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Register now for the In-Person Winter Conference in New York City

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Registration Open for SCBWI Virtual Winter Conference

October 2023

SCBWI connects you to the global children's book community. We provide access to resources, workshops, conferences, and networking opportunities. SCBWI also offers support, guidance, and advice, as well as a platform to showcase your work, gain recognition, and boost book sales.

SCBWI membership

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Opportunities to submit to editors, agents, art directors

Unlimited access to all member content

Purchase to enjoy all membership benefits for one year, then renew annually.

SCBWI Premium Membership

Purchase to enjoy all membership benefits for a year for a special Least Developed Country (LDC) discount, then pay an annual fee of 50.00 USD.

SCBWI Premium LDC Membership

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Explore and learn about career-building  in children’s publishing

Purchase to enjoy all membership benefits for a year at the student discount rate. Annual student membership fee is $25. You must have proof of current enrollment to qualify.

SCBWI Student Membership

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Get a sneak peek of the benefits of membership

Access to public content including podcasts and blog

As an SCBWI registered user, get limited access to profile functionality, resources, and community events.

SCBWI Preview Plan

Membership plans

Get feedback about career-launching portfolios from industry professionals.

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Professional Development

Expand your knowledge about the current state of children’s publishing.

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Awards & Grants

Opportunities to promote yourself and your work.

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Marketing and Promotion

Level up your illustration skills and knowledge for no additional cost.

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Print and Online Resources

Publications and grants to help you publish your book.

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For Independently Published Authors

Special offers for products and services for members only.

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Discounts

Membership benefits

## Membership benefits

SCBWI members have access to a wide range of professional development events, marketing and promotional opportunities, online and print resources, and awards and grants. See below for the benefits your SCBWI membership brings you.

### Professional Development

* **Conferences and Events** — From large global conferences to small, intimate retreats, events are a key benefit of SCBWI membership. Award-winning authors, esteemed illustrators, editors, agents, and publishers present lectures, conduct workshops, and give individual manuscript and art consultations at SCBWI events. These gatherings are excellent networking opportunities for those both already established in and new to the fantastic, demanding world of children’s book writing, illustrating, and translating.
* **Networking and Community** — SCBWI connects you to colleagues around the globe to support your career, whatever the stage. When you become an SCBWI member you automatically become part of one of seventy-seven SCBWI regional chapters around the world.  Opportunities to network with other members and industry professionals exist at SCBWI regional and national events, or online through our social media platforms and Zoom.

### Marketing and Promotion

SCBWI membership comes with opportunities to market and promote your work. Whether you’re a published author, illustrator, or translator and need people to find your book so you can create a fan base, or you’re an independently published creator looking for more exposure for your work, or you’re just starting out and need editors, art directors, and agents to see your work, SCBWI can help increase your visibility in the market.

* **Featured Illustrator** — Illustrators can also submit their art to be considered for the Featured Illustrator, whose art is spotlighted on SCBWI’s main page for one month. Featured illustrators are also interviewed for our YouTube channel and monthly INSIGHT newsletter.
* **SCBWI Book Club** — SCBWI will feature PAL members’ books the third Wednesday of each month with a live interview hosted on Instagram.
* **Illustrator Gallery** — Illustrators can feature their online portfolios in our Illustrator Gallery, which is visited by art directors and others looking to hire illustrators. Each month we select an illustrator member to feature.
* **COMING IN NOVEMBER - SCBWI BookStop** — Published authors, illustrators, and translators can promote their books at our online SCBWI BookStop event. Once a year, in November and December, members are given the opportunity to create a special sales page on the SCBWI website for a newly published book. SCBWI BookStop pages are available online for six weeks. Visitors can browse, purchase, and enjoy learning about you and your book.
* **COMING BACK SOON - Recommended Reading List** — Traditionally published creators may opt to have their books listed on SCBWI’s Recommended Reading List. July is reserved for independently published creators.
* **COMING BACK SOON - Speaker’s Bureau** — Traditionally and independently published authors, illustrators, and translators can advertise in our Speaker’s Bureau, an online database used by teachers and librarians to find speakers for school visits.

### Print and Online Resources

* **Two Essential Guidebooks** — When you become an SCBWI member you have instant access to *The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children* and The Essential Guide to Self-Publishing a Children’s Book. We update both guides throughout the year so that you always have access to the most up-to-date information in the field.
 
 *The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children* is filled with up-to-the-minute market surveys as well as information on maximizing social media, creating book trailers, enhancing your career through school visits, best practices in independent publishing, grassroots promotion, and much more.
 
 *The Essential Guide to Self-Publishing a Children’s Book* outlines the seven steps of publishing, explores ways to market your book, describes how to work with illustrators and freelance editors, and explains the various self-publishing platforms as well as models for earning a living as a self-publishing children’s book author. Members can also order a hard copy of both books for the cost of printing and shipping.
* **INSIGHT** — SCBWI’s *INSIGHT* is a monthly digital publication featuring current children’s book news, hot topics, helpful hints, exclusive interviews with industry professionals, and monthly illustration contests. Members receive the SCBWI *INSIGHT* in their inbox during the first week of every month.
* **PRO-INSIDER** — The *PRO-INSIDER* is a digital publication for PAL (Published and Listed) and Full members. This quarterly newsletter is filled with information on building and maintaining a successful career as a professional writer or illustrator. The *PRO-INSIDER* features articles about contracts, royalties, marketing, school visits, taxes, and everything a professional writer or illustrator might need to know.
* **Digital Workshops** — Exclusive free webinars with luminaries of the children’s book industry, covering the craft of writing and illustrating, as well as acquiring agents, marketing, and more! Digital workshops are hosted live on Zoom, then collected in a digital archive for one month.
* **Podcasts** — SCBWI Podcasts feature interview with authors, illustrators, and other members of the children’s book publishing community in discussions of writing, illustrating, translating, and promoting children’s books. The latest season is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

### Resources for Independently Published Authors

SCBWI membership provides authors and author/illustrators access to member-only publications chock full of information on the business of independent publishing, up-to-date information on the technical tools used by authors who self-publish, guidebooks on how to self-publish a children’s book, awards & grants to offset the cost of publishing your book, and much more. Specific benefits include:

* **The Essential Guide to Self-Publishing a Children’s Book** \- A comprehensive guide available only to Premium Members\.
* [A Database of Vetted Self-Publishing Service Providers](https://selfpublishingadvice.org/best-self-publishing-services/) \- SCBWI is an Organizational Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors $ALLi$\. One of ALLi’s missions is to provide its members with up\-to\-date information on self\-publishing service providers\, publishers\, editors\, book designers\, etc\. Their Watchdog Desk keeps an eye out for scammers and their ratings database flags the rip\-offs and points out the valuable and worth\-the\-money providers\.  Membership in SCBWI comes with access to the ALLi Watchdog Desk Database\.
* [Independently Published Pre-publication Grant ](https://test-web.scbwi.org/awards-and-grants/for-independently-published)— A $2,500 Pre-Production Grant for a member who would like to self-publish but needs help offsetting the costs.
* [The SPARK Award ](https://test-web.scbwi.org/awards-and-grants/for-independently-published)— Premium Members who have a newly self-published book are eligible to apply for this annual award that recognizes excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route. The winner receives $1000, Spark Award seals to display on their book, the opportunity to teach a digital workshop about their publishing journey, and the opportunity to attend any SCBWI conference of their choice tuition-free.
* [Tri-annual Member Magazine About Self-Publishing ](https://test-web.scbwi.org/the-indie-author)— Premium Members can download digital copies of *The Indie Author Magazine,* a publication from the Alliance of Independent Authors that is chock full of information on publishing independently.
* **Participation in SCBWI’s Recommended Reading List for the Month of July** — July is “Celebrate Self-Published Books Month,” and our Recommended Reading List will focus exclusively on Independently Published Books. SCBWI Members who self-publish or publish with a publisher not on our PAL list of publishers can promote their books on the list.
* **The Opportunity to Promote Your Book through SCBWI’s BookStop Campaign**
* Access to SCBWI Member Illustrators Willing to Be Hired to Illustrate Your Self-Published Book — The searchable SCBWI Illustrator’s Gallery can provide you with a list of illustrators willing to work on self-published projects.

### Awards & Grants

SCBWI provides 22 awards, grants, and scholarships to encourage continuing excellence in the creation of children’s literature. Grants are awarded throughout the year and provide financial assistance to members to finish works-in-progress, polish portfolios, attend conferences, market published books, and more.

### Discounts

In addition to discounts at SCBWI events and conferences, members of SCBWI also receive discounts for services including Writer’s Digest, **[Scapple](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple/overview)** and **[Scrivener](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview)** software licenses, Publishers Weekly (twice a year specials) and **[Bowker](https://www.myidentifiers.com/)**[ ](https://www.myidentifiers.com/)author services. Discounts and coupon codes for members only.

<h2>Premium Membership or Preview Plan - what's the difference?</h2> We’re delighted you’ve decided SCBWI is important to your creative journey as a writer, illustrator, or translator.There are two options for engaging with SCBWI:<h3>Premium Membership (recommended)</h3>All paying members are Premium Members and receive full, exclusive access to all SCBWI content. Premium members qualify for discounted registration rates for conferences, events, and other activities, including hundreds of programs hosted by SCBWI's worldwide <a href="https://www.scbwi.org/regional-virtual-events">network of regions</a>. Premium member profiles display banners indicating their membership categories: Associate (pre-published, seeking first-time publication), Full (self-published), or PAL (the member's work has been published by a traditional publisher of books or magazines). Premium membership rates:<ul><li>First-time Premium members join at the $99 rate, then may renew annually at the $85 rate.</li><li>Post-secondary students 18 and older may join or renew at the $25 level. Proof of current undergraduate or graduate-level enrollment must be presented at the time of signup and renewal.</li><li>Residents of Developing Nations (Least Developed Countries) may join and renew at the $50 level. This <a href="https://www.un.org/ohrlls/content/list-ldcs">United Nations’</a> list defines these locations.</li></ul><h3>Preview Plan</h3>Users of the website who register on <a href="scbwi.org">scbwi.org</a> and do not purchase annual membership have limited access to public content only, including our podcast, our YouTube channel, and our blog.

Membership categories

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators provides the resources, professional networking, and community-building opportunities that support creators throughout their careers.

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Become a member of the SCBWI community!