Additional Offerings

SCBWI WI offers additional options to either dive more deeply into a topic or receive personal advice.

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First Pages Feedback

First Pages gives you the opportunity to meet with an editor from a publishing house and receive feedback on your manuscript.

  • Submit the first 10 pages of a chapter book or the entire manuscript of a picture book.
  • Submit your manuscript to Kathy Groth at [email protected] by August 23, 2026. 
  • You will be assigned an editor based on the genre and audience of your manuscript.
  • The roundtable discussion will occur at 9:45 - 10:45 AM on Saturday, October 10.
  • Cost: $55

Manuscript Contest

Guidelines and schedule for contest

  • Select and pay for the manuscript contest add on
  • Submit an attachment in MS Word of your original PB full manuscript, the first five pages of a MG, and/or the first five pages to [email protected] by August 23 using the following format.
  • Click here for Manuscript format requirements
  • Cost: $30
  • Prize: $50 Barnes and Noble gift card


Portfolio Review

This is your chance to receive feedback by experts in the Art/Illustration field. You will be assigned a reviewer. Submit your digital portfolio to (person) by (date). The session will be at 9:45 AM on Saturday, October 10. Cost: $55

Portfolio Showcase

Show off your art portfolio to conference attendees, including fellow illustrators. Setup will be from 1:00 - 4:00 on Thursday, October 8. Prize: Cost: $30.


Intensives

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Story Within Story: Using Nested Narrative to Dance with the Manuscript with Marie-Laure Couët at 1:15

This intensive is open to illustrators, authors, and translators. Participants will explore what it means to create story within story using the words on the page and our personal experiences. Illustrators will learn to read between the lines to identify concepts that are worth fleshing out visually to complement the verbal narrative. Authors will learn how to leave "crumbs" to feed the creativity of their illustrator partners. Illustrator Marie-Laure Couët will apply her experience in brand design to show how crossing over disciplines can help us explore narrative in new ways, to distill and champion the essence of a story. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 1:15 - 4:15 Max: 20 Participants Cost: $90

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PUBLISH: Earn Enough to Pay Yourself a Salary with Darcy Pattison at 1:15

Can you do what you love and still earn a living? It's hard. But it's possible. Learn the world of self-publishing and its potential for a lucrative career with Darcy Pattison. Learn to choose story topics, develop a brand and followers, and optimize your storytelling and your income. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 1:15 - 4:15 Max: 20 Participants Cost: $90

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Wake Up Your Writing with Poetic Elements with Irene Latham at 1:15

Feeling blah about your writing? Wondering what you can do to create a more vivid and emotional experience for the reader? In this intensive presented by Irene Latham, we'll explore poetic techniques such as imagery, metaphor, and rhythm. We'll play with verbs and symbols. We'll look to poems to show us how poetry's music of words, economy of expression, and precision of language has the power to elevate any story to “art.” Attendees will come away reinvigorated and armed with new ways to create and improve all kinds of writing. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 1:15 - 4:15 Max: 20 participants Cost: $90

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Telling It True: Writing True Stories for Today's Kids with Kirsten Larson at 9:00

Do you have a fascinating true story you're dying to share with young readers? Whether you're drawn to biographies, STEM books, or even magazine articles, this intensive masterclass will give you the essential tools to craft compelling nonfiction that kids can't put down. Based on award-winning author Kirsten W. Larson's comprehensive guide Telling It True, you’ll learn how to transform facts into page-turning stories, conduct efficient research, and structure your work so young readers stay hooked from beginning to end. Materials Needed: Bring a current work-in-progress or story idea you're excited to develop, plus your laptop or notebook for hands-on exercises. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 9:00 - 12:00 Max: 20 Participants Cost: $90

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Writing a Graphic Novel for the First Time with Teresa Ho Robeson at 9:00

Graphic novels are hot! Many publishers now have their own graphic novel lines. Not only do many kids (and adults) gravitate to GNs because they’re a mesmerizing art form, but they have helped numerous reluctant readers enjoy reading, or kids with reading difficulties learn how to read. You don’t have to be an author-illustrator to create them either; editors will look at scripts from writers-only. This session, offered by Teresa Ho Robeson, will get you started with a concise intro that will enable you to draft your first script. Date: Friday, October 9 Time: 9:00 - 12:00 Max: 20 Participants Cost: $90