Let’s Go To She Speaks! May is BUSY

This post was originally published in 2016.
It has been updated with links and information related to She Speaks 2022. 

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It’s the first Monday of the month and you know what that means!  She Speaks Day!  And girls, hang on to your hats, because it is about to get REAL!  If you haven’t started to feel the burn yet, I promise you will this month because there is so.much.to.do.

BUT!!  Don’t get overwhelmed by it.  Just take it a bit at a time and before you know it, you will be done!  And sadly, before before you know it, you will be back home reflecting in the glow of your amazing She Speaks experience, wishing you were back in Charlotte.  So enjoy every minute.  Be sensitive to what God wants to teach you in every step of preparation, in your travels, as you love on and support each other.  You are going to want these moments back, so don’t waste them!

Ok … I am going to keep this short this month because the resource section is JAM-PACKED with awesome stuff and I don’t want you to get worn out before you get down there!

 

Here are the things to do in May:

Publisher appointments:  Some time in early May, if you have a publisher appointment, you will receive something from P31 listing the publishers and agents who will be attending, what types of books they are looking for and tips for choosing who to request.  Your top three choices will be due back in late May or early June.  P31 has a list of the representatives attending if you want to do a little advance stalking research.

This year, the publisher appointments will be via video the week AFTER the conference.  I really love this. I’ve seen so many people stressing out about their appointments during the conference and really miss out on much of what the actual conference has to offer.

How is that book proposal coming? If you need help preparing your book proposal, P31 recommends this book, and I love the resources from my friend Chad Allen.

Chad Allen is a writer, editor, speaker, entrepreneur, and creativity coach. He is also the creator of the BookCamp membership.  has a ton of book proposal posts and resources on his site to help create a strong proposal.  Chad has also stopped by here a while back to give some tips on making the most of your meetings with acquisition editors.

nfbookcoverMary DeMuth is another best-selling author who is passionate about helping other writers.  She has created an ebook and a template for Writing a Winning NonFiction Book Proposal.

Let me tell you a story about someone who used Mary’s template.  This time two years ago, Shauna Shanks was the mom of three adorable little boys and a wife with a powerful story of, in her own words, “this great-big, amazing, life-changing God that loved me, and loved them too.” She had written her story but had no idea what to do with it.  A friend of a friend suggested that she go to She Speaks.

Registration was closed and she ended up on the waiting list.  By the time she was notified that a space was open for her, the publisher appointments were full.  By the time she was notified that a publisher appointment spot was open for her, it was only three weeks before the conference! (Are you noticing a pattern here?  God’s hand of provision is ALL OVER this girl’s story!)

Shauna grabbed a copy of Mary’s book and the template and got to work, literally copying and pasting straight into the template.  At She Speaks, she met with the editor from Zondervan.  She was asked to send her book proposal and after several months of getting the green light at each step, Shauna published her first book! I’d say that was a winning book proposal! Plus an obedient girl who pressed in to Jesus and let Him take charge of the results.

I also want you to take note of the post from Liz Giertz .  Her story is probably more typical of the She Speaks experience and I just love the way she has processed all that happened. She is a fabulous writer and God has a big plan for her message …. one day.

This NO wasn’t God releasing me from the message He has called me to carry. It was Him encouraging me to find out how much further I could take it. ~ Liz Giertz

Welcome Reception – The She Speaks team just announced a Welcome Reception to be held the night before the conference starts.  Join us in the lobby of the AC Marriott Ballentyne from 5pm to 7pm, even if you aren’t staying at the hotel.  No RSVP needed.  This little gathering will be hosted by Glynnis Whitwer, Karen Ehman, and Ruth Schwenk, so it is sure to be lots of fun!

Is it getting real yet??

Let me say one last word this month about business cards and one-sheets, because a couple of people asked me about them.  It’s a good idea to have business cards and one-sheets at the conference.  They make it easy to share your contact info and what you are about with all of your new friends.  If you have been at this a while and are solid on your ministry branding (purpose statement, tagline, online presence, etc.) it is okay to go ahead and get those things ou of the way.

If you are new to all this stuff, it’s best to wait.  As you work through your all of the other preparations, your view of your ministry may change or be clarified, so you’ll want to bake that into the things you hand out at the conference.  I learned this the hard way my first year.  Don’t rush it.

Whew!  You think that’s enough to focus on for one month??

Let’s round up some resources to help out:

RESOURCES

Get info on publisher appointments and the representatives attending

Are you feeling overwhelmed?  Here are two resources from me to help!

Stop the Idea Tornado Webinar

This FREE webinar will walk through my unique Idea Tornado toolkit and show you how to capture all those ideas swirling in your head, filter and prioritize them and how to create an action plan that is doable. Access the Idea Tornado Webinar here 

MTAB FB 2

In this six-week self-paced course, you will take a deep dive into your ministry and look at your Purpose, Pieces, Presence, People and Position in a new way. You come out with a specific Master Plan to confidently make God-honoring decisions!

 

8 thoughts on “Let’s Go To She Speaks! May is BUSY”

  1. I so wish I had had this kind or organization and encouragment this time last year! And you’re really making me want to go again… But for this year, I’ll have to stick to praying for all the women who are! Thanks for being fabulously generous, Christa! xo, liz

    Reply
  2. Anyone going to She Speaks or any other conference should pay close attention to all your organization, Christa! Thanks for selflessly working to help all of us navigate these waters-priceless!

    Reply
    • How cool is that? There were a few mother/daughter pairs last year. Praying for y’all to have an amazing experience. And I love the name of your blog! I had a #butgodperiod moment tonight!

      Reply
  3. Beautiful stories and memories; thank you for sharing, ladies. And, thank you, Christa, for hosting, and for all the advice you’re giving in preparation for She Speaks. ((grace upon grace))

    Reply

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