Category Archives: Industry Conferences

Treasure Chest: July 2024

03 Wednesday Jul 2024

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Illustrators Day, Industry Conferences, SCBWI Summer Conference, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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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.

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Treasure Chest: March 2024

06 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Industry Conferences, Los Angeles, SoCal, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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

Burst into creative bloom this Saturday at Bud to Blossom. How to Grow Stories and Nurture Creative Inspiration, the in-person SCBWI-Los Angeles 2024 Writers Day conference being held at the Skirball Cultural Center on March 9, 2024. An all-star faculty—including speakers Deborah Halverson, Henry Lien, Ariel Richardson, Liz Garton Scanlon, and Karol Ruth Silverstein—will nourish your creative spirit and encourage your stories to sprout and grow. Enjoy keynotes, breakouts, an afternoon book signing, and a patio lunch by the famous lily pond. Event schedule and faculty profiles here. Online registration is now closed. Walk-ins welcome (cash or check only).

March 9 is the date for the 2024 SCBWI-Los Angeles Writers Day.
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Treasure Chest: February 2024

07 Wednesday Feb 2024

Posted by in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Industry Conferences, Los Angeles, SoCal, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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

Tri-Region Members: Last call! Remember to share your Great News and Toot Your Horn! announcements no later than Friday, February 9, 2024, to appear in this month’s columns. All items submitted after February 9 will run next quarter. 

The C. Harrington Scholarship is accepting applications through February 17, 2024. Established in memory of Claudia Harrington—mentor, author, SCBWI-L.A. regional advisor, and friend—the scholarship awards one SCBWI-L.A. member free tuition to either the LA Region Writers Day (see March 9, below) or an Illustrator event of the current year, and includes a free editor critique or portfolio review. Claudia was the recipient of the Sue Alexander Service Award in 2015. Read more about Claudia and this special scholarship here.

SCBWI-Los Angeles members may apply for the scholarship honoring the memory of volunteer, mentor, and author Claudia Harrington.
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Treasure Chest: January 2024

03 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Central Coast, Contests & Grants, Industry Conferences, Los Angeles, SoCal, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

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

Event registration opening soon! From Bud to Blossom: How to Grow Stories and Nurture Creative Inspiration. Join SCBWI Los Angeles for the in-person “Bud to Blossom” Writers Day Conference, March 9, 2024, at the Skirball Cultural Center. An amazing faculty will nourish your creative spirit and encourage your stories to sprout and grow. Already have a flourishing manuscript? Then add an Agent Pitch to your event day! Enter the manuscript contest (see below) for a chance to win a free event plus a free 10-page manuscript review. Come meet fellow SCBWI Los Angeles and Tri-Region members and enjoy a delicious al fresco lunch beside the famous lily pond. See you there! 

*Deadline extended!* Submissions are open now, and January 28, 2024, is the new deadline to enter your work into the SCBWI-L.A. Writers Day Contest. If you plan to attend the March 9, 2024, event (see Save the Date above), you can enter the contest now for the opportunity to receive a free written critique from a member of the event faculty PLUS free tuition to next year’s Writers Day (or equivalent event). The contest is open to all who register for Writers Day, and there’s no additional fee to enter. To quote Vincent X. Kirsch, one of last year’s contest winners, “You can do this!”

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CenCal SCBWI Members Win CLA’s Beatty Award

21 Wednesday Jun 2023

Posted by in Central Coast, Industry Conferences, Industry News, Tri-Regional News

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by Mark H. Parsons

Wendelin Van Draanen (left) and Lisa Kerr (right) at the 2023 CLA Awards in Sacramento.

The California Library Association awarded this year’s prestigious John and Patricia Beatty Awards (“The Beatty”) to two CenCal SCBWI members.

Founded in 1989, the Beatty annually honors the creator of “a distinguished book for children or young adults that best promotes an awareness of California and its people.” The winners are selected by a committee of children’s librarians from throughout California.

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SCBWI Serves Up A Slice of Literary Camaraderie at Booth #826

10 Wednesday May 2023

Posted by in Industry Conferences, Industry News, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal

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by Annelouise Mahoney

Saturday morning booth exhibitors (l-r) Glenda Armand, R.S. Mellette, Annelouise Mahoney, and Janie Emaus get a thumbs-up from SCBWI-L.A. volunteer Jennifer Pitts (r) as they all prepare to greet festival-goers.

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is an annual tradition of literary wonder. It’s the Coachella of book festivals, the largest in the country.

This year, as they do each year, the SCBWI Los Angeles chapter extended an invitation for its PAL members to sell and sign their books at a festival booth. SCBWI SoCal joined the L.A. chapter at the festival for the first time ever, sharing Booth #826. PAL members of the two regions who signed up could choose a two or three-hour time slot for either Saturday or Sunday of the event.

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Down On The Corner At The L.A. Times Festival of Books

14 Friday Apr 2023

Posted by in Industry Conferences, Industry News, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal

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by R.S. Mellette

The L.A. Times Festival of Books is back in person—and as in prior years, friendly SCBWI members will be there to welcome you to the event.

Like James Brown said, it’s time to “Get up offa that thing.”

If you are reading this, chances are you are an SCBWI member, quite possibly in Southern California. That means you’re interested enough in writing and/or illustrating books that you’re willing to pay dues, go to mingles, take workshops, and generally give of your time and money to improve your craft. On Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, you will have that opportunity at the largest book festival in the country, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

Much of this event is FREE, and SCBWI will be there to make you feel welcome.

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Always Go to the Workshops

15 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by in Author's Perspective, Industry Conferences, Los Angeles, PAL, Tips and Tools

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by R.S. Mellette

Warm-up for the workshop’s “hawt” writing tips includes homemade cookies and hot coffee.

Before attending Henry Lien’s Creative Toolbox Workshop in January, I wasn’t much of a workshop person. I’ve got a theatre (with an “re”) degree. I’ve studied all the great playwrights from the inside out—meaning I’ve played their characters, and there is no better teacher about what works and what doesn’t than a live audience. I have written screenplays. I’ve won awards for TV and film. I have books published with glowing reviews. I have earned my snobbish attitude!

But I’ve also been locked inside for two years, like the rest of us, so any chance to see another person face-to-face is a joy these days. Also, I know Henry. Author of the Peasprout Chen middle grade fantasy/adventure series, he sat on a panel I put together for L.A. Comic Con. He’s a really nice guy, so I should go wave the flag of the SCBWI-L.A. board, right?

Fine. I went.

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Your 2020 Guide to Book Festivals, Conventions, and SCBWI Events

15 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by in Industry Conferences, Industry News, Writers Days

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Need a creative pick me up? How about a new avenue for book promotion? Or maybe you just need some quality time with like-minded writers and illustrators working on their craft. SCBWI has you covered on the craft of kidlit and our region’s list of local book festivals and conventions is sure to broaden your creative perspectives!

SCBWI Sponsored Events for 2020

MARCH 28
Writers Day
Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
WritersDay_Panel_2019
Dive into craft and “Discover the Words Worth Keeping” with a full day of keynotes, critiques and agent pitch sessions. A special pre-event intensive with Harold Underdown will also give a new perspective on approaching revision to polish your work in progress. Contests, manuscript reviews and scholarships will also be available. Need more insight? Read author Charlotte Offsay’s recap of last year here.

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What Are Kids Reading? Here’s What They Wish We’d Write

15 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by in Industry Conferences, Tips and Tools

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by R. S. Mellette

LA Comic Con 19On the last morning of the 2019 Los Angeles Comic Con, Sarah Parker-Lee saved the day. She handed out fliers to every kid in sight, begging them to attend our panel, “What Are Kids Reading? What Do You Wish We’d Write?”

Out of fifty or so invited, four kids showed up, along with a handful of adults. A fifth kid had to come because she was a friend of Andrea J. Loney, who was on the panel. The idea was, we authors would switch places with kids in the audience, to make them the panelist. If no kids showed up, I didn’t have a B-plan – so hats off to Sarah!

Once we had the bright, talkative, reading, kids on the panel, everyone knew we had to share their thoughts with Kite Tales readers. So, what are kids reading? What do they wish we’d write? Continue reading →