SCBWI SoCal Fall Harvest 2025 Offers Opportunities for Writers and Illustrators

16 Wednesday Jul 2025

Posted by in Illustrators Day, SoCal, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by Beverly Plass, RA SCBWI SoCal

When: Oct. 4, 2025
Where: Cal State Fullerton, Titan Student Union and virtual

Join us for a full day of speaker presentations, critiques, pitches, and mingling with fellow creatives!

Continue reading →

Go “Beyond the Brush” at SCBWI-L.A. Illustrators Day with Kait Feldmann

09 Wednesday Jul 2025

Posted by in Agent's Perspective, Illustrators Day, Los Angeles, Tips and Tools, Tri-Regional News

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Agent Kait Feldmann brings a PB and GN feast to Illustrators Day

Dive into visual storytelling for the modern picture book market with agent Kait Feldmann!

Kait Feldmann is an agent with KT Literary and was previously an editor with HarperCollins and Scholastic, overseeing an award-winning editorial list. Join us as she brings more than decade of experience and her unique perspective on kidlit art to SCBWI-L.A.’s Illustrators Day at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino, CA, on July 13, 2025, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Continue reading →

Treasure Chest: July 2025

02 Wednesday Jul 2025

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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
Be sure to grab your spot for the SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference 2025! “Put your art in front of industry pros in the career-launching Portfolio Showcase and get inspired by sessions tailored for” everyone at this four-day-long event! Folks who register will have access to all 50+ sessions up until September 14, 2025. Click here to see the conference schedule and register today!

Illustration by Liz Brizzi

OPEN NOW
Registration for the SCBWI SoCal 2025 Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day is now open! “Writers and illustrators are invited to a full day of speaker presentations, written critiques, pitches and mingling with fellow creatives! We’ll have agents, an editor, an art director, published authors and an illustrator.” This hybrid event will be held on October 4, 2025, at California State University Fullerton, Titan Student Union, AND via Zoom. Click here to get more information and sign up today!

Illustration by Farnaz Nadim

Continue reading →

SCBWI CenCal Writers and Illustrators Day 2025

25 Wednesday Jun 2025

Posted by in Central Coast, Tri-Regional News, Writers' Retreat

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by Ann Rousseau Smith, SCBWI CenCal News Liaison

Join us for Writers and Illustrators Day 2025!

CATCH THE CREATIVE WAVE will be Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Auditorium, 1605 E. Burnley Street in Camarillo (same as last year). Lunch is provided. In addition to our speakers and first pages panel, we’ll be offering written critiques, writing contests, prizes, and a chance to mingle with other writers and illustrators. There will be an optional pitchfest the following day on Sunday, September 21, 2025, online.

Continue reading →

TATE Turns One: A First Anniversary Debut Book Interview with Jenny Turnbull

18 Wednesday Jun 2025

Posted by in Author's Perspective, SoCal Voices

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

by Kelly Pellico

Kelly Pellico: Jenny, welcome to Kite Tales and congratulations on the one-year anniversary of your debut picture book, Tate’s Wild Rescue!

Jenny Turnbull: Thank you, Kelly. It’s exciting to be here celebrating Tate‘s first book birthday!

KP: What was the initial spark for this story?

JT: Tate’s story is rooted in my lifelong love of animals and feeling wild animals are happiest free in the wild where they can thrive, while companion animals deserve the love and comforts of home. Commitment to our furry family members, and animal welfare, has always been so important to me. 

Continue reading →

Announcing the 2025 SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship Contest Winner!

11 Wednesday Jun 2025

Posted by in Contests & Grants, Los Angeles, Mentorship Contest, Tri-Regional News

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

In March, we invited writers to apply for a six-month mentorship with one of our Published and Listed members, and we received a record number of entries! This year’s mentor, Sherry Shahan, joins us to announce the winner and discuss her selection process.

by Sherry Shahan

What a pleasure to spend time with this year’s mentee submissions, written by accomplished playwrights and actors, teachers, artists, music lovers, well-published poets, and other creators. While genres and approaches differed, each writer presented realistic characters with heartfelt desires. Their unique personalities shined through. Stepping into their characters’ worlds at the beginning of their transformations was a remarkable, emotional experience.

Continue reading →

Treasure Chest: June 2025

04 Wednesday Jun 2025

Posted by in Contests & Grants, PAL, SCBWI Summer Conference, Treasure Chest, Tri-Regional News

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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
Vote now for your favorite books from each of the 15 Crystal Kite divisions for the 2025 SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards! The Crystal Kite Awards are a “peer-given award to recognize great books published in 2024 from fifteen SCBWI regional divisions around the world.” The first round of voting will last until June 16, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (UTC-7). The second round of voting starts June 17, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. and ends June 30, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (UTC-7).

OPEN NOW
Registration for the SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference 2025 is now open! “Dive into every aspect of the children’s book world, from writing and illustrating and translating, marketing, and self-publishing” at this four-day-long event! Folks who register will have access to all 50+ sessions up until September 14, 2025. SCBWI members who sign up prior to June 25, 2025, will receive an early bird rate of $175. Nonmembers who sign up before June 25, 2025, will receive an early bird rate of $275. Click here to register today!

Illustration by Liz Brizzi

Continue reading →

Toot Your Horn!

28 Wednesday May 2025

Posted by in Toot Your Horn!

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

SCBWI members’ publishing news is something to celebrate here at  Kite Tales!  Check out whose book is coming to a platform near you or around the world. Horn-tooting and digital high fives welcome in the comments!

Continue reading →

Great News

21 Wednesday May 2025

Posted by in Great News!

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

SCBWI loves celebrating our members’ successes and noteworthy news, and there are many! Read on to find out who’s got something to shout about. Digital high-fives welcome in the comments!

Continue reading →

Ask an Editor: When to Announce?

14 Wednesday May 2025

Posted by in Ask an Editor, Tips and Tools

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

“Ask an Editor” is a forum wherein SCBWI members submit questions that are answered quarterly as part of our Kite Tales blog.

Hi Christine – My book deal has been announced on Publisher’s Weekly but I don’t have an ISBN, exact publication date, or a cover image yet. When should I announce it myself?

– Carrie, Los Angeles

Hello Carrie – Congratulations! It’s exciting seeing the PW announcement—now the world knows! You don’t need to wait for an ISBN or the book cover. In fact, even if you have the book cover, you can use that at a later date as a “book-cover reveal” announcement.

Continue reading →