Lookout kidlit community, 2021 just got more interesting.

Early bird registration is now open for both the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Summer Conference, the Big 5-Oh, July 29-Aug 2, 2021, and the 2021 Picture Book Summit on October 2, 2021.

The SCBWI Summer Conference, the Big 5-Oh, is now open for registration.

From the SCBWI registration page:

“To celebrate our Golden Anniversary, we’re breaking the mold this year and providing an all-new conference format for attendees. Instead of hour-long conversations, we’re getting straight to the meat of each topic with over 50 fifteen or thirty-minute keynotes offering concrete and specific advice on all aspects of creating children’s books. Whether you’re working on your first manuscript or publishing your tenth book, the Big Five-Oh has something for everyone at any stage of their career and is open to SCBWI members and non-members. View the complete lineup and schedule HERE. 

With stars like Kwame Alexander, Darcie Little Badger, Mahogany Browne, Kacen Callendar, and Shaun Tan this event promises to be a repository of information and fun for kid lit creators and enthusiasts. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating and, please, share this with your community! 

Tuition for the main conference is $150 for members, $250 for non-members. Additional events, such as the Intensives, Portfolio Showcase, and Roundtable Pitches are an additional fee. The Illustrators’ Intensive is included in the main conference tuition and is open to all attendees. More information regarding tuition can be found on our main conference homepage HERE.

For those interested in financial assistance opportunities, we invite you to view our 20+ scholarships HERE. Many of these are exclusive to underrepresented creators.

Registration will remain open until the week of the event.”

I learned a lot about the PB publication process at the virtual SCBWI Winter Conference in early 2021.

Early Bird Registration is now open for the 2021 Picture Book Summit with superstar speakers Caldecott Honoree Yuyi Morales and Caldecott Winner John Klassen. The Picture Book Summit will be held virtually on October 2, 2021. There are two registration options—summit + submission is $347 – but only $247 with the early bird registration, and the summit only is $277 or $177 with early bird registration. And you get SIX submissions opportunities this year, when your purchase the Summit + Submissions Ticket. I heard Sophie Blackall speak at the 2020 PB Summit and I was blown away by her speech.

From the PB Summit home page:

“Here’s what you can look forward to at the Picture Book Summit 2021: Discover the Story Only Can Tell:

• Spectacular Superstar Speakers
• Innovative workshops on the craft of writing picture books
• Agent and editor panels (Plus submissions with the Summit + Submissions ticket!)
• Seven hours of picture book insight and instruction
• Private Facebook group just for attendees
• Everything takes place online on October 2, 2021
• Replays through January 31, 2022
• New pricing options”

I encourage those in the #Kidlitcommunity to check out these two events. Hope to see you there!