Does Your Book Need a Sensitivity Reader?
Things to consider when writing outside our own experiences
Image: open laptop with multicultural, multigenerational faces across the screen.
Image credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Over the past few years, you may have heard the term “sensitivity reader.” Perhaps you’ve heard it in a positive light, used as a means to enlighten writers to potentially clichéd or misrepresented characters or harmful stereotypes.
Or maybe you’ve heard them referred to as “censors of free speech,” presented in a negative light by those who are either ignorant to or purposefully defensive about those stereotypes.
Regardless of anyone’s personal take on sensitivity readers, they’re here to stay, and not a moment too soon, in my opinion. Insensitive or exclusive language is something where just about all of us have at least one blind spot, and as the language changes, more and more people are speaking out about those blind spots.
Editor Crystal Shelley refers to sensitivity readers as “authenticity readers,” and I think it’s a more apt term I’m going to adopt. Sensitivity gives the impression of hurt feelings or taking offense when there is none, whereas authenticity nails the description, showing the need to get things right, rather than misrepresenting people or cultures. You can read more of her thoughts on this here, and I recommend that you take the time to look through her many other helpful posts.
What does a sensitivity reader do?
Sometimes called diversity readers, sensitivity readers are, at the core, protectors. They can be someone who is part of a specific community (grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, a victim of abuse, someone with a physical disability) or part of a larger group based on skin color, social class, religion, sexuality, and more.
The goal of using one during a beta read or a manuscript evaluation is to improve the book (and the reader’s experience as a result) by checking for character portrayals, language, or situations that feel inauthentic. If there are behaviors, words, or physical descriptions that stand out as incorrect or hurtful, a sensitivity reader will note those things and will often suggest a better phrasing or will explain why that particular thing is problematic.
But what about free speech?
There will always be someone out there who swears the world is out to shut them up from saying what they want to say. Those people often shout, “Censorship!” when anyone mentions that they’re being offensive.
First of all, just because someone has the right to say what they wish (and this isn’t the case all over the world, either), that doesn’t provide immunity from repercussions if their words are offensive and harmful. You can write whatever you want in your book, and you’ll have a certain audience who agrees with you. But if your writing is inflammatory (whether intentional or not), there will also be a certain audience who doesn’t appreciate it or is even hurt by it.
The bottom line is that having diverse, inclusive, and accurate books isn’t about free speech or “censorship.” It’s about respecting marginalized communities who deserve to be treated better and represented well.
But I didn’t mean it that way . . .
The real problem stems from writing that’s not intentionally hurtful, but ignorant in its hurtfulness. Let’s face it: we don’t know what we don’t know. If I were writing about a culture other than my own (which is perfectly fine), but was uninformed as to how that culture worked, I might present a highly inaccurate picture of the workings of their society, based on my own preconception of how things look from the outside.
Far from imposing censorship, a good sensitivity reader will help the writer to show accuracy in the world or situation they’re writing about. The goal is not to remove all references to a marginalized group; it’s to show the truth in it so others don't continue in their own preconceived ideas or misconceptions.
How to know if you need a sensitivity reader
Most writers do their homework, so to speak. If they’re writing a book set in Ireland and they’ve never been there, they do exhaustive research to ensure their descriptions of the land, weather, people, traditions, and places are authentic to it.
Most writers also employ beta readers to give valuable feedback on an almost-ready-to-publish manuscript. All writers should do this, really (see my post about beta readers, what they do, and why they’re important), to get an idea of whether they’re hitting the mark or not with what they’ve written.
But do all writers need to hire a sensitivity reader? Probably not—especially if you’re only writing about what you already know. But when you decide to write about characters and cultures outside of your own lived experience and identity, it’s a good idea to find a sensitivity reader who does have the lived experience that you’re writing about. Or let them write about their own experiences.
For example, let authors of color write stories about people of color as the main characters, instead of taking up space writing about an experience you’ll never have if you’re white. And if you’re able-bodied, leave it to disabled authors to tell stories about disabled characters. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have characters of color, or disabled characters, or LGBTQ+ characters, of course. But you don’t need to be writing from their perspective. Instead, doesn’t it make sense to uplift authors in those communities?
So long story short: If you’re writing about something that’s outside of your lived experience (except for things that don’t actually exist, like sci-fi and fantasy), it’s a good idea to hire a sensitivity reader.
Also, if your beta readers (or anyone who’s seen your manuscript) mention areas they find problematic because of your portrayal of a person or culture, it’s time to find a sensitivity reader. Comments like “I’m not sure if you realize this word/description is highly offensive to X culture” or “This isn’t actually what these people are like” can leave strong clues for you that a sensitivity reader may benefit you.
So am I stuck writing only what I know?
Clearly, there are those who are better off writing what they know. It strengthens their writing and provides a more powerful narrative. But sci-fi writers, for example, have never been to alien worlds, and they’re certainly not going to stop writing terrific adventures anytime soon. So no, you aren’t limited to writing what you know personally.
But care should be taken when writing about characters who don’t represent our own experience or background. Women can write about men, and men can write about women. White authors can have black characters in their books. Black authors can have Asian characters in their books. LGBTQ+ authors can have cisgender or straight characters in their books. City people can write about cowboys.
When writing those characters, however, get your facts straight, and keep your writing unbiased. We should be past the point of using things like the funny fat friend, the white savior, or the Asian airhead tropes.
What should I expect if I hire a sensitivity reader?
First, expect to pay them. Sensitivity reading can be an emotionally exhausting job. It’s a good idea to view it as one more step in the editing process, hiring someone with a valuable skill you don’t have.
Second, expect that with such a variety of topics, every reader cannot cover every need. A disabled sensitivity reader is great for books written about people with their disability, but that doesn't mean they'll be able to give you great feedback on how you represented your non-binary character unless they themselves are non-binary. And as every person’s experiences are different, one person within a community may have a different perspective than others on the same topic.
Third, expect honesty. Sensitivity readers will be kind about what they have to say, but they won’t mince words. Their job is to make you aware, and they can’t do that if they’re trying to not hurt your feelings. They’ll never try to be harsh (because after all, you’re learning and they’re trying to gently educate you), but in the end, they’ll say what needs to be said to get the message across.
Fourth, expect professionalism. If you hire a professional sensitivity reader, you won’t end up with a report that tells you what a terrible person you are for writing what you did, and that they hate you now. They understand that they’ve been hired because you care to learn and represent their community well, and the report will reflect that.
Fifth, expect it to take a little time—perhaps two to four weeks. They’re not reading for pleasure, breezing through a book, or skimming. They’re reading every word with an eye for what may stand out as disingenuous or harmful, and that type of reading takes longer. They’ll also need to take notes and write their report, taking the time to phrase things in a way that can be understood easily.
Finally, expect to pay attention to the feedback given. There’s nothing worse for any editor or pre-reader than to provide thoughtful feedback that gets ignored. It’s never an easy thing to provide critique, but the ultimate goal is to improve the quality of the book, so keep that in mind when reading through the feedback. Keep an open mind, take a break if you need to, put it down for a day, and then reread it and see how you can implement the changes suggested.
In summary
Sensitivity readers won’t guarantee you’ll end up with a bestseller on your hands, but they’ll help ensure that you have a diverse, inclusive book that won’t cause harm to your readers.
HELPFUL RESOURCES: Conscious Language Toolkit for Writers and Conscious Language Toolkit for Editors are practical guides available at https://www.rabbitwitharedpen.com/shop
