dec. will receive recordings of the meetings they missed.
To register for a season ticket, click here.
Additional Events
Intensives
Picture Book Intensive – Nov 7, 2026, 9:00 a.m. - Noon. TBA
$40 for SCBWI Members and $50 for Non-Members
Author Intensive – March 27, 9:00 a.m. - Noon: 1 Hour Q&A and then a Virtual Pitch Roundtable with Editors Alison Romig and Alma Gomez Martinez and Agents Michaela Whatnall and Vicky Weber. For more info and to register click here.
Price:
Q&A: $10 for SCBWI members, $25 for nonmembers.
Pitches: $20 for SCBWI members and $35 for non-members for each pitch session (you may sign up for two pitches, one in the first session and one in the second)
Any Intensive SAME-DAY Registrations will not receive the Zoom link to attend live, but you will receive the recording link on the following Tuesday.
Mentorships
Illustrator Mentorship with Maria T. Middleton. Registration Opens Sept 26 4:00 p.m. (PT) For more information and to register, click here.
Author Mentorship Registration Opens Sept 27, 2026, 4:00 p.m. (PT) for San Diego Home Region Premium Members and if mentorship spots are still available, Non-San Diego Home Region Premium members may register on Sept 29. - Mentor for PB authors Zoie Konneker and Mentor for MG/YA authors is Kade Dishmon. For more information and to register, click here.
Writing for Children 101 With RAE Patricia Morris Buckley
This online class takes you from idea to a polished manuscript and covers plotting, dialogue and characters, as well as finding an agent or publisher. Also included are critiques of students' work.
Cost is $60 for members, $90 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, click here.
MayFest 2027 Virtual Conference May 8, 2027 – More Info to Follow
SAN DIEGO REGION REFUND POLICY
Chapter Meetings, MayFest, and Intensives--refunds will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Any refund will be minus Stripe fees and any other expenses. No refunds one month before the event, because all events are being recorded and available for viewing for 30 days after the event.
Critiques and Mentorships--no refunds because the payment is already promised to the faculty.
NO REFUNDS will be offered for Season Tickets because the meeting recordings are available to attendees for thirty days.