SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

Illinois

Illinois

2023 SCBWI-IL Spring Thaw

Date/Time
Date(s) - 05/05/2023 - 05/06/2023
12:00 am

Location
Brewster Creek Forest Preserve / Barbara Belding Lodge
6N921 IL-25 - Wayne, IL 60184


 It’s a hybrid event, double-header!  During registration, select either
In-person Pitch N’ Stitch 
OR

Online Coaching Chat + Critique

 

Our all-star lineup of industry professionals will help you get in the game!

Join our hybrid pitch program for
on-the-cusp authors, illustrators & author-illustrators.

 

Limited attendance for maximum feedback opportunities.

#SCBWI_ILpitch

REGISTRATION OPEN
 

 

JOIN OUR ALL-STAR LINEUP

Our industry professionals— art director, agents & editors— provide coaching advice and pitch practice to get you in the game!

     

Confirmed faculty from left: Kelly Barrales-Saylor, Josh Gregory, Jordan Kost, Jennifer Mattson, Alicia Sparrow, & Alexandra Weiss
(See FACULTY bios in navigation pane, at right.)

 

CHOOSE In Person OR Online Track


IMPORTANT: In person track is sold out.
Please register for online track
COACHING CHAT + CRITIQUE

OR EMAIL REGISTRAR FOR THE PITCH N’ STITCH WAIT LIST

IN PERSON PITCH N’ STITCH INCLUDES:
(Select in-person option during registration. See full descriptions in navigation pane, upper right.)

2 ONLINE COACHING CHATS
Ask YOUR questions about how our kidlit professionals scout for new talent, coach clients and create literary line-ups. Choose either Agent Coaching Chat or Editor/Art Director Coaching Chat. Attend one LIVE and enjoy unlimited viewings of both for one month.
Click for more information

 

IN-PERSON PITCH SESSION
Pitch up to (3) log lines OR show up to (3) pieces of finished art!  Our industry professionals choose your most promising and give immediate feedback on your illustration or your log line’s corresponding first page.
Click for more information

 

CHOOSE AMONG 2 CONTESTS: PITCH CONTEST OR ART PIECE CONTEST
Pitch Contest MVP will receive a 1:1 Zoom + Written Critique of a dummy or the first 5 pages of a manuscript with Alex Weiss, Agent, Azantian Literary Agency.
Art Piece Contest MVP will receive a 1:1 Zoom + Written Critique of a piece of finished art OR a dummy with Jordan Kost, Art Director, Sourcebooks.
Click for more information

 

POST-EVENT SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES
Insider information to submit your WIPs to our faculty members. Incorporate your PITCH SESSION in-person feedback into your post-event submissions.  You may submit to all faculty per their guidelines. Information provided to attendees in the VIRTUAL FOLDER.

We submit your contact information to our faculty so they can ascertain if you attended the conference and are therefore eligible to submit to them.  Choose whether you want your contact information shared during registration. See SCBWI PRIVACY POLICY.

 

Please review program POLICIES at right, prior to registration, for information on maintaining HEALTH during the in-person program.

IMPORTANT: 
Written feedback with JENNIFER MATTSON, agent is sold out.

PLEASE CHOOSE ANOTHER INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL.

ONLINE COACHING CHAT + CRITIQUE INCLUDES:
(Select online option during registration. See full descriptions in navigation pane, upper right.)

2 ONLINE COACHING CHATS
Ask YOUR questions about how our kidlit professionals scout for new talent, coach clients and create literary line-ups. Choose either Agent Coaching Chat or Editor/Art Director Coaching Chat. Attend one LIVE and enjoy unlimited viewings of both for one month.
Click for more information

 

STITCHED PITCH PACKAGE: WRITTEN / DIGITAL SUBMISSION only
Pitch up to 3 log lines in writing or 3 illustrations digitally! Our industry professionals choose your most promising and give written feedback on your best illustration or your best log line’s corresponding first page. 
Click for more information

 

CHOOSE AMONG 2 CONTESTS: PITCH CONTEST OR ART PIECE CONTEST
Pitch Contest MVP will receive a 1:1 Zoom + Written Critique of a dummy or the first 5 pages of a manuscript with Alex Weiss, Agent, Azantian Literary Agency.
Art Piece Contest MVP will receive a 1:1 Zoom + Written Critique of a piece of finished art OR a dummy with Jordan Kost, Art Director, Sourcebooks.
Click for more information

 

POST-EVENT SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES
Insider information to submit your WIPs to our faculty members. Incorporate your STITCHED PITCH PACKAGE written feedback into your post-event submissions.  You may submit to all faculty per their guidelines. Information provided to attendees in the VIRTUAL FOLDER.

We submit your contact information to our faculty so they can ascertain if you attended the conference and are therefore eligible to submit to them.  Choose whether you want your contact information shared during registration. See SCBWI PRIVACY POLICY.

 

DATES TO REMEMBER:
(See 2-Day Schedule, at right)
This event may sell-out before registration close date! Please register EARLY..

 

MARCH 11
— Registration opens on this page at 12 PM CST

APRIL 22

— PITCH CONTEST and ART PIECE CONTEST submissions due.
— LAST DAY for full attendance fee refund. See CANCELLATION REFUNDS on the POLICIES page.Registration is non-transferable.
— Registration Closes at 11:30 PM CST

 

APRIL 28
— Attendees receive VIRTUAL FOLDER with all event details.
—All communication is sent via CONSTANT CONTACT.  If you have opted out of SCBWI Constant Contact, contact the home office to be reinstated.
— Add scbwi.org to your Safe Senders list to make sure you receive individual emails from registrar.
— Didn’t receive your FOLDER? Email Deborah Topolski, Co-RA Illinois
— Unfamiliar with Virtual Folders? Click here for our Virtual Folder Policy.

 

MAY 05, 7:00 PM CST: FOR ALL SPRING THAW ATTENDEES       
— 2 COACHING CHATS (Attend one LIVE. Both recorded for unlimited viewings; 60 minutes, 45 attendees each.)
— PITCH and ART PIECE CONTEST winners announced.
(See 2-Day Schedule, at right)

 

MAY 06, 9:00 AM CST — 12:30 PM CST : FOR PITCH N’ STITCH ATTENDEES ONLY
— PITCH N’ STITCH IN-PERSON PITCH SESSIONS
(50 participants includes faculty; 7 attendees + 1 professional per table; 3 hours includes check-in with snack & 15-minute break; addl. 30 minutes for overages & farewell)
(See 2-Day Schedule, at right)

 

MAY 7— MAY 13
—  Upload STITCHED PITCH PACKAGE this week per instructions in your VIRTUAL FOLDER

 

MAY 13
—  STITCHED PITCH PACKAGE due

 

JULY 1
— SCBWI Gold Form(s) returned via email to attendees who submitted STITCHED PITCH PACKAGE(s)

 

SPRING THAW Hybrid Event Questions?: Email Deborah Topolski, Co-RA Illinois

FEES:

SCBWI Member Registration fee: $95.00 USD
Non-Member Fee: $150 USD

 

During registration, select either:

 

IN-PERSON Pitch N’ Stitch 

PITCH N’STITCH Attendance Fee includes:
—2 ONLINE COACHING CHATS with peers & industry professionals
—IN-PERSON PITCH SESSION with peers & selected industry professional
—PITCH CONTEST or ART PIECE CONTEST (Optional; Limited to 50 participants)
—SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES to our faculty

 

OR 

 

ONLINE Coaching Chat + Critique

COACHING CHAT + CRITIQUE Attendance Fee includes:
—2 ONLINE COACHING CHATS with peers & industry professionals
—STITCHED PITCH PACKAGE with written feedback only from selected industry professional
—PITCH CONTEST or ART PIECE CONTEST (Optional; Limited to 50 participants)
—SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES to our faculty

 

 

TIPS FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION AND RECEIVING EVENT COMMUNICATIONS:

—JOIN SCBWI or RENEW TODAY before registering to received discounted rate.

—Please review hybrid event  professional POLICIES at right, prior to registration.  By registering, you agree to comply with our policies.

—All communication is sent via CONSTANT CONTACT.  If you have opted out of SCBWI Constant Contact, contact the home office to be reinstated.

— ADD “scbwi.org” in your safe senders list to ensure you receive registration confirmation.

—DO NOT page backward during registration process.

—Credit Cards accepted for online payment.

— INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS ONLY: If our payment system isn’t processing your credit card payment, click here to request an alternate method of payment. Please include your name and address in your request.

— Our Region is self-supporting. Viewing rate is per person so please pay your fair share!

—If you select a box during registration and want to make a change, simply un-check that box and check a new one!

—If a selection is not available during registration, that selection may be at capacity and sold-out.  Email Registrar to be added to wait list.

—Registration Questions?: Email Deborah Topolski

 

Are you a member of SCBWI?


Did you know that SCBWI members always receive a discount on events?

Whether Regional events or the International Conference, all members receive a discount.

Are you a member of SCBWI?  

If so, please log in before continuing with your event registration.

If not, please consider becoming a member.  Click here to learn about membership benefits.

Thank you,
SCBWI

Event Registration

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Ticket Information

SCBWI Member Ticket - $95.00

This price is only available for SCBWI members.

Click to complete registration.


Non-Member Ticket - $150.00
Click to complete registration.


The SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy
The SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy
To register for an SCBWI event, you are required to acknowledge our Anti-Harassment Policy.
Scroll to the bottom to read the policy.

You will then be able to click the checkbox indicating that you have read our policy.

 

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is dedicated to providing a safe and harassment-free environment for all of its members and will take any and all necessary steps to address and prevent harassment at events associated with SCBWI. Harassment under this policy may include verbal comments, written comments, displayed images, or behaviors such as intimidation, stalking, body policing, unwelcome photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention or advances, and bullying or coercion. 

The SCBWI Member Anti-Harassment Policy applies to all situations of harassment or intimidation at any SCBWI Event. An “SCBWI Event” is any event, meeting or activity that is authorized by an SCBWI Regional Manager to be sponsored by, or affiliated with, SCBWI. SCBWI events may include, if properly authorized by an SCBWI Regional Manager, the Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles, the Annual Winter Conference in New York, regional conferences, meetings and meet-ups. This SCBWI Member Anti-Harassment Policy also applies to “SCBWI On-Line Interactions,” which include Zooms, Webinars, online meetings, communications and content posted on, or directed towards, SCBWI’s Social Media accounts or sent through any of the communication tools available on SCBWI’s website, www.scbwi.org. SCBWI’s Social Media accounts under this policy include the official SCBWI accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn.

 

Code of Conduct

All participants in SCBWI Events and SCBWI On-Line Interactions, including faculty, volunteers, staff, and attendees, are required to comply with the following anti-harassment code of conduct. The SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits harassment, including but not limited to the following behaviors:

  • Intimidation, stalking, or following;
  • Sustained disruption of talks or other events;
  • Unwelcome sexual attention or advances;
  • Abusive verbal comments;
  • Quid pro quo– sexual harassment that occurs when one in an authority position requests sex or a sexual relationship in exchange for professional consideration or favors;.
  • Harmful or prejudicial verbal comments, written comments, or visual images related to gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion, socio-economic status, disability, age, appearance, body size, or other personal characteristics;
  • Inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images
  • Unwelcome or uninvited attention or contact
  • Physical assault (including unwelcome touching or groping);
  • Real or implied threat of physical harm;
  • Real or implied threat of professional or financial damage or harm;
  • Body policing, unwelcome photography or recording;
  • Doxing
  • Harassment does not include respectful disagreement or reasonable and respectful critique made in good faith. SCBWI continues to welcome and appreciate presentation of appropriate controversial ideas, free speech, and creative artistic expression. SCBWI encourages members to hold one another accountable to the Code of Conduct as stated in this part of the Policy and to take the perspectives of others seriously when a disagreement arises.

We expect all participants at SCBWI activities, meetings, and networking events to abide by this Anti-Harassment Policy in all venues, including sanctioned events, ancillary events, unofficial events, and social gatherings.

 

Reporting Procedures

Any person who believes there has been a violation of the SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy can report the offense in one or all of the following ways:

  • Certain SCBWI Events, including the Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles and the Annual Winter Conference in New York, will designate one or more Safety Team Members who will be available during the conference to provide a safe space for members to report an incident. The Safety Team Member will report directly to the conference director or regional advisor in charge.
  • A complainant may submit a complaint under this policy to the Director of Community Marketing and Engagement, the Director of Illustration and Artist Programs and/or your Regional Manager.
  • SCBWI has a dedicated email address for reporting any potential incident of harassment under this policy. Anyone who chooses to report an incident can find the Anti-Harassment Report Form on the SCBWI website (About > Anti-Harassment) or use the following link: https://www.scbwi.org/anti-harassment-report-form/. Reports should include the substance of the complaint, date, and whenever possible, a list of witnesses or a reference to the relevant URLs, if the offense occurred through an SCWBI On-Line Interaction.

SCBWI will investigate all complaints subject to the SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy. If the policy applies, SCBWI will investigate the matter and take whatever action is necessary and appropriate to prevent a recurrence and protect the environment at SCWBI Events. If a complaint is made anonymously, please note that SCBWI will not be able to follow up on an anonymous report with the complainant directly, as SCBWI will not have contact information for the anonymous complainant. Moreover, anonymous complaints may hinder SCBWI’s ability to investigate the complaint.  SCBWI will take steps to protect the confidentiality of the complaint, to the extent possible.  However, complete confidentiality may not be possible in all circumstances.  SCBWI will make every attempt to respond to a named complainant in a timely fashion.

If appropriate, SCBWI may report the incident to local authorities.

 

Non-Retaliation

The SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits retaliation against a member of the SCBWI community for reporting harassment, intimidation or discrimination, or for participating in an investigation relating to any complaint made under this policy. The sanctions for retaliation are the same sanctions available to address any other violation of the SCBWI Anti-Harassment Policy.

 

Sanctions

SCBWI takes all allegations of harassment seriously. Complaints will be investigated by SCWBI if they fall within the scope of SCWBI’s Anti-Harassment Policy. Depending on the results of the investigation, SCWBI will determine whether a sanction is appropriate.

Sanctions for faculty, speakers, volunteers, staff or board members may include any of the following:

  • warning the party involved that the particular behavior is inappropriate and must be ceased;
  • immediate removal from a particular event;
  • denial of access to SCBWI spaces and venues on a temporary or permanent basis;
  • withholding of a contracted honorarium;
  • prohibition from future speaking engagements;
  • prohibition from future faculty appointments;
  • expulsion from SCBWI; and/or
  • removal from the Board of Advisors or Board of Directors, when appropriate.

Sanctions for attendees, members, and guests can include any of the following:

  • warning the party involved that specified behavior is inappropriate and must be ceased;
  • immediate removal from a particular event, without refund;
  • denial of access to SCBWI spaces and venues on a permanent or temporary basis;
  • termination of SCBWI membership, without refund; and/or
  • prohibition of future SCBWI membership.

If the conduct at issue involves one of SCBWI’s employees, SCBWI will utilize whatever corrective action is appropriate based on the result of the investigation and subject to SCBWI employment policies and practices.

 

Confidentiality

SCBWI will make every reasonable effort to conduct all investigations into allegations of harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in a manner that will protect the confidentiality of all parties and witnesses. Notwithstanding the above, confidentiality is not absolute, and those with a legitimate business reason to know and be informed of the allegations will be so informed. Parties to the complaint should treat the matter under investigation with discretion and respect the reputation of all parties involved.

    

If you wish to file a complaint or an anonymous complaint, CLICK HERE to access the Anti-harassment Report Form.

If you have questions regarding this policy, you may send an email to tammybrown@scbwi.org. Please include the words "Anti-Harassment Policy" in the subject line. 

 

I have read and accepted the SCBWI Anti-Harassment policy.

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