This KidLit Events listing focuses on webinars, courses, and conferences that are accessible for a majority of people. Most are online, but I have included larger in-person events. I update this list continually, so please let me know if I am missing or incorrect information.
THE KIDLIT WEEKLY: You can now receive weekly KidLit events in your Inbox
every Thursday morning for the following week.
You can find now and sign up for The KidLit Weekly on Substack!
JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC
DESCRIPTION OF EVENT CATEGORIES
Webinar: a single session class online
* Cities noted refer to location of in-person events.
Workshop: one-to-two session intensive
Online Course: multiple-session class online
Online Program: longer-term or ongoing programs
Conference: multiple courses within a single event
Hybrid Event: in-person event with an online option
Contest: submission opportunity where winner(s) are selected
Pitch Event: opportunity to pitch projects to editors/agents
Challenge: timed event set to accomplish a certain project(s)
Blog Event: special blog series that run for a short period of time
DECEMBER 2025
(28) ROCK YOUR WRITING GOALS
Webinar: Good Story Company
JANUARY 2026
(1-31) STORYSTORM
Online Event: Tara Lazar
(5) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(6) CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING I
Online Course: Gotham Writers
(6) PICTURE BOOKS with Emily Keyes
Online Course: Inked Voices
(6) ADVANCED PICTURE BOOKS with Sean McCarthy
Online Course: Inked Voices
(6) MIDDLE GRADE with Catherine Laudone
Online Course: Inked Voices
(6-14) CREATING FICTION THAT IS BOTH TIMELY AND TIMELESS
Worskshop: Inked Voices
(7) PICTURE BOOKS (FICTION) with Daniela Villegas-Valle
Online Course: Inked Voices
(7) PICTURE BOOKS (NONFICTION) with Kirsten Larson
Online Course: Inked Voices
(8) JANUARY KICK-OFF
FREE Webinar: Writing and Illustrating for Kids
(9) 12X12 OPENS FOR MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION
Online Event: 12X12 Challenge
(11) CRAFT CLASS: NOVEL IN VERSE
Workshop: Inked Voices
(11) MG & YA NOVEL IN VERSE with Julie Bliven
Online Course: Inked Voices
(12-17) THE STORYTELLERS SUMMIT
Online Conference: The Storytellers Shelf Podcast
(13) PICTURE BOOK ALCHEMY: THE ART OF BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
Webinar: SCBWI Maryland-Delaware-West Virginia
(13) DIVING INTO YOUR NOVEL
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(13) PB RISING STARS ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Online Event: PB Rising Stars
(13) PICTURE BOOKS (R&R) with Carina Licon
Online Course: Inked Voices
(13) PICTURE BOOKS with Elizabeth Lazowski
Online Course: Inked Voices
(14) CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING I
Online Course: Gotham Writers
(14) CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING II
Online Course: Gotham Writers
(14) HISTORY OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Online Course: Whale Rock Workshops
(15) DIVING INTO PICTURE BOOKS: FORMAT, STRUCTURE, AND PRACTICE
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(16-18) SCBWI WINTER CONFERENCE
New York, NY: SCBWI
(17-19) NEW YEAR PICTURE BOOK AND EASY READER RETREAT
Lake Lanier, GA: Lola M Schaeffer
(19) MIDDLE GRADE WORKSHOP with Alison Weiss
Online Course: Inked Voices
(20) PICTURE BOOKS with Julie Romeis Sanders
Online Course: Inked Voices
(21) WRITE YOUR PICTURE BOOK
Online Course: Writers.com
(21) GATHER: A MORNING AT THE WHOLE NOVEL
Free Webinar: Highlights Foundation
(21) PICTURE BOOKS with Leslie Zampetti
Online Course: Inked Voices
(24) WRITE AND SELL RHYME WITH CRAFT, CREATIVITY AND CONNECTION
Webinar: The Writing Barn
(25) PICTURE BOOKS with Karen Smith
Online Course: Inked Voices
(25) REPUBLISHING YOUR BACK LIST: ADJUSTING YOUR MINDSET
Webinar: Whale Rock Workshops
(26) PERFECTING THE PICTURE BOOK 1
Online Course: The Writing Barn
(26) PICTURE BOOKS with Kat Brzozowski
Online Course: Inked Voices
(26-28) KIDLIT SELF-PUBLISHING 101: STRATEGIES FOR INDIE SUCCESS
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(27) BEYOND THE HERO’S JOURNEY: EXPLORING STORY STRUCTURE
Webinar: Whale Rock Workshops
(27-29) SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES FOR SUBMITTING TO AGENTS & EDITORS
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(28) PERFECT YOUR CHILDREN’S BOOK PITCH
Webinar: Bloomsbury Writers & Artists
(28) WRITE YOUR PICTURE BOOK with Kelly Bingham
Online Course: Writers.com
(28) PICTURE BOOKS with Kelly Barrales-Saylor
Online Course: Inked Voices
(30) PICTURE BOOK CREATORS CONFERENCE
Online Event: At Home Authors
(30) #QUESTPIT
Pitch Party: QuestPit
(31) PICTURE BOOKS
Online Workshop: Gotham Writers
FEBRUARY 2026
(1-28) NONFICTION FEST
Online Event: Nonfiction Ninjas
(1) PICTURE BOOKS with Esther Cajahuaringa
Online Course: Inked Voices
(2) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(2) WRITE A NOVEL WITH ME
Online Course: KidLit Craft
(3) YA AND CROSSOVER with Eric Smith
Online Course: Inked Voices
(3-5) BREAKING INTO THE EDUCATIONAL MARKET
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(5) REVISING FOR TENSION AND FLOW
Online Course: Whale Rock Workshops
(6-7) SCBWI WINTER VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Online Event: SCBWI
(8) THE SHORT NOVEL WRITING WORKSHOP
Online Course: Whale Rock Workshops
(9) STRENGTHEN YOUR PICTURE BOOK WRITING WITH MENTOR TEXTS!
Online Workshop: The Highlights Foundation
(10) CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING I
Online Course: Gotham Writers
(10) AUTHOR’S BOOTCAMP
Online Course: SCBWI Carolinas
(10) CHAPTER BOOK/LOWER MG with Jamie Gelman
Online Course: Inked Voices
(11) DEVELOPING YOUR YA/MG FICTION
Online Course: Grub Street Center for Creative Writing
(12) INTRO TO NOVELS IN VERSE: DRAFTING AND DEEPENING YOUR STORY
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(17) PICTURE BOOKS (R&R) with Catherine Laudone
Online Course: Inked Voices
(17) PICTURE BOOKS with Julie Romeis Sanders
Online Course: Inked Voices
(17) CAN I (LEGALLY) USE THIS? COPYRIGHT & FAIR USE ANSWERS FOR AUTHORS
Webinar: At Home Author
(17-19) NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS: EXPLORING FORMS AND CREATIVE APPROACHES
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(19) THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED: SUCCESS STORIES
Free Webinar: Writing and Illustrating for Kids
(19-22) KINDLING WORDS EAST SYMPOSIUM
Plymouth, MA: Kindling Words
(20-22) BIG SUR CHILDREN’S WRITERS WORKSHOP
Big Sur, CA: Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshop
(21) DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
(21) NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S NONFICTION
Webinar: SCBWI Oregon
(21) DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
(22) THE GRAPHIC NOVEL: WORKSHOP FOR WRITERS
Online Course: Whale Rock Workshops
(23) MG & YA OPENING PAGES with Tricia de Guzman
Online Course: Inked Voices
(24) MG OPENING PAGES with Kelly Dyksterhouse
Online Course: Inked Voices
(27) PB RISING STARS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM OPENS FOR APPLICATIONS
Online Event: PB Rising Stars
(28) CRAFT A COMPELLING FIRST CHAPTER & SYNOPSIS
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
MARCH 2026
(1-31) MARCH ON WITH MENTOR TEXTS
Online Event: Rate Your Story
(1) WRITING FOR CHILDREN CONTEST OPENS
Contest: CANSCAIP
(2) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(4) JUST DO IT! FINISHING YOUR DRAFT
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(10) NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS with Ariel Richardson
Online Course: Inked Voices
(10) DIGGING DEEPER: USING SUBTEXT TO ADD DEPTH TO YOUR STORY
Webinar: Whale Rock Workshops
(10-12) PUBLICITY AND MARKETING FOR STORYTELLERS
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(13) PB RISING STARS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM CLOSES FOR APPLICATIONS
Online Event: PB Rising Stars
(14) ANATOMY OF A QUERY LETTER
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
(21-22) CHILDREN’S WRITERS & ILLUSTRATORS FESTIVAL MASTERCLASS
Online Event: Bloomsbury Writers & Artists
(23-29) THE WRITERS WORKSHOP CONFERENCE
Online Event: The Writer’s Workshop
(24) NOT A YES, NOT A NO: HOW TO HANDLE AN R&R
Webinar: SCBWI Pennsylvania East
(24) CREATE YOUR INSIDE OUTLINE: STRUCTURE THAT MOVES YOUR NOVEL FORWARD
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(25-27) SPRING PITCHFEST
Online Event: Savvy Authors
(27-29) SEEDS OF INSPIRATION SPRING CONFERENCE
Decatur, GA: SCBWI Southern Breeze
APRIL 2026
(6) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(15) NOVELS IN VERSE: CREATING AN IMAGE SYSTEM
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(16) EMBRACE YOUR INNER INTUITIVE WRITER TO FUEL YOUR WRITING
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(20-22) POETIC FLOW STUDIO: GENERATIVE WRITING SESSION FOR POETS
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(29) #QUESTPIT
Pitch Party: QuestPit
(30) WHOLE NOVEL WORKSHOP: MG & YA WRITERS
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(30) REVISE YOUR PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPTS
Online Course: Whale Rock Workshops
MAY 2026
(4) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(6) PICTURE BOOK PLOTTING FROM A-Z
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(7-10) CELEBRATING ASIAN AND ASIAN AMERICAN STORIES
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(11-18) KINDLING WORDS WEST
Whidbey Island, WA: Kindling Words
(31) CELEBRATING LATINX STORIES IN KIDLIT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(31) CANSCAIP WRITING FOR CHILDREN CONTEST DEADLINE
Contest: Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers
JUNE 2026
(1) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(3-6) ALL ABOUT PICTURE BOOKS
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(3) CRASH COURSE IN CHILDREN’S BOOK PUBLISHING
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(11-14) SPOTLIGHT ON THE MIDDLE OF YOUR NOVEL
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(15-18) CELEBRATING NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS STORIES IN KIDLIT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(15-19) WIFYR CONFERENCE
Draper, UT: Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers
(25) WRITING FOR THE EDUCATIONAL MARKET
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
JULY 2026
(6) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(8-12) SUMMER CAMP FOR WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS (Session One)
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(11-12) CYA WRITERS & ILLUSTRATORS CONFERENCE
Brisbane, AUS: CYA Conference
(12-16) SUMMER CAMP FOR WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS (Session Two)
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(24) #QUESTPIT
Pitch Party: QuestPit
AUGUST 2026
(3) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(9-12) WRITING SHORTER: WHY (AND HOW) LESS CAN BE MORE
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(15-20) THE WHOLE NOVEL WORKSHOP RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(25) THE HISTORY OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Online Course: Whale Rock Workshops
(27-30) CELEBRATION ASIAN AND ASIAN AMERICAN STORIES
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
SEPTEMBER 2026
(7) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(16-19) PICTURE BOOK AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
OCTOBER 2026
(1-4) MIDDLE GRADE WRITERS RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(5) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(6) WHOLE NOVEL WORKSHOP: MG & YA WRITERS
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(18-23) WHOLE NOVEL WORKSHOP RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(23-26) EARLY READERS AND CHAPTER BOOKS RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(26-29) NOVELS IN VERSE RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(30) BIG SUR CHILDREN’S WRITERS WORKSHOP
Cape Cod, MA: Big Sur Children’S Writers Workshop
NOVEMBER 2026
(2) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
(4) #QUESTPIT
Pitch Party: QuestPit
(5-8) POETRY PALOOZA
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(8-14) MASTER SKILLS WORKSHOP
TBD: Whale Rock Workshops
DECEMBER 2026
(7) MAKING PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Online Course: Susanna Leonard Hill
Connect with me on Social Media:
CAROLYN BENNETT FRAISER 