Events, Opportunities, and Resources happening now and coming soon for the
Tri-Regions and beyond

ONGOING
There are lots of opportunities for PAL and self-published SCBWI members in the coming months! Snag one of the few remaining slots at the SCBWI’s Orange County Book Fair booth. The event takes place in Old Town Tustin on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Register here.

The Los Angeles Kids Book Festival has limited seats available for published SCBWI members and will take place in West Hollywood Park on Sunday, September 8, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information about registering, click here.

Additionally, if you are a published SoCal member and would like to be put on the waitlist for the SoCal booth at September’s Orange County Children’s Book Festival, email Bev Plass at: SoCal-RA@scbwi.org.

ONGOING
Registration for the Virtual Summer Conference is still open! The online event will take place from August 1–August 4. Registration is $195 for premium members and $295 for non-members. There will be 50 jam-packed sessions to choose from on the topic of craft and the business of children’s book creation. Every attendee will have access to all content sessions for up to one month after the conference.

JULY 1
Early bird registration for the SCBWI CenCal’s 2024 Writers and Illustrators Day is now open! This year’s theme is “Connecting the Creative Dots,” and the event will be held in-person at the Camarillo Community Center on Saturday, September 21, 2024. There will be an additional “optional online Pitchfest via Zoom” on Sunday, September 22, 2024.

JULY 13
The Orange County Book Fair takes place Saturday, July 13, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Old Town Tustin on El Camino Real between Main Street and Second Street. This free event will feature author panels, workshops, roundtables, food trucks, the farmer’s market, a living library, as well as indie bookstores from all across Orange County in a “one day extravaganza!”

JULY 31
Applications for the Walter Dean Myers Grant program, organized via We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), will close on July 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. “The Walter Dean Myers Grant program was established to provide grants of $2,000 each to promising diverse writers and illustrators who are currently published.” Applicants must be unpublished, both trade publishing and self-publishing, and “identify as diverse, as per WNDB’s definition of diversity.”

SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 8
Swing by the Los Angeles Kids Book Festival in West Hollywood Park on Sunday, September 8, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. “The festival offers a rich array of activities suitable for children of all ages, including live book readings by celebrated authors, interactive storytelling sessions, musical performances, and various arts and crafts activities.” SCBWI members will have an opportunity to register for a spot at the SCBWI booth to sell and sign books. Spots are limited. For more information, please email Bev Plass at SoCal-RA@scbwi.org.

SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 22
The annual Orange County Children’s Book Festival will take place at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Sunday, September 22, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This free event will feature professional storytellers, family-friendly entertainment, food trucks, and more!

SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 5
“Learn about craft and book publishing, connect with professionals in the industry and connect with other SCBWI members” at the Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day! This annual event will take place both over Zoom and in-person on Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the California State University Fullerton Titan Student Union.

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For more fantastic content, community, events, and other professional development opportunities, become a member today! Not sure if there is a chapter in your area? Check here.