SCBWI stands for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. This professional organization is for individuals who write and illustrate for children and young adults. The mission of the organization is to support the creation and availability of quality children’s books in every region of the world.

Membership

I joined SCBWI in early November 2019, as an Associate Member (open to unpublished writers and illustrators of children’s literature or media, and those with a general enthusiasm for the field.) Additional levels are available for published authors. The first year of membership in the SCBWI is $95. The annual renewal fee is $80. I selected this organization because my current writing projects are a middle-grade series and a young adult trilogy. My intent for 2020 is to explore the benefits of membership in this genre-specific organization.

Benefits

A full set of member benefits is listed on their Web site https://www.scbwi.org/membership-benefits-new. The first benefit I received was a download of The Book: Essential Guide to Publishing for Children. In excess of 300 pages, The Book is full of articles, directories and tips specifically for children’s books. The first article I plan to read is entitled ” 7 Steps to Blogging Success.”

Chapters

SCBWI has Regional Chapters; mine is South Florida. The programs offered by different chapters vary, but appear to include a combination of conferences, workshops, podcasts, webinars, critique groups and other activities. The next Tampa Bay meeting is February 8, 2020, on “Mapping your Scenes,” and I hope to attend. There are also critique group opportunities, but none that are close to me. An on-line critique group is an available option.

Conferences

The South Florida Chapter holds a Conferences in mid-January in Miami and a Workshop in June in Orlando. Other Regions hold conferences at different times and locations.

Publications

SCBWI has other resources, including a quarterly publication called The Bulletin, which accepts article and art submissions. The SCBWI has a monthly enewsletter with current children’s book hot topics, helpful hints, exclusive interviews and monthly contests. I have not had a chance to review any of these resources yet.

The value of membership in SCBWI will be determined by my level of engagement. It will be interesting to see my assessment in a year from now. If you have had any experience with SCBWI, I would appreciate hearing your thoughts about membership.