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
FEBRUARY 2026
(1-28) NONFICTION FEST
Online Event: Nonfiction Ninjas
(5) REVISING FOR TENSION AND FLOW
Online Course: Whale Rock Workshops
(5) PITCH-READY FANTASY, ROMANTASY, & HORROR with Agent John Baker
Webinar: SCBWI
(6-7) SCBWI WINTER VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Online Event: SCBWI
(7) AGENT ASCENT DAY
Online Event: Way-Word Writers
(8) THE SHORT NOVEL WRITING WORKSHOP
Online Course: Whale Rock Workshops
(9) STRENGTHEN YOUR PICTURE BOOK WRITING WITH MENTOR TEXTS!
Online Workshop: Boyds Mill (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: Boyds Mill (Highlights Foundation)
(12) QUERYING FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE TRENCHES
Webinar: SCBWI Pennsylvania East
(14) JUMP SCARES & HORROR: WRITING SPOOKY STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS
Webinar: SCBWI Indiana
(15) 12X12 PICTURE BOOK CHALLENGE MEMBERSHIP
Deadline: 12×12 Picture Book Challenge
(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) TRUST UNRELIABLE NARRATORS
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(17) BUILD YOUR BRAND BEFORE THE BOOK
Webinar: SCBWI New Mexico
(17-19) NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS: EXPLORING FORMS AND CREATIVE APPROACHES
Online Workshop: Boyds Mill (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) CHILDREN’S ONLINE RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Online Event: Children’s Literature Assembly
(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
(22) ONE HOLIDAY – THREE BOOKS
FREE Webinar: SCBWI Israel
(23) MG & YA OPENING PAGES with Tricia de Guzman
Online Course: Inked Voices
(24) MG OPENING PAGES with Kelly Dyksterhouse
Online Course: Inked Voices
(26) A COLORFUL TALE: STORYTELLING WITH COLOR THEORY
Webinar: SCBWI New York Metro
(26) #MSWL DAY
BlueSky Event: Manuscript Wish List
(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
(28) STYLE – AN ILLUSTRATOR’S TOOL
Webinar: SCBWI Kansas-Missouri
(28) EARLY CHAPTER BOOK SERIES with Scholastic Editor Katie Carella
Webinar: SCBWI San Francisco
(28) AGENT MEETS PITCH with Julie Romeis Sanders
Webinar: SCBWI Nevada
MARCH 2026
(1) WRITING FOR CHILDREN CONTEST OPENS
Contest: CANSCAIP
(4) JUST DO IT! FINISHING YOUR DRAFT
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(7) TRICKING YOUR BRAIN INTO PLOTTING FOR MG & YA
Webinar: SCBWI Indiana
(7) THE INS & OUTS OF EDUCATIONAL AND NONFICTION IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Webinar: SCBWI Austin Texas
(7) NEBRASKA BOOK BOOT CAMP with Editor Anna Parsons
Omaha, NE: SCBWI Nebraska
(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) PANEL BY PANEL: HOW TO WRITE COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(10-12) PUBLICITY AND MARKETING FOR STORYTELLERS
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(12) POINTING YOUR VIEW AS YOU START AND END YOUR MANUSCRIPT
Webinar: SCBWI New York Westchester
(13) PB RISING STARS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM CLOSES FOR APPLICATIONS
Online Event: PB Rising Stars
(14) ANATOMY OF A QUERY LETTER
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
(14) ART DAY STORY BLOOM
Laguna Beach, CA: SCBWI Southern California
(17) PB PARTY CONTEST SUBMISSIONS
Contest: Mindy Alyse White
(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) THE NOVELTY OF GRAPHIC NOVELS
Webinar: SCBWI Oregon
(25-27) SPRING PITCHFEST
Online Event: Savvy Authors
(27-29) SEEDS OF INSPIRATION SPRING CONFERENCE
Decatur, GA: SCBWI Southern Breeze
APRIL 2026
(10) SPRING THAW PITCH EVENT
Online Event: SCBWI Illinois
(14) STORIES AS SPRINGBOARDS: USING PICTURE BOOKS FOR CROSS-CIRCULAR LEARNING
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(15) NOVELS IN VERSE: CREATING AN IMAGE SYSTEM
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(15) CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING II
Online Course: Gotham Writers
(16) EMBRACE YOUR INNER INTUITIVE WRITER TO FUEL YOUR WRITING
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(17-19) RECHARGE YOUR WRITING RETREAT
Conception, MO: SCBWI Kansas-Missouri
(20-22) POETIC FLOW STUDIO: GENERATIVE WRITING SESSION FOR POETS
Online Workshop: Highlights Foundation
(23) RULES, REBELLION, & PICTURE BOOK MAGIC
Webinar: SCBWI Texas Houston
(24-26) POCONO & THE THREE BEARS: IN SEARCH OF JUST RIGHT
Milanville, PA: SCBWI Pennsylvania East
(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
(2) THE HEART OF THE STORY with Editor Melissa Manlove
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(2) TOGETHER IN STORY KIDLIT CONFERENCE
Seattle, WA: SCBWI Western Washington
(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
(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
(12-14) EXPERIENCE REVISION RETREAT
Hiawatha, IO: Nonfiction Ninjas
(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
(16) WRITING TOUGH TOPICS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(25) WRITING FOR THE EDUCATIONAL MARKET
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
JULY 2026
(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
(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
(16-19) PICTURE BOOK AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
OCTOBER 2026
(1-4) MIDDLE GRADE WRITERS RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(6) WHOLE NOVEL WORKSHOP: MG & YA WRITERS
Online Course: Highlights Foundation
(8-10) ENGAGING STORIES CONFERENCE
Green Lake, WI: SCBWI Wisconsin
(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
(4) #QUESTPIT
Pitch Party: QuestPit
(5-8) POETRY PALOOZA
Milanville, PA: Highlights Foundation
(8-14) MASTER SKILLS WORKSHOP
TBD: Whale Rock Workshops
DECEMBER 2026
TBD
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