2026

Pre-Conference Sessions

Do you want to go deeper at the Speak Up Conference? Sign-up to attend one pre-conference session. Sessions will take place in person on July 8th at 10:00 AM. You can go through the pre-recorded sessions at your own pace.

Buy live Session $100-$250 Buy Pre-recorded $50 BUY PERSONAL WRITING CRITIQUE $50-$100

If you have a Plus or VIP ticket, one live pre-conference session valued at $100 is included.

In-Person Session Options

All live sessions cost $100 each; the special session opportunity for a Speaker Sizzle Reel is $250. Attendees can only attend one session. If you have purchased a Plus or VIP ticket, one pre-conference session was included.

Click on a purple title to learn more about what each session will cover!

Special Session ($250)

Create Your Speaker Sizzle Reel

$250
15-minute Blocks with Mary R. Snyder

Feeling like your speaker video is as outdated as dial-up internet?  Do you struggle when someone asks for your video because you know it’s not your best!  Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

 “Create Your Speaker Sizzle Reel” – a fast-track solution to getting a video that actually represents the best of you. We’ve brought in a top-notch video editor who will be using his professional skills to give your content the high-quality polish it deserves, ensuring every second is visually compelling, engaging, and perfectly you.

And here’s the best part – no clunky self-editing here! Mary is leading several virtual workshops to help you refine and enhance your content in real-time. Show up ready with your ideas, and she’ll guide you to create an engaging 3-minute script that shines. By the end, you’ll be set for a top-quality recording that captures your essence, angles, and latest offerings in crystal-clear, professional style.

Don’t wait to give your speaker reel the glow-up it deserves! Sign up now and get ready to make an impact – not just a video. Because this isn’t just a sizzle reel; it’s your new calling card for more visibility, engagement, and the speaking opportunities you’ve been aiming for.  Limited spots available. 

Purchase

Sessions For Speakers ($100)

Up Your Speaking 2.0

$100
3 hours with Karen Porter

Ditch the notes, own the stage, and stop sounding like a lecture and start sounding like a legend.

Join speaker and coach, Karen Porter, in a completely new workshop Up Your Speaking 2.0.

Why settle for “good” when you can be unforgettable?

In this hands-on intensive, speaker and coach Karen Porter unveils a bold upgrade to her timeless speaking system—packed with fresh strategies and practical breakthroughs.

From building a presentation that sizzles with clarity, passion, and punch, to stage performance skills (body language, pacing, presence), to the elusive ability to speak authentically, powerfully, and free—without notes, your next presentation will be far beyond anything you dreamed possible.

Imagine stepping up to the mic brimming with confidence, speaking straight from your heart, and watching your God-given message land with every listener. If you are ready to raise the bar and unlock your best speaking self, It can happen if you UP YOUR SPEAKING.

7 Strategies to Secure Speaking Engagements

$100
3 hours with Robyn Dykstra

You know God is calling you to speak. You’ve got the message. You’ve got the mission. But the phone is quiet, and your calendar looks more like a desert than a harvest. So—how do you get event planners to notice you and invite you to their stage?
In this practical and inspiring session, Robyn Dykstra pulls back the curtain on how to go from overlooked to fully booked. You’ll walk away with actionable tools and fresh confidence to share your story, impact lives, and glorify God.
You’ll learn how to:

  • Grab an event planner’s attention and stand out from the crowd
  • Clarify your message, find your audience, and book real opportunities
  • Negotiate with confidence so your ministry is sustainable and your message multiplies
    It’s time to move from called to commissioned, from waiting to speaking.

Sessions For Writers ($100)

Book Proposal Intensive Clinic

$100
3-hour session with Dave & Cindy Lambert

This session is limited to 25 registrants

Prerequisite:

Complete and bring with you a working proposal. Please download and use one of the following templates, or you may use a proposal model you’ve found on your own.

A winning book proposal is a tool that entices seven audiences to grasp a contagious vision for a book and then equips them to successfully play their parts in placing the book into the hands of its ideal readership.

In this three-hour intensive clinic, you will be introduced to the following:

  • The business side of publishing decisions
  • The real details behind the closed doors of editors and publishing boards
  • The craftsmanship to write an enticing proposal that captures the interest of publishing professionals.

Developing Your Brand Across Genres

$100
3 hours with Janet McHenry

Having a writing brand helps a writer build an audience and develop a core message. Workshop presenter Janet McHenry has written 27 traditionally published books in eight different genres—all with a Looking Up! message. In this pre-conference session attendees will do the following with a hands-on approach:

  • Establish their mission and vision statements and a branded tagline
  • Learn structure of and create titles and short hooks for three or more different nonfiction genres–Christian living, Bible studies, gift books, devotionals, and memoirs
  • Create a social media plan that focuses on that brand
  • Begin creating a one-sheet for speaking on a related brand topic

Sessions For Ministry Development ($100)

From Message to Masterclass: Build Your First Course in 3 Hours

$100
3 hours with Carol Tetzlaff

Your book or keynote is powerful—but imagine the impact of turning your message into an online course that reaches people long after the event ends. Courses are one of the most effective ways for authors to grow their audience, multiply their influence, and create sustainable income.
In this fully hands-on, three-hour pre-conference intensive, you won’t just learn about courses—you’ll start building one. Step by step, you’ll:

  • Discover why courses are a viable option for extending your message and platform.
  • Identify the right course format and delivery method for your audience.
  • Map out a course outline that aligns with your book , talk, or ministry theme.
  • Explore and navigate platforms to record, create, and foster community
  • Begin creating actual course content you can use immediately—lesson scripts, worksheets, or video ideas.

By the end of this workshop, you’ll leave with a clear plan and a content package to launch your first course with confidence. Whether you’re an author looking to deepen reader engagement, a speaker wanting to extend your stage, or a ministry leader seeking new ways to equip others, this pre-conference will give you the tools to turn your message into a masterclass.

AI for Kingdom Impact: Transforming Your Ministry

$100
3-hour session with Rachel Wojo

Personal Writing Critique ($50-$100)

First Step Manuscript Review with Blythe Daniel

$50
First Step Manuscript Review with Blythe Daniel

Literary agent Blythe Daniel is offering to do critiques for up to twenty attendees prior to the conference. She will read ten pages of a book proposal or manuscript, whichever you prefer, in Word format. She will provide detailed feedback with comments and recommendations for the next steps. Submissions are due before June 1, and critiques will be returned by email by June 15. The conference director will connect you to Blythe for your manuscript submission upon purchase.

Deep Dive Manuscript Review with Shelley Arnold

$100
First Step Manuscript Review with SHELLEY ARNOLD

Pre-conference Manuscript Review: Available for up to fifteen Speak UP attendees who will pre-submit their manuscript synopsis, outline, and/or up to the first ten pages between June 1, and June 10, 2025. Shellie will meet virtually with each writer for one hour and edit a portion of the manuscript. She will evaluate for clarity, focus, continuity, market viability, and presentation, and return to the author no later than July 5. Cost: $100

Pre-Recorded Session Options

All pre-recorded sessions cost $50 each. Pre-recorded pre-conference sessions are NOT included in the basic, plus or VIP tickets and should be purchased separately. Attendees can purchase as many pre-recorded sessions as they want.

Click on a purple title to learn more about what each session will cover!

Book Proposal Intensive Clinic

$50
3 hour session | Presented By Dave & Cindy Lambert

We’ve all heard it said, “Write to your audience, not to yourself.” Good advice! Many authors, however, may know the audience of their book but have no understanding of the true audience of their book proposal.

In this three-hour intensive clinic, you will be introduced to the business side of publishing decisions, discover what really happens behind the closed doors of editors’ meetings and publishing boards, and learn how to craft an enticing proposal that captures the interest of editors and publishers.

Broken into four segments, this hands-on interactive clinic will begin with an in-depth presentation, then offer individual time to work on and refine specific proposal elements of your own, then break into small groups for fiction and nonfiction personal feedback and critique, and finally come together again for advice and guidance to launch you into the world of meeting with editors.

Increase Your Influence and Find Your Stage

$50
Presented By Jill Savage

Years ago, a speaker’s primary stage was one he or she actually stood on in front of an audience sitting in chairs. The internet and social media have completely changed that. There are dozens of stages you can “stand” on each and every day. In this 3-hour pre-conference session, you will:

  • Expand your understanding of what a stage is.
  • Identify next steps to embrace each kind of stage.
  • Discover different audiences who need your message and influence.
  • Learn the language of online marketing and educational platforms.
  • Be inspired to broaden your influence.
  • Strengthen your ability to deliver a power-packed message on any stage.

Upon purchase, you will receive video link instructions automatically via digital download/pdf.

Marketing and Platform: Turning These Twin Dreads into Your Biggest Assets

$50
Presented By Cheri Cowell

They ask, “What is Your Platform?” and “What is Your Marketing Plan?” These two dreaded questions are part of the publishing reality. But how do you get a platform if you don’t have one, and what are you to do when the whole marketing thing overwhelms you? In this class you will learn to build on your strengths while tapping into a plan any writer can put into place. You will leave this class with a step-by-step course of action so you can confidently answer the twin questions with, “Yes, I have a platform and marketing plan, let me show you.”

Key concepts we will cover:

  • Are you a speaker or someone with a message?
  • Becoming the “expert”
  • Getting the gigs
  • The business side of writing- dollars and cents
  • Marketing verses Promotion
  • Getting more done with templates
  • Social Media, Article Writing, Networking
  • Begin before the book is written
  • A blueprint for action

Upon purchase, you will receive video link instructions automatically via digital download/pdf.

Prepping and Polishing your Pitch

$50
Presented By Katie Reid & Michelle Nietert

In this hands-on workshop you will learn how to prepare and design each element of your One Sheet. Authors, speakers, and marketers, Katie M. Reid and Michelle Nietert will also help you find a unique angle and give you time to practice and polish your elevator pitch. As a result of this interactive session, you will have a professional-looking One Sheet and a game-plan for standing out during your one-on-one appointments. 

Upon purchase, you will receive video link instructions automatically via digital download/pdf.