Kid's Book Revisions Workshops:
What's Coming Up and What We Offer

Kids Book Revisions has a number of workshop and retreat programs available, with different topics and workshop lengths.

We are local for workshops in the NY/NJ/CT/MA/PA area and have done a working retreat every summer at the Highlights Foundation near Honesdale, PA (once more in person--see below!), but we also do online classes--see further below for some options. We are now taking bookings for 2025, and beyond. Please contact us if you want to set up a retreat or workshop in your area, or offer an online workshop or retreat.

Here are examples of some in-person events we have given in the past: 1-day workshops, such as "Editing without an Editor," Columbus, OH SCBWI, March 2018, including model critique groups; 2-day mini-retreats, given with the West/Central NY SCBWI in Syracuse in October 2017; 3-hour intensives, such as "Revising Your YA or MG Novel," LA SCBWI conference, August 2016; 4-day Revision Retreat, held annually (planning for twice in 2025) at the Highlights Foundation, near Honesdale, PA.

Free preview: See what our classes are like in this recording and materials from "The Unwritten: What You Don't Say When Writing a Picture Book"--about one hour long, it was originally created for our picture book revision webinar class, as both an exploration of what "the unwritten" is and a preview of the class: The Unwritten--video recording.

Read what people say about our workshops and webinars.

Upcoming Events:

2025

• Upcoming: Mini workshops on revision and related topics will be given by us (Harold Underdown and Eileen Robinson) and our friend and colleague Emma D. Dryden later in 2025. Watch for announcements and updates on this page!

• May and November: Our revision retreat has returned to the Highlights Foundation in-person, in a slightly different form, and includes our friend and colleague Emma D. Dryden as a third faculty member. As in November 2024, live online presentations, videos, and other materials will help you prepare for an in-person 3-day retreat. Space is limited--registration will open soon.

Additional bookings to be posted when confirmed.

Formats Available for Workshops:

• 2 to 4-hour mini-workshops, available as online presentations, which can stand alone or fit into a conference schedule.
  • Example: Editing without an Editor, 3-hour version.
  • Example: Picture Book or Magazine Story.
  • Example: Re-Imagining Your Picture Book.
  • Example: Cover Letters, Query Letters, and Synopses (Oh My!).
  • Mini-workshops on revising novels, both MG and YA, or nonfiction, are also available.
• 1 to 3-day workshops (8-hour days), typically in-person.
  • Sample 1-day workshop schedule.
  • Sample 2-day weekend mini-retreat schedule.
  • Sample 3-day workshop schedule (we can compress the 3-day to a 2-day schedule, though we recommend the 3-day).
• 2-day to 1-week working retreats, with sessions in the mornings or evenings, writing time in afternoons.

Topics/Themes:

• Editing without an Editor (sample schedule, from our Westport series): an overview for writers across all genres.
• Revising Your Picture Book/MG Novel/YA Novel/Nonfiction: Dig into a specific manuscript with two experienced editors.
• Line-editing: New hands-on workshop that digs into this important but seldom covered area.
• Critique Group Recharge: Workshop for critique groups--we come to you.
• Additional topics under development, including Writing Nonfiction for Fiction Writers.

We can also custom-build a workshop or retreat on request, and can bring in other editors and agents, or experts in other areas (marketing, social media, etc.) as needed.

Kid's Book Revisions Home Page