17 Wednesday Dec 2025
Posted in Toot Your Horn!
Tags
authors, fiction, illustrators, MG, middle grade, mystery, picture book, published, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI members, Spiritual, YA
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!
03 Wednesday Dec 2025
Tags
author-illustrator, authors, awards, Comic Arts LA, Hachette Book Group, illustrators, middle grade, PAL, Picture Book Creators Conference, published, SCBWI Annual Winter Conference, SCBWI Art Day, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, SCBWI Virtual Winter Conference, scholarship, volunteer, workshop, young adult
OPEN NOW
Register today for the annual SCBWI 2026 Winter Conference in New York City! This weekend-long event runs from Friday, January 16, 2026, to Sunday, January 18, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. Folks who register for the in-person conference will also get a $20 discount on the Virtual Winter Conference! The cost to attend does not include accommodations. For more information on booking your room, click the link here. “Special rates of $269 per night (plus tax) are available for attendees on single and double rooms. A limited number of rooms are available at this rate up until December 26, 2025.”
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If you can’t make it to New York City for the in-person conference, click here to register for the SCBWI 2026 Virtual Winter Conference! From Friday, February 6, 2026, to Saturday, February 7, 2026, “join us online for exclusive industry panels, hands-on sessions focused on the craft of writing and illustrating children’s books, plus valuable networking with fellow creators. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills, gain insider knowledge, or connect with other talented authors and illustrators, this event is for you! If you can’t make it to the live sessions, video replays will be available to view through March 15th.” Early bird rates are available through December 21, 2025, so don’t miss out on this special deal!
29 Wednesday Oct 2025
Tags
author-illustrator, authors, awards, Charlotte and Wilbur Award for Compassion for Animals, Children's Literature Council of Southern California, CLCSC, Comic Arts LA, grants, Great News!, Highlights Foundation, ILF Encouragement Fund, illustrators, middle grade, OC Book Fair, PAL, published, SCBWI Amber Brown Grant, SCBWI Annual Winter Conference, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI Independently Published Pre-publication Grant, SCBWI members, SCBWI Russell Freedman Award, SCBWI Spark Award, The Author's Guild, Toot Your Horn!, volunteer, Walter Awards, We Need Diverse Books, Working Writer's Retreat, workshop, young adult
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.
22 Wednesday Oct 2025
Posted in Contests & Grants, Illustrators Day, SoCal, Tri-Regional News, Writers Days
Tags
authors, Brett Duquette, Brian LaRossa, contest winners, illustrators, Marie Chan, middle grade, picture book, publishing, Rebecca Sherman, Robert Mellette, Robin Preiss Glasser, Sally Kim, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, Tina Athaide, YA
by Beverly Plass, SCBWI SoCal Regional Advisor
Our Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day at Cal State Fullerton and online was a huge success. Attendees got to hear a day full of inspiring speakers, enter writing contests and a portfolio contest, sign up for pitches and written critiques, get live feedback during First Pages, display published books, buy books from author and illustrator presenters, and participate in our daylong icebreaker bingo game.
Continue reading01 Wednesday Oct 2025
Tags
author-illustrator, authors, awards, Charlotte and Wilbur Award for Compassion for Animals, Comic Arts LA, Enchanted Realms Book Festival, Fall Harvest, grants, Highlights Foundation, ILF Encouragement Fund, illustrators, middle grade, PAL, published, Rare Books LA, SCBWI Amber Brown Grant, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, SCBWI Russell Freedman Award, The Author's Guild, volunteer, Walter Awards, We Need Diverse Books, Working Writer's Retreat, workshop, young adult
OPEN NOW
Register now for the annual SCBWI Los Angeles Working Writers Retreat 2025! 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. Registration closes on October 12, 2025, at noon!
17 Wednesday Sep 2025
Posted in Toot Your Horn!
Tags
board book, Fantasy Adventure, historical fiction, interactive, MG, middle grade, mystery, nonfiction, nonfiction picture book, picture book, picture book biography, published, publishing, SCBWI community, YA, young adult
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!
03 Wednesday Sep 2025
Tags
author-illustrator, authors, CenCal Writer's Day, Enchanted Realms Book Festival, Fall Harvest, Fall Into Books Fest, illustrators, Los Angeles Kids Book Festival, Los Angeles Libros Festival, middle grade, National Centre for Writing, Nikkei Children's Book Festival, PAL, published, Rare Books LA, Reedsy, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, scholarship, volunteer, Working Writer's Retreat, workshop, Writer's Digest, young adult
OPEN NOW
Register for the annual SCBWI Los Angeles Working Writers Retreat 2025 today! 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 on-site and remote faculty members: Editor Adam Blackman, Assistant Literary Agent Analía Cabello, Editor Matt Phipps, and Agent Moe Ferrara. Registration spots to stay on-site or commute are very limited so sign up now to avoid disappointment. We hope to see you there!
OPEN NOW
Registration for SCBWI CenCal’s 2025 Writers & Illustrators Day – CATCHING THE CREATIVE WAVE is still open! Join us at the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Auditorium in Camarillo on Saturday, September 20, 2025, for a wonderful opportunity to connect with writers, illustrators, and agents! This two-day event will take place in-person on Day 1 and will feature an optional online Pitchfest over Zoom on Day 2. To learn more about what’s in store, click the link here.
OPEN NOW
Grab your spot for the SCBWI SoCal 2025 Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day! We have a wonderful lineup of speaker presentations, critiques, pitches, and opportunities to mingle with fellow creatives! This hybrid event will be held on October 4, 2025, at the California State University Fullerton, Titan Student Union, AND via Zoom. Attendees will have access to the videos for 30 days following the event.
30 Wednesday Jul 2025
Tags
author-illustrator, authors, CenCal Writer's Day, Enchanted Realms Book Festival, Fall Harvest, illustrators, Los Angeles Kids Book Festival, middle grade, National Centre for Writing, PAL, published, Rare Books LA, Reedsy, SCBWI Annual Summer Conference, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, scholarship, volunteer, workshop, Writer's Digest, young adult
OPEN NOW
The SCBWI Virtual Summer Conference 2025 starts tomorrow! From July 31, 2025, to August 3, 2025, “dive into every aspect of the children’s book world, from writing and illustrating to translating, marketing, and self-publishing.” Attendees will have access to all 50+ sessions up until September 14, 2025. Click here to see the conference schedule and invest in your passion today!
OPEN NOW
Registration for SCBWI CenCal’s 2025 Writers & Illustrators Day – CATCHING THE CREATIVE WAVE is now open! On Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District Auditorium, 1605 E. Burnley St. in Camarillo, attendees will have a wonderful opportunity to connect with writers, illustrators, and agents. The day will be filled with prizes, photo opportunities, a writing contest, and a catered lunch. To learn more about what’s in store, click the link here.
OPEN NOW
Save your seat for the SCBWI SoCal 2025 Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day! “Writers and illustrators are invited to a full day of speaker presentations, written critiques, pitches and mingling with fellow creatives!” This hybrid event will be held on October 4, 2025, at California State University Fullerton, Titan Student Union, AND via Zoom. Attendees will have access to the videos for 30 days following the event and receive submission guidelines from all our faculty.
02 Wednesday Jul 2025
Tags
Aram Kim, author-illustrator, authors, Beyond the Brush, Fall Harvest, illustrators, Kait Feldmann, Los Angeles Kids Book Festival, middle grade, PAL, Penguin Random House, portfolio reviews, published, SCBWI Annual Summer Conference, SCBWI community, SCBWI events, SCBWI members, UCLA Extension, UCLAxOpen, volunteer, We Need Diverse Books, workshop, young adult
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!
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!
11 Wednesday Jun 2025
Tags
Julia Edwards, mentorship, Mentorship Award, MG, middle grade, novel, Sherry Shahan, writing, Writing awards
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.
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