Speaker Information + Resources
Thank you for your interest in speaking at The BIPOC Author Summit. I’m so excited to team up with you to pull off an incredible event!
The BIPOC Author Summit is a 3-day virtual summit where writers of color will learn from writing and publishing experts, hear from published authors, and find community.
On this page, you’ll find resources meant to make speaking as easy as possible and answer any questions you have.
Quick Links
About the Summit
The BIPOC Author Summit is a free virtual event where BIPOC fiction and nonfiction authors will learn to plan, write, and publish their books. It will run from August 13–15, with pre-recorded presentations, live co-writing sessions, and an online community for both attendees and speakers.
The BIPOC Author Summit is here to both share high quality writing education (for free) and give BIPOC authors a space to find community—the kind that only comes from being with other people who just get it. (“It” being everything that comes with being a writer of color in an industry that’s white AF.
Speaker Benefits
The summit will be super beneficial for the attendees, but you get stuff too! Like…
Free access to the All-Access Pass, which lets you watch the summit replay for a whole year.
50% commission on All-Access Pass sales made through your unique affiliate link.
A boost to your email list from attendees opting in to your freebie.
Done-for-you copy and graphics to make promoting the summit smooth and easy.
Your Commitment
Okay, so what kind of work will this require of you? You’ll have 2 main jobs:
→ Create a valuable, actionable presentation
→ Promote the summit
Presentation Guidelines
Presentations should be 15–30 minutes and pre-recorded, with a vibe that’s more friendly and casual than perfect and polished. We want our attendees to learn something useful and have fun in the process.
Please structure your content in a way that lets attendees walk away feeling like they’ve really learned something—make it actionable. What we don’t want is a webinar-style presentation that makes them feel like they’re missing something (and that thing just so happens to be what you’re selling).
With that being said, here are the presentation formats I recommend:
Slides with a voiceover
No slides (i.e., just you speaking to the camera)
Slides with a little bubble/rectangle of your gorgeous face in the corner
The last one is the best one in my opinion, but do what feels good for you—and keep it engaging. :)
No matter what format you choose, you are free to use your presentation however you’d like in the future!
Your presentation should include great, actionable content. Here’s my suggested outline:
A quick introduction to you and your work
An overview or outline for your topic
Teaching section (this can start with or include where people tend to go wrong with your topic)
Specific action steps
Up to a 3-minute freebie pitch (this can happen at any point in your presentation)
***Presentations are due by July 13.***
Promotion Details
The joint promotion of a summit is one of the most important pieces to its success. As a speaker, you’ll be expected to share two emails to your entire list between August 3 and 15. (And you’re welcome to share the event on your social media accounts—I’ll have graphics and swipe copy for that as well.)
The promotion window starts 10 days before the summit, on August 3. You’ll be provided with email swipe copy and social media graphics and copy. I’ll even have a suggested posting/sending schedule for you to make promo easier for you (or your VA).
During the promotion phase, as the summit is running, we’ll also be promoting the All-Access Pass. This includes:
immediate access to the presentations
access to the replays for a full year
a private podcast so attendees can listen anywhere
bonuses provided by speakers
When you share about the summit, you’ll want to use your affiliate link (I will send you a separate email about setting this up), so you get your 50% commission.
You’ll find swipe copy and graphics in the Resource Vault below.
Important Dates + Action Items
1. Speaker Intake Form — due ASAP
The first thing I’ll need is some basic information (name, pronouns, website, etc.) Don’t worry, you don’t have to have the details of your presentation ready yet—this is just the form that lets me know you’re in! Fill it out here.
2. Contributor Materials — due June 17
This form is a bit more detailed (speaker bio, headshot, session title and description, etc.). I’ll need this info so I can finish up our registration page and speakers page. Fill out the form here.
3. Presentation Recording — due July 13
When you’ve finished your presentation, you can email me a copy (MP4 format) or share a link to where I can download it at sabrina@unpolishedwords.com.
4. Promotion Period — August 3–15
During the promo period, you’ll send two emails promoting the event to your entire list. Posting to social media is optional but encouraged. You can find swipe copy and graphics in the resources vault below.
Don’t forget to create your affiliate account (instructions coming soon)! Every time you share about the summit, you’ll share your unique link, so we can track your commission and get you your money.
5. Summit Dates — August 13–15
The summit starts Thursday, August 13, and the last day is Saturday, August 15. Presentations will be available to summit attendees through August 22, unless they have the All-Access Pass, which gives replay access for a whole year.
6. Affiliate Payouts — by September 15
I’ll send your commission payment by September 15 (and if I don’t, you have permission to lightly harass me!).
Resource Vault — coming soon!
Now for those resources I mentioned.
In this folder you’ll find the following resources:
To-do List
Graphics
Swipe Copy
Presentation Templates
Meet Your Host
Hi, I’m Sabrina :)
Latina Book Coach, Chronic High Achiever, and Giant Nerd
So of course I’ve been dreaming for literal years about bringing some of the best book coaches, editors, writers, and other publishing professionals together to share their expertise. In my own coaching work, I help BIPOC authors (like you!) figure out where to start and what to do next so you can write and publish that book you can’t stop thinking about.
I know I already said this, but it’s important enough to say again: I created the BIPOC Author Summit to both share high quality writing education (for free) and give BIPOC authors a space to find community—the kind that only comes from being with other people who just get it. (”It” being everything that comes with being a writer of color in an industry that’s white AF.)
I’m on a mission to add more color to the bookshelves, because I envision a future where books by us are as widely known, loved, and revered as the “classics.”