Pre-Conference Sessions
Attending a speaking and writing conference is a big step, and you want to get the most from the experience. Do you want to go deeper? You may want to add a pre-conference session on Wednesday afternoon before the main Speak Up Conference begins on Thursday morning. There are nine options covering speaking, writing, social media, and more. The pre-conference sessions are $100 each, and cover all materials. The pre-conference sessions are not available for purchase alone, and are only available as an addition to one of the conference packages. If you’d like to select more than one option, you may do that, but only one would be live. The others would be available after the conference in a recorded video format.
Writers’ Pre-Conference Options
$100 – Book Proposal Intensive Clinic (3 hours)
Presented by Dave and Cindy Lambert
Limit: 25 registrants
• Non-fiction Proposal Template
Prerequisite: Complete and bring with you a working proposal. Please download and use one of the templates above, or you may use a proposal model you’ve found on your own.
A winning book proposal is a tool that entices seven audiences (author, agent, editor, pub board, marketing, creative, and sales) 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.
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.
Endorsement:
Proposal-writing classes have always left me feeling a bit bewildered. Each instructor had their own, different list of “musts,” “do’s,” and “don’ts.” The fog lifted for me after working with Cindy Lambert at the Colorado Christian Writers’ Conference. A delightful and caring mentor, I would have enjoyed her class under any circumstances. But as a teacher Cindy really zeroed in on: WHAT we needed to include in our proposal, WHY that information was important to an Acquisitions Editor, WHERE each section should be shown for optimum effect, HOW to dig deeply to uncover what made our writing stand out in a crowd, and, maybe most importantly, WHO are our readers? It took my understanding of writing and publishing to a whole new level.
Lori Hynson, Author of SuperGal vs God
$100 Marketing & Platform (3-hours)
Taught by Cheri Cowell
Marketing and Platform: Turning These Twin Dreads into Your Biggest Assets
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
Speakers’ Pre-Conference Options
$100 — 15-minute video presentation with one-to-one critique with a Speak Up faculty member – 30-minute time slot
You will end up with a ZOOM video of your presentation, as well as specific verbal feedback that will help you move to the next level in your speaking. Your 30-minute appointment will begin with looking over the answers to the questions below. Then you will be taped with your Speak Up faculty member observing. If you choose to speak longer than 15-minutes, it will cut into your time of feedback, but that is your choice. Your content can be whatever you choose. It can be a complete talk, or a portion of a longer talk. You will be given feedback on both content and delivery during your 30-minute appointment. Video Worksheet - printable instructions
If you would like to pre-record your 15-minute presentation, that would be fine, and "how to" instructions will be available.
$100— 7 Strategies to Secure Speaking Engagements (3 hours)
Taught by Robyn Dykstra
There are many ways to get more opportunities to speak and Robyn will give you 7 tried and true strategies to find places to talk. You will leave this interactive session with a good elevator pitch, dialogue for cold calls and templates to email to your leads.
Speakers’ and Writers’ Pre-Conference Options
$100 – Essential Tech Tools—for Writers, Speakers & Leaders (3 hours)
Taught by Carol Ensminger & Shawna Culp
Bring your ideas, questions, and laptops for this hands-on tech training. In this Pre-Conference Session, we will discuss key components to you need in order to take your story to the world using the crazy tech world we live in. We will share tips and tricks that are simple to use and will erase all your fears of tackling technology in your ministry.
We will start by demonstrating the many ways to save time, direct your focus and end frustration by turning to the technical programs such as Evernote, Scrivener, Zoom, and Basecamp.
Then we will continue our journey with a hands-on support helping you implement the programs, produce eBooks, and setting you up to make money with just one talk.
Join us as we use technology to take your book, speech or ministry to the next level.
$100 – Prepping & Polishing Your Pitch (3 hours)
Taught 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.
$100 - How to Make a Living as a Writer and Speaker (3 hours)
Taught by Pam Farrel
This session features the international speakers and best-selling authors of Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti, Pam & Bill Farrell. You’ll learn how to take an idea, a thought, or a truth and begin building a full-time ministry around it. Pam & Bill will share their journey from being a struggling young couple who invested their last $25 in a writers’ conference that grew into a full-time writing, speaking, and coaching ministry, along with a membership community, and both for profit and non-profit organizations. You’ll learn many practical steps that will help to launch your ministry, along with hearing their captivating personal story.
$100 - 4 Keys to Keeping Your Speaking and Writing Ministry UNSTUCK (3 hours)
Taught by Pat Layton
Our journey as speakers and writers is exciting, mysterious and terrifying, all at the same time. At the beginning we tend to keep our “calling” hidden deep in our most secret place, afraid to tell a single soul, for fear of stepping into utter rejection and imposter syndrome. Surely everyone will know we don’t have a clue about what to do! When we finally get the courage to claim our dreams out loud, we move from “Yikes! It’s out there for the world to see,” to “I still feel all alone and stuck, but I’m ready to move forward.”
This in-depth “deep dive” will help you understand 4 keys that will keep you UNSTUCK throughout your life-long ministry journey of speaking and writing. Each key represents a revolving locked door, randomly blocking your journey in times of plenty as well as times of drought.
Once you identify them and capture the key, you will be forever free to step into whatever season God has for you. This session offers practical action steps.
$100 - Grow Your Platform Using Email and Social Media (3 hours)
Taught by Jill Savage
You have a story to tell and wisdom to be shared! One of the most important first steps of writing and/or speaking is growing your platform—creating a community of people who want to hear or read what you have to say.
This three-hour super-session will teach you how to grow your email list, and your Instagram and Facebook following.
In this three-hour, practical workshop Jill will:
- Help you understand the importance and power of email marketing.
- Define email marketing terms you need to know, use, and understand.
- Generate ideas to assist you in developing a lead magnet that will grow your email list.
- Discuss why social media is important to engage.
- Explain how to grow a following without it taking over your life.
- Help you set up a compelling profile on each platform.
- Show you how to use smartphone apps and behind-the-scenes tools to make your life easier!
- Share insider tips and tricks that will help you increase your influence!
Note: This is a very practical workshop, please have your smartphone nearby and have WordSwag, Instagram, and Facebook apps already loaded on it.