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

Check out more resources at the end of the post!

OPEN NOW
Registration for the annual SCBWI 2026 Winter Conference in New York City is officially open! This weekend-long event runs from Friday, January 16, 2026, to Sunday, January 18, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. Join us for a weekend full of industry panels, consultations, breakout sessions, and publishing house tours! Sign up now to get early bird discounts! The cost to attend does not include accommodations. For more information on booking your room, click the link here.

OCTOBER 31–NOVEMBER 2
Registration for the annual SCBWI Los Angeles Working Writers Retreat 2025 is now closed. This space-limited event will take place from Friday, October 31, 2025, to Sunday, November 2, 2025, at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino, CA. Throughout the weekend, there will be opportunities to learn from our faculty members: Editor Adam Blackman, Assistant Literary Agent Analía Cabello, Editor Matt Phipps, and Agent Moe Ferrara. For those who are attending, we hope you have a wonderful and productive weekend!

OCTOBER 31
Apply for the SCBWI Amber Brown Grant today! “The Amber Brown Grant was created to honor the late, beloved author Paula Danziger, whose Amber Brown series has inspired readers for decades.” This grant awards one school with “an in-person visit from a published children’s book author-illustrator” and “$250 worth of books donated to your school library.” Applications can be submitted through the SCBWI MY AWARDS tab on your MEMBER HOME or through the link here. Submissions are open through October 31, 2025.

NOVEMBER 1
Sign up now to attend the 2025 Children’s Literature Council of Southern California Awards Ceremony! The ceremony will take place Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Brand Studios in Glendale, CA. Attendees will have a chance “to see acceptance speeches from the award winners, get books signed by those in attendance, and connect with others in our Southern California book loving community.” Buy your ticket here today!

NOVEMBER 1
Submissions for the SCBWI Russell Freedman Award will be closing soon on November 1, 2025. “The Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World [is] given to a work of nonfiction that contributes to our understanding of how to make our world and society better.” Any traditionally published nonfiction book for children or young adults, released in 2025, is eligible. “You do not have to be a member of SCBWI to submit.” For submission guidelines, click the link here.

NOVEMBER 15
Submissions for the Walter Awards will be accepted until November 15, 2025! “The Walter Dean Myers Awards celebrates and honors diverse books by diverse creators.” One book is awarded for teen readers age 13–18 and one book is awarded for young readers age 9–13. Click the link here for more information about eligibility, submission guidelines, and shipping information.

NOVEMBER 15
The ILF Encouragement Fund will be accepting submissions up until November 15, 2025. “The Encouragement Fund offers three no-strings attached yearly grants of $2,000 each to three children’s book authors, artists or translators who have traditionally published at least one book.” This year, the fund will be focusing on humor books: chapter books, middle grade, and YA. “No picture books this time around.” Click here for more information.

NOVEMBER 15
Pick up a book or two and meet some of your favorite local authors at the OC Book Fair in Old Town Tustin, CA! “Browse through booths featuring different genres in literature, find unique gifts for your bookworm bestie and treat yourself to something wonderful while supporting local, independently owned businesses!”

NOVEMBER 19
Kite Tales: A Blog Published for the SCBWI Tri-Regions of Southern California is open for news! If you have something professionally noteworthy to share for our “Great News” column or would like to talk about a recent book that has been published on “Toot Your Horn,” let us know at the link here by November 19, 2025. You must be a member of SCBWI CenCal, Los Angeles, or SoCal to submit.

NOVEMBER 30
The SCBWI Spark Award will be accepting submissions during the month of November! “The Spark Award is an annual award that recognizes excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route.” You must be a current SCBWI member to apply.

NOVEMBER 30
Submit your application for the SCBWI Independently Published Pre-publication Grant by November 30, 2025! You must be a current SCBWI member when the form opens on November 1, 2025 and when the award is announced. The grant winner will be provided $2,500 to help offset the cost of self-publishing.

DECEMBER 1
Submissions for the Charlotte and Wilbur Award for Compassion for Animals close on December 1, 2025. The award honors “one winning book and one honor book for their dedication to promoting compassion and respect for animals in their readers.” The winning book will receive a prize of $2,500. Click the link here for submission guidelines.

DECEMBER 13–14
Comic Arts LA comes to the Homenetmen Ararat North Campus on December 13–14, 2025! “Comic Arts LA (CALA) is a free, public event promoting the appreciation of comics, graphic novels, and sequential arts among the broader Los Angeles public.” Come on out and support local creators!

CHECK OUT THESE RESOURCES!

The Highlights Foundation Blog & Podcast page offers a plethora of free, educational resources to help you on your journey to become published! From picture books to chapter books to even the business of publishing, their blog truly covers it all!

The Authors Guild Resource Library is a wonderful tool to “help you in every stage of your professional writing career, from comprehensive guides breaking down complex legal topics to event recordings exploring every area of the writing business.” Check it out at the link here.

SCBWI-LA wants YOU to join our fabulous team of volunteers! Please email losangeles@scbwi.org to ask about applying for any opportunities. Click the link here to learn more about the SCBWI-LA team and scroll to the bottom of the page to see what positions are currently open. You must be an SCBWI member residing within the Los Angeles Region to be an SCBWI-LA volunteer.

---

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.