SCBWI NY METRO NEWSLETTER

Check out what's new this month around the NY Metro and beyond!

IMPORTANT UPDATES

Want to get more involved Volunteering with the NY Metro region?

Some exciting positions on the Regional Team will soon be available for eligible SCBWI NY Metro region Premium Members to apply. We will send separate emails about the positions and call for applications soon. Keep an eye on your inbox and feel free to email nymetro@scbwi.org with any questions.

Critique Partner Database

Are you looking for a critique partner? Then check out the NY METRO Critique Partner Database! Click on the link below to fill out the survey. Once you complete the survey, a link to the database will be sent to you. You can specify what, where, when, and how you critique! REGISTER

Upcoming SCBWI NY Metro Events 

Field trip to Mac Barnett Book Release Event @ The Strand

Join your fellow NY Metro chapter members as we field trip to an in-person speaker event hosted by the Strand with author Mac Barnett discussing his new book MAKE BELIEVE-- an incisive, intimate, and timely invitation to approach children’s literature not only as an art form worthy of deep study and criticism, but as a portal into the lives of the children. 

After the event, our group will debrief on what we learned and socialize!

Either buy your ticket in advance on the Strand website ($13.61, link below), or reach out to us at nymetro@scbwi.org for financial assistance with a subsidized ticket rate. We want to make this important discussion accessible to all of our members!

Event info on Strand Bookstore's website

Direct ticket purchase link

WHEN: Friday May 8, 7PM

WHERE: The Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

RSVP to let us know you're joining our group!

Book Club June Meetup

To be great kidlit writers and illustrators, we must also be great kidlit readers! Have you ever finished a great book and yearned to geek out about the craft of it with others? Then NY Metro Book Club is the group for you! Sign up for our new Discord group to get book club updates and join the conversation as we read and discuss children's books from a craft perspective. Writers and Illustrators welcome!

June Pick: When The Sea Turned to Silver, written and illustrated by Grace Lin

WHEN: Monday, June 8, 6pm

WHERE: Brookfield Place Winter Garden Atrium, 230 Vesey St, New York, NY 10281

RSVP

Also sign up for our Book Club Discord group here. Writers and Illustrators welcome!



The Business of Book Publishing: Financial Literacy for Creatives w Senior Literary Agent Linda Camacho

Publishing is the marriage of art and commerce. In this session, Senior Agent Linda Camacho of Gallt & Zacker Literary will demystify the finances of publishing so that authors and illustrators can feel empowered as they build their careers. We'll break down the elements of a book deal, delving into advances and royalties, payout installments, and how subsidiary rights help you earn out. Moreover, we discuss how to manage living with the "feast or famine" mentality of publishing and what avenues you can take to diversify your income as you move progress in this business.

WHEN: Thursday, June 18, 2026 7:30-9pm

WHERE: Virtual

Register

Recurring NY Metro Meet-Ups

Did you know: Recurring meet-ups are run by member volunteers! Want to start a neighborhood or virtual meet-up? Contact us here!

NEW! Illustrators Meet-Up Group

Join us every Monday from 6 to 7:30pm to draw, share our work, and nerd out about all things Children’s books. Whether illustrating is a passion or your career, we’d love to have you. We can’t wait to create with you! Contact madelineonordstrom@gmail.com or elenacarmichaelauthor@gmail.com for more information.

Upcoming KidLit NY Metro Events

(Unaffiliated with SCBWI)

May 5, 6pm @ Books of Wonder

Launch of Bad Badger: A Family Story by Maryrose Wood INFO

May 9, 11am @ Books Are Magic

Storytime with Christian Robinson and his picture book, Dad RSVP

May 9, 2pm @ Books of Wonder

Celebrate Biscuit the dog's 30th birthday and his latest tale, Biscuit Rides the Ferry. Meet author Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrator Pat Schories RSVP

May 13, @ The Twisted Spine

Release party for the YA horror/slasher novel, Body Count by Cody Crowley in conversation with Ryan La Sala Get Tickets

May 16, 2pm @ Books of Wonder

Launch event for author, Erin Frankel’s Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive RSVP

May 23, 11am @ Books Are Magic

Storytime with Christy Hale’s Reaching Across the Sky with Sandra Galeota-Long.

RSVP

May 23, 2pm @ Books of Wonder

Great Middle Grade Graphic Novels panel hosting authors and illustrators Jorge Aguire, Andres Vera Martinez, Sylvia Bi, Matthew Loux, and Morr Meroz with their remarkable reads! RSVP

Member Good News!

Are you an SCBWI NY Metro member who has good news to share? Email us at nymetro@scbwi.org or fill out this google form here!

Upcoming Events from Other SCBWI Regions

May 2: Storytelling Through Pictures w/ Andy J Pizza (SCBWI Alaska) REGISTER

May 4: The Author-Editor Relationship with Senior Editor Grace Kendall + SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITY!  (SCBWI IOWA) REGISTER

May 9: Beyond the Evil Stepmother: Crafting Villains with Goals, Vulnerabilities, and Humanity in Children's Literature (SCBWI Southern Breeze) REGISTER

May 12: FREE! Inside the Caldecott Award w/ Committee Chair, Jewel Davis (SCBWI Carolinas) REGISTER

May 15-17: SCBWI New England Spring In-Person Conference @ Stamford, CT (An easy commute from NYC!) REGISTER 

May 21: FREE! Panel talk: Pathways to Publishing with authors Kathy Macmillan, Dan Swanson & Tracy Gold (SCBWI MD/DE/WV) REGISTER

May 23: SCBWI San Diego presents MayFest! REGISTER

Volunteer with Us!

Did you know the SCBWI NY Metro Chapter is run completely by member volunteers? Below are a few volunteer positions we are looking for:

• PAL Coordinator:
• Are you a Published and Listed (PAL) author and/or illustrator? We’d love to have you come on board and brainstorm/coordinate events and programming geared specifically to PAL members.

Email us at nymetro@scbwi.org to get involved, to share your own ideas on how to help out, or just to learn more!

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