Thank you for being willing to be a reader for the Speak Up YouTube channel.

Follow the steps below to select and record an article.

1. Select a Piece

Make a selection from the list below.

We’re using the curated list to prevent duplicate recordings. Once we get your piece, we’ll remove it from the list below.

We’ve divided them by male and female readers—to best fit with each piece’s authorship.

Female Readers

• I’m Not Bitter, I’m Better — by Ava Roseboro
• My Homelessness — by Lynn Mendes
• The Day That I Died — by Vanessa Keith
• Bell Ringer — by Ruth Hsieh
• A Lucky Break — by Tawanna Glass
• I couldn’t believe my eyes — by Earleen Mingo
• I have walked in those shoes — by Mary King

Male Readers

• I Don’t Think It Will Last Long — by Tyrone
• No Idea Why — by Edward Smalls
• Think Better — by Angel Williams
• On and Off The Streets — by Troy Burtnick
• Three Friends That I Have Lost — by Dustin LaPres
• I Was a Meat Cutter — by Edward Smalls
• Look at Me — by Bill McIlmail
• To Most People I Look Normal — by Sean
• Call Me Sidewalk — by Sidewalk Mike
• A Long Night — by Mark Gansert
• Dustin’s Story — by Dustin Hinson
• Down and Out — and Loved — by Michael

2. Record It

• Find a good place to read and record. It should be indoors, away from other voices or background noise.
• Use your smartphone. Most devices have a built-in app (often called “Voice Memos” or similar).
• If you mess up or stumble verbally while reading, no worries! You don’t have to start over. Just say “I’m going to redo that” and then re-start the sentence or paragraph. We’ll edit it out afterwards.

Format the recording like this:

• Start with the title, the subtitle, and the author’s name.
• Then: “Read by [your name]”
• Read the entire piece. Take your time with it. Don’t rush the reading.
• Conclude with: “Visit speakupmag.com to read this piece and others from writers facing homelessness. Thank you.”

3. Send It In

That’s it!

Email the completed audio file to readings@speakupmag.org

Where It Goes

These pieces will be published on the Speak Up YouTube Channel. Each reading will be published as a full-length piece as well as several shorts for maximum reach. They may also be shared on other platforms.