12 Wednesday Nov 2025
Posted in Los Angeles, Tri-Regional News, Writers Retreat
Tags
Adam Blackman, Analía Cabello, craft, Events, Jennifer Rofé, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, working writers retreat, writing
by Judy Y Faulkner
It was Halloween. Many of us came in costume. We all bared our souls. We tendered—and tended—our words. Ate, played, and laughed together. This year’s SCBWI-Los Angeles Working Writers Retreat took place from October 31–November 2, and it was a sweet treat.
05 Wednesday Nov 2025
Posted in Ask an Editor, Tips and Tools
Tags
#AskanEditor, author, authors, books, business, Christine Van Zandt, community, critiques, editor, Events, publishing
“Ask an Editor” is a forum wherein SCBWI members submit questions that are answered quarterly as part of our Kite Tales blog.
Hi Christine – I landed a critique from my dream agent at an upcoming writer’s event. I send in the manuscript ahead of time, then have a Zoom with them. Should I submit my best picture book manuscript or one that I’m struggling with?
– Paula, the Valley
Hello Paula – I’m always happy to hear that people are signing up for critique opportunities. How you proceed depends somewhat on your personality. Are you a planner or a pantser (e.g., you like to fly by the seat of the pants)? Pantsers tend to send in whatever story in whatever condition, figuring any feedback is good, and they’re willing to see where that submission takes them.
However, if you’re more of a planner, then consider the following information.
Continue reading06 Wednesday Aug 2025
Posted in Ask an Editor, Tips and Tools
Tags
#AskanEditor, Amanda Davis, author, authors, books, business, Christine Van Zandt, community, editor, Events, Jocelyn Rish, Keila V. Dawson, marketing, Micky O'Brady, Moni Ritchie Hadley, publicity, publishing, R.S. Mellette, Tina Athaide, Tracy Gold, websites
“Ask an Editor” is a forum wherein SCBWI members submit questions that are answered quarterly as part of our Kite Tales blog.
Hi Christine – I’m selling my book for the first time at an event. What tips can you share? I’m looking for things that have worked well for sales and that were cost-effective.
– Ellie, Pasadena
Hello Ellie – You’ll have fun! That’s one of the great things about being a kidlit author.
Authors who have been there and done that share their tips:
Continue reading09 Wednesday Jul 2025
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 reading07 Wednesday May 2025
Posted in Industry Conferences, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal, Tri-Regional News
Tags
Ann Suk Wang, Annelouise Mahoney, authors, Book Festivals, Dan McCauley, Events, Glenda Galvan-Garcia, illustrators, Janie Emaus, Jennifer S. Pitts, Joy Hwang Ruiz, Judy Campbell-Smith, Kimberly Tso, Kobina Commeh, Kumiko Yamada-Yuge, LATFoB, Lauren Gallegos, Lori Polydoros, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Molly Ruttan, PAL, PAL events, R.S. Mellette, Sasha Mayer, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, W.R. Miller, writers
by Jennifer S. Pitts
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Though originally a tribute to the ancient Persian royal couriers, this enduring phrase also perfectly captures the spirit of SCBWI’s LA and SoCal PAL members, who braved unpredictable weather to complete their own “appointed rounds” at the 2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
Continue reading11 Friday Apr 2025
Posted in Industry Conferences, Los Angeles, PAL, SoCal, Tri-Regional News
Tags
authors, Book Festivals, Events, illustrators, LATFoB, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, PAL, PAL events, writers
Friday Special Edition
Join SCBWI at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books!
PAL authors and illustrators from the LA and SoCal regions will be appearing and signing their books in the famed Booth #826. Here’s the weekend schedule of Signing Authors and Illustrators to help you make your plans:
Continue reading22 Wednesday Jan 2025
Posted in Community Corner
Tags
art, Denver Art Museum, Events, exhibition, exhibitions, Illustration, Maurice Sendak, Nina Snyder
by Nina Snyder
Those lucky enough to have seen the traveling exhibition Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles this past summer know it’s a show worth seeking out. There’s still a chance to take it in, with a plane hop to Denver. Or hop online to view the virtual events and extras—one happening live this week, most available through the show’s run—created for this new iteration. Rocky Mountain SCBWI member Nina Snyder provides details.
Continue reading25 Wednesday Sep 2024
Posted in Tri-Regional News
by Judy Y Faulkner
On a good day, there was an Ode to a Bad Day. On a dry day, there was a conversation about The Smell of Wet Dog. On a hot day, there was a lifeline of hydration provided by the free and heavily subscribed cans of Liquid Death (aka canned water). Of course there was an SCBWI SoCal booth, where authors and illustrators from the SoCal and LA regions gathered, chatted with kids and their families, and signed books throughout the day. And there were SCBWI members everywhere: strolling the grounds; giving readings at the Children’s Book World and Book Soup booths, and at the Story Time tent; and providing information on AAPI topics under the tent adjacent to the event organizers. There were baby carriages and dogs, sun hats and sandals, drums beaten, guitars plucked, and voices singing. There were stories shared—of Volcanoes and The Quiet Forest, of monkeyshines by a Monkey King and the World of Myths, and adventurous journeys Bye Land, Bye Sea. There was Ice Cream Everywhere, Ramen for Everyone, even Latkes for Santa Claus. There was a reminder that Mooncakes Mean Family. All that, and there was plenty more still to be discovered in the stacks of freshly signed books heading for good homes. If you weren’t at the Los Angeles Kids Book Festival this year, plan to come next year. Whatever the weather, this event is hot!
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.
Photo of Three Authors and an Admirer by Eliana Offsay; other event photos by Judy Y Faulkner; event graphic by the Los Angeles Kids Book Festival
04 Wednesday Sep 2024
Tags
authors, banned books week, Book Festivals, Book Fests, CenCal Writer's Day, Events, Fall Harvest, grants, illustrators, Los Angeles Kids Book Festival, mentorship, OC Children's Book Festival, publishing, Rare Books LA, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI Impact & Legacy Fund, SCBWI members, We Need Diverse Books, Working Writer's Retreat, Writers & Illustrators Day
OPEN NOW
Registration for the popular SCBWI Los Angeles Working Writers Retreat is now open! Join fellow writers from September 27–29, 2024, at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino “for a weekend of immersive writing, critique, revision and camaraderie.” This annual retreat will have plenty of quiet work spaces, social evenings, and even group critique sessions led by four publishing industry professionals! Spots are filling up very quickly!
31 Wednesday Jul 2024
Tags
authors, Book Festivals, Book Fests, CenCal Writer's Day, Events, Fall Harvest, grants, illustrators, Los Angeles Kids Book Festival, OC Children's Book Festival, publishing, Rare Books LA, SCBWI Annual Summer Conference, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI Impact & Legacy Fund, SCBWI members, Working Writer's Retreat, Writers & Illustrators Day
OPEN NOW
Registration is open! Learn about craft and book publishing, connect with professionals in the industry, and mingle with creative people at the SCBWI SoCal Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day! This full-day conference will take place in-person at the California State University Fullerton Titan Student Union OR online, on Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and will include agents, an art director, local authors, and an illustrator. There will be critiques, portfolio reviews, pitches, and contests. Click here to register!
OPEN NOW
Join SCBWI in celebrating World Kid Lit Month in September by submitting your book recommendations now! The Official SCBWI Blog is hosting a month-long celebration of “children’s and YA literature from around the world,” and your short book reviews are invited. There will be four blog posts, each focusing on a different continent: the Americas, Africa, Asia & Oceania, and Europe. For more information, click the link here. All submissions should be emailed to World Kit Lit (worldkidlit@gmail.com).
ONGOING
Submit your book now for the SCBWI Impact & Legacy Fund (ILF) Russell Freedman Award or apply for a grant from The ILF Encouragement Fund! No SCBWI membership is required. However, you must be traditionally published. Submissions will close on September 15, 2024.
ONGOING
Sign up for the SCBWI CenCal’s 2024 Writers and Illustrators Day! Regular pricing registration for SCBWI members is $137 and will remain open until all seats are filled. 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.
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