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
OCTOBER 2026
(27) LEAVING SPACE FOR THE ILLUSTRATOR WITHOUT LOSING YOUR VISION
Webinar: The Writing Barn
(27) METER MATTERS: CRAFTING RHYMING PICTURE BOOKS
Webinar: Rosie J. Pova
(27) WRITING AN ENGAGING MYSTERY: ATMOSPHERE, TENSION, PACING, AND PREMISE
Webinar: SCBWI Nebraska
(27-29) PUBLISHING TRENDS, MARKET SHIFTS, & OPPORTUNITIES
Online Workshop: Boyds Mills
(27-30) R(EV)ISE AND SHINE RESIDENCY
Marlboro, VT: R(ev)ise and Shine
(28) USING ART & PHOTO REFERENCE IN ILLUSTRATION
Webinar: SCBWI Kansas-Missouri
(29) REVISION WORKSHOP with Kat Brzozowski
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
(29) ASK THE EDITOR: SERIES POTENTIAL with Carina Licon
Webinar: SCBWI Pennsylvania East
(30) BIG SUR CHILDREN’S WRITERS WORKSHOP
Cape Cod, MA: Big Sur Children’S Writers Workshop
NOVEMBER 2026
(1-6) CABOOSE FARM RETREAT
Sabillasville, MD: Whale Rock Workshops
(2) PICTURE BOOKS with Erika DiPasquale
Online Course: Inked Voices
(3) PICTURE BOOKS with Sally Kim
Online Course: Inked Voices
(3) WORLDBUILDING
Webinar: SCBWI Nebraska
(4) #QUESTPIT
Pitch Party: QuestPit
(4) THE CREATIVE ART OF SELF-PROMOTION
Webinar: SCBWI New York Long Island
(5) HOW CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING WORKS
Webinar: SCBWI England North
(5) DEEP DIVE INTO DISCOVERABILITY FOR ILLUSTRATORS
Webinar: SCBWI San Francisco South
(5-8) POETRY PALOOZA
Milanville, PA: Boyds Mills
(6) GETTING TO YES: WHY EDITORS SAY NO
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
(6-8) WESTERN WASHINGTON CREATIVE RETREAT
North Bend, WA: SCBWI Western Washington
(6-8) HANDSPRINGS HYBRID CONFERENCE
Albuquerque, NM (Virtual Option): SCBWI New Mexico
(7) BOOT CAMP: NEXT LEVEL MARKETING
Webinar: SCBWI Texas Austin
(7) HOW TO HOOK AN AGENT (CHILDREN’S & YA)
Webinar: Bloomsbury Writers & Artists
(7) BEYOND THE ADVANCE: HOW AUTHORS PROFIT IN TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING
Webinar: The Writing Barn
(7) HOW TO WRITE A YA NOVEL
Webinar: Grub Street Center for Creating Writing
(8) TIPS ON ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO CURATION
Webinar: SCBWI Nebraska
(8-14) MASTER SKILLS WORKSHOP
Sabillasville, MD: Whale Rock Workshops
(10) AN EVENING WITH AGENT EMILY KEYES
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
(10-12) PICTURE BOOK APPROACHES: CONCEPT BOOKS, BIOGRAPHIES, & MORE
Online Workshop: Boyds Mills
(11) VALUE-ADDED NONFICTION: HOW TO GET NOTICED AND GET IT RIGHT
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(11) CRAFT VS. BUSINESS: THE GRUDGE MATCH with Melissa Manlove
Webinar: SCBWI Maryland-Delaware-West Virginia
(11) OH BEATRICE! FROM STORIES TO SHELF
Webinar: SCBWI England South and London
(12) GIVE YOUR LIVE PITCH WITH PRIDE
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
(12-15) QUERY LETTER INTENSIVE
Online Workshop: Boyds Mills
(13-14) YALL FEST BOOK FESTIVAL
Charleston, SC: YALL Fest
(14) BEYOND THE PAGE CONFERENCE
Phoenix, AZ (Virtual Option): SCBWI Arizona
(14) ILLUSTRATION STYLE LAB with Christie Megill
Webinar: SCBWI Montana
(14) VIRTUAL ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND ROUNDTABLE
Online Event: SCBWI Indiana
(14) MEET THE EDITORS FROM SCHOLASTIC, SOURCEBOOKS AND VIKING
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
(14) SETTING UP GRAPHIC NOVEL FILES FOR PUBLISHING
Webinar: SCBWI New York Long Island
(14-15) WORLDWIDE 24-HOUR BOOK CHALLENGE
Online Event: SCBWI New York Westchester
(17) BRINGING MINOR CHARACTERS TO LIFE
Webinar: Whale Rock Workshops
(17) WHAT SHAPE IS YOUR STORY?
Webinar: At Home Author
(17) BALANCING SPECIFICITY AND UNIVERSALITY IN CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Webinar: Inked Voices
(18) CREATING ENGAGING SCHOOL AUTHOR VISITS
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
(18) REALISTIC VS RELATABLE: CRAFTING CHARACTERS READERS BELIEVE IN
Webinar: The Writing Barn
(19) EVALUATING YOUR WIP AND MOVING FORWARD
Webinar: The Good Story Company
(19) WRITING EARLY READERS THAT KIDS WANT TO READ
Webinar: SCBWI Rocky Mountains
(19) HOW TO WRITE A POWERFUL ENDING USING THEME, STAKES, AND EMOTION
Webinar: SCBWI Western Washington
(26) COOK UP A PICTURE BOOK
Online Course: Blue Elephant Storyshaping
(30) WRITING THE MIDDLE GRADE
Webinar: SCBWI England North
(30) FIREFLY LOGO CONTEST DEADLINE
Contest: KidLit Firefly
DECEMBER 2026
(1) CREATING & RAISING INTERNAL STAKES
Webinar: Whale Rock Workshops
(1-3) PICTURE BOOK REVISION: PLOT, PACING, CHARACTER & MORE!
Online Workshop: Boyds Mills
(2) EDITOR EVENT WITH WENDY MCCLURE
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
(8) HOW TO MAKE A LIVING AS AN AUTHOR
Webinar: SCBWI New Mexico
(8) SCENE STRUCTURE: KEY ELEMENTS IN THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF YOUR STORY
Webinar: Whale Rock Workshops
(9) THINKING IN PANELS: WRITING GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR YOUNG READERS
Webinar: The Writing Barn
(10) FINDING THE HUMOR & HEART IN YOUR STORY
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
(10) DREAMING TO DRAFTING YOUR MG/YA NOVEL with Editor Matt Phipps
Webinar: SCBWI Oregon
(15) NEVADA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM DEADLINE
Online Event: SCBWI Nevada
(19) LESSONS LEARNED ON THE PATH TO PUBLISHING
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
(27) ROCK YOUR WRITING GOALS
Webinar: Good Story Company
JANUARY 2027
(1-31) STORYSTORM
Online Event: Tara Lazar
(2) ONE DAY WRITING MARATHON with Erin Entrada Kelly
Online Event: Erin Entrada Kelly
(5) PICTURE BOOKS with Miranda Paul
Online Course: Inked Voices
(5-26) DIVING INTO PICTURE BOOKS: FORMAT, STRUCTURE, & PRACTICE
Online Course: Boyds Mills
(6) YOUR WRITERLY QUESTIONS ANSWERS
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(6) PICTURE BOOKS with Carina Licon
Online Course: Inked Voices
(8) CHILDREN’S NOVEL SECOND DRAFT WORKSHOP
Online Course: Anastasia Suen
(9) KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: TIPS & TRICKS AFTER YOU’VE BEEN PUBLISHED
Webinar: SCBWI Southern Breeze
(9-10) RISE AND SHINE PITCH EVENT
Online Event: KidLit Firefly
(11-13) SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO EDITORS AND AGENTS
Online Workshop: Boyds Mills
(12) CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING I
Online Course: Gotham Writers Workshop
(12) PICTURE BOOKS with Elizabeth Lazowski
Online Course: Inked Voices
(13) WRITING WITH CHILDLIKE WONDER
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(13) PICTURE BOOKS with Jonah Heller
Online Course: Inked Voices
(14) KIDLIT SELF-PUBLISHING STRATEGIES FOR INDIE PUBLISHING SUCCESS
Online Course: Boyds Mills
(14) PICTURE BOOKS with Samantha Dewaele
Online Course: Inked Voices
(15) 2026 BOOK AWARDS DEADLINE
Contest: Seasons of KidLit
(16) FABULOUS FIRST PAGES with Agent Rachel Orr
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
(20) PICTURE BOOKS with Catherine Laudone
Online Course: Inked Voices
(21-24) KINDLING WORDS EAST CONFERENCE
Providence, RI: Kindling Words
(25-26) SHOW, DON’T TELL: MAKING IT REAL WITH SENSORY DETAILS AND SMALL ACTIONS
Online Workshop: Boyds Mills
(26) MIDDLE GRADE with Laurel Symonds
Online Course: Inked Voices
(28) PICTURE BOOKS with Mara Cobb
Online Course: Inked Voices
(28-30) CAPE COD CHILDREN’S WRITERS WORKSHOP
Cape Cod, MA: Andrea Brown Literary Agency
(29) PICTURE BOOK CREATORS CONFERENCE
Online Event: At Home Author
(29-31) BIG SUR CHILDREN’S WRITERS CONFERENCE
Big Sur, CA: Big Sur Conference
FEBRUARY 2027
(1) PICTURE BOOKS REVISE & RESUBMIT with Andrea Cascardi
Online Course: Inked Voices
(1-3) BREAKING INTO THE EDUCATIONAL MARKET
Online Workshop: Boyds Mills
(1-28) NONFICTION FEST
Online Event: Nonfiction Ninjas
(2) YOU: THE COMPLETE PACKAGE
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
(2) FICTION & INFO-FICTION PICTURE BOOKS with Lindsey Aduskevich
Online Course: Inked Voices
(2) PICTURE BOOKS with Elizabeth Lazowski
Online Course: Inked Voices
(2) PITCHES AND PICTURE BOOKS with Kelly Barrales-Saylor
Online Course: Inked Voices
(2) YOUNG ADULT OPENING PAGES with Susan Hawk
Online Course: Inked Voices
(3) PICTURE BOOKS with Allison Cohen
Online Course: Inked Voices
(3) MIDDLE GRADE OPENING PAGES with Krista Vitolla
Online Course: Inked Voices
(5-26) GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHARACTER
Online Course: Boyds Mills
(6) STORIES FOR EVERYONE: ALLYSHIP FOR AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
(10) PICTURE BOOKS with Alex Robertson
Online Course: Inked Voices
(16) CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING I
Online Course: Gotham Writers Workshop
(16) FICTION AND INFO-FICTION PICTURE BOOKS with Maria Correa
Online Course: Inked Voices
(18) PICTURE BOOKS with Kelly Dellaney
Online Course: Inked Voices
(23-25) SHORT, SWEET, SALEABLE: TIGHTENING YOUR PICTURE BOOK WORD COUNT
Online Workshop: Boyds Mills
(25) NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS REVISE & RESUBMIT with Kirsten Larson
Online Workshop: Inked Voices
(26-M1) WARM UP YOUR WRITING RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Boyds Mills
(27-28) CHILDREN’S WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS FESTIVAL
Online Event: Bloomsbury Writers and Artists
MARCH 2027
(1) MIDDLE GRADE & YOUNG ADULT OPENING PAGES with Kade Dishmon
Online Course: Inked Voices
(1-22) PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHIES: RESEARCHING AND WRITING TRUE STORIES FOR KIDS
Online Course: Boyds Mills
(5-7) SCBWI WINTER CONFERENCE
New York City, NY: SCBWI
(8) ILLUSTRATOR DAY AT SCBWI WINTER CONFERENCE
New York City, NY: SCBWI
(16) THE INTUITIVE WRITER: LETTING YOUR STORY LEAD THE WAY
Online Course: Boyds Mills
(18) MIDDLE GRADE OPENING PAGES with Rebecca Eskildsen
Online Course: Inked Voices
(24) DIVING DEEPER INTO PICTURE BOOKS: ADVANCED STRATEGIES
Online Course: Boyds Mills
(30) THE 5 H’S FORMULA: DETERMINING WHICH STORIES TO FOCUS ON
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
APRIL 2027
(4) LAUGH OUT LOUD: WRITING HUMOR FOR KIDS
Webinar: SCBWI San Diego
(7) YOUR WRITERLY QUESTIONS ANSWERS
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(9-11) INK & AGAVE WRITING RETREAT
Scottsdale, AZ: Ink & Agave
(26-M3) KINDLING WORDS WEST CONFERENCE
Clinton, WA: Kindling Words
(27) THE CRASH COURSE IN CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING
Online Course: Boyds Mills
(30) YOU? ME? SHE? HOW A CHANGE IN POV CAN GIVE YOUR MANUSCRIPT THE VOICE IT NEEDS
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
MAY 2027
(5) THE WHOLE NOVEL WORKSHOP FOR MG AND YA AUTHORS
Online Course: Boyds Mills
(14-15) NAVIGATING YOUR NARRITIVE SPRING CONFERENCE
Grand Rapids, MI: SCBWI Michigan
(19) CREATE BOLDLY! THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR STORY
Webinar: KidLit Firefly
JUNE 2027
(14-18) WIFYR ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Draper, UT: Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers
(17-20) WORKSHOP & RETREAT with Erin Entrada Kelly
Milanville, PA: Boyds Mills (Direct Link TBD)
JULY 2027
(TBD)
AUGUST 2027
(4) YOUR WRITERLY QUESTIONS ANSWERS
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(19) THE WHOLE NOVEL WORKSHOP FOR NOVELISTS
Online Course: Boyds Mills
SEPTEMBER 2027
(TBD)
OCTOBER 2027
(23-28) THE WHOLE NOVEL WORKSHOP RETREAT
Milanville, PA: Boyds Mills
NOVEMBER 2027
(3) YOUR WRITERLY QUESTIONS ANSWERS
Webinar: SCBWI Wisconsin
(9) THE WHOLE NOVEL WORKSHOP FOR MG AND YA AUTHORS
Online Course: Boyds Mills
DECEMBER 2027
(TBD)
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