What Is A Sensitivity Reader And Why You Should Use One
We live in a world full of diversity; consider that there are neurodivergent people, people with disabilities, and people of different genders, races, sexualities, religions, beliefs, and traditions. Because of this fact, writers and self-publishers have to be sensitive about the content of their work, and when representing this same diversity in their work, they must do so with care.
Many publications have been criticized in the past for representation issues, inappropriate language, harmful stereotypes, biases, etc. Decades ago, a lot of misrepresentation or offensive content could be published and fly under the radar, but in today’s society, we recognize the mishandling of peoples’ identity as wrong, and while we are all still learning, there’s no excuse for being disrespectful (even if unintentional).
One of the most common advice to authors is to “write what you know.” There has also been a push for writers to include diverse characters in their literature, which is good. Representation is important, we all need to be seen, and everyone’s stories matter.
For this reason, it’s important for publishers to get help from people called “sensitivity readers”. This is especially true when an author wants to portray people of another group they don’t personally identify with. They might accidentally use hurtful stereotypes, or offensive words, or terminology without even realizing it. Imagine a Black character being written into a novel but having their hair referred to as ‘nappy’ instead of ‘coily’ or ‘curly’. Or having an East Asian character be referred to as ‘oriental’. Yikes.
When a straight author writes a book about a member of the LGBTQ+ community, no matter how well they understand gender studies, they will likely need help representing this character properly. They certainly will not be able to do so as accurately as an LGBTQ+ person can because it is not their identity. A member of the LGBTQ+ community would be able to draw from personal experiences that the author has never had. What an author can certainly do is research and of course, enlist help.
This notion brings us to the obvious question…
What Is A Sensitivity Reader?
A sensitivity reader, also known as a diversity reader, is a type of beta reader and can also be referred to as a diversity editor.
They are someone who will look at materials or manuscripts according to their specific niches and look for any instances of stereotyping or misrepresentation, or even racism. The sensitivity reader will then point it out to the author.
Every sensitivity reader offers a specialized viewpoint based on their identity and experiences.
Sensitivity readers are a subset of beta readers; they both review unpublished manuscripts, but unlike beta readers who read the manuscript to give authors a reader-perspective review, sensitivity readers read manuscripts for fact-checking.
They help illuminate the truth. The primary goal is to modify the manuscript by pointing out prominent blind spots that might misrepresent marginalized communities that the author is not a part of.
The need for sensitivity readers became a prominent issue in 2016 after the pre-release of a book titled The Continent. Many online reviews pointed out problematic portrayal of race in the book, which led to the rescheduling of the actual release date.
However, some authors have argued over the correct use of sensitivity readers and have its importance. Some authors criticized the idea of sensitivity readers, stating that they work as police against the expression of thoughts, resulting in authors shying away from complex or sensitive topics. But is this true?
There is a misconception that all sensitivity readers do is scold authors and self-publishers for writing about controversial issues.
But, in a real sense, the goal of a sensitivity reader is not to limit thoughts, just to add details to your work and lend you their advice to make your manuscript more accurate and factual.
Why Authors Need Sensitivity Readers
For a predominantly western industry with stories mainly featuring heterosexual, cis-gendered, and White characters, diversity and inclusion are important to represent other cultures, identities, and traditions worldwide. Therefore, for the accurate representation of these societies, it is essential to seek the advice of people who are a part of these diverse communities.
Below is a list of other reasons for using sensitivity readers.
- They Give Response To Lack Of Representation
According to a survey in 2019 by Lee & Lowe, 79% of the publishing industry is White. In this case, even if we see more racial diversity in the characters being written in novels, it does not necessarily mean they are being written by people belonging to those particular races. And, of course, the same thing goes for people of other racial backgrounds depicting characters of racial groups they are not a part of.
Regarding these facts critically, an author can study other races but will not be able to tell a tale based on personal experiences. Thus, there is a need to check for proper representation.
As an author, people will remember your name when your book does well; people will also not forget your name when it doesn’t. So it is necessary to represent characters and cultures cautiously, and sensitivity readers can help you to do this.
- Cultural Appropriation
Cultural appropriation is when a person takes elements of another culture or identity and adopts it as their own (usually taking full credit for it or using it in a disrespectful manner), when this person is not affiliated with that culture or society.
No one says you should not write about people outside your identity. But excluding people of another identity from your publication, especially when using elements from their culture, is not a good solution to the problem.
It’s cool that you want to give the elves in your story some beautiful and elaborate feather headdresses in your fantasy story, but did you have to erase the originators of said headdress completely? Is there not a way to combine the racial and cultural elements and physical featureofm the existing people so that people in this community can feel included in your book, not merely stolen from?
Often times sensitivity readers are there to help you explore your options and to help you improve your manuscript.
- Improve The Quality Of Your Book
The appropriate and accurate representation of diverse cultures is vital to the quality of your story.
For example, some nuances are easy to miss when writing about others, but glaringly obvious to the person being written about. A cis-gendered straight person might see it as normal to have one gay friend in the friend group of the novel they are writing. Still, many gay people will tell you that this is quite unlikely, as oftentimes, they seek community with one another. So it is likely that the group would instead include people of varying sexual identities. This might not seem like much to the author, but this can be detrimental to the reading experience of gay people. Even though the author meant to be inclusive, the people they attempted to include might feel like they have to suspend disbelief to get through the story or feel tokenized for the sake of ‘diversity’.
Considering the reality of the diverse people you are writing about helps to make your characters and story feel more real.
- Help Find The Right Readers For Your Book
The collaboration between authors and sensitivity readers can also help find the right audience for the book and whether it’s likely the audience they are writing the book for will embrace it.
For example, for a straight author writing a novel with a lesbian main character, the sensitivity reader will help determine if the book will go over well with the LGBTQ+ community. Sensitivity readers would help authors determine which culture or tradition will embrace your book.
Should You Be Afraid Of Using Sensitivity Readers?
No, Sensitivity readers are not a censorship board. Instead, you hired them to pick out flaws that editors might have missed and help sensitize your publication.
What To Consider When Hiring A Sensitivity Reader
It would be best to consider a few things when hiring a sensitivity reader to edit your manuscripts. First, you must understand that it’s not something any average joe can do.
First, it will help if you ask these questions: “are they willing to make a difference in the world?” And second, “do they understand that they are not censoring anything?” Third, “do they belong to a diverse group?” Finally, “do they love to read?”
If you are satisfied with the response you get, then you can go ahead. However, below are some other essential things you shouldn’t ignore.
- Find Readers Who Understand Publishing
Sensitivity readers are not beta readers. Remember, beta readers don’t necessarily have to be professionals. But sensitivity readers have to understand the prerequisite of publishing. Although they don’t necessarily have to be writers, they are professionals in their own right and should know a bit about the publishing industry.
Your sensitivity reader must be conversant with publication debates and know when and how to impact your publication.
- Set A Strict Deadline
Deadlines are crucial when working with a professional; this would make the importance of your book known.
A deadline makes your expectations as an author clear to the sensitivity reader. Be mindful of the time frame so that the reader can do a good job.
- Sensitivity Reading Is A Paid Service
Some beta readers will read your books for free as a voluntary contribution to your work, others are professional beta readers and expect to be paid. But sensitivity readers are professional readers who charge people for the service they render. Some readers charge by the hour, while some charge by the duration.
You should not know that paying for a service gives you some specific right, and you would also be able to make your displeasure known in a case where the reader does not meet the deadline.
- Allow Readers To Read Well
When giving a reader a deadline, make sure the time frame is not too short. Extended timing is necessary so that the reader will have a deep understanding of your work and provide the needed feedback that would improve your manuscript.
The duration should be between 2-5 weeks to allow readers to evaluate the manuscript carefully.
- Revise The Manuscript
After the sensitivity reader is done reading and has highlighted the manuscript for editing, consider revising the manuscript. Carefully implement the feedback; if there are things you are adamant about keeping the same for a good reason, you have every right to keep it as is. The sensitivity reader only gives you their advice and suggestions. Remember, they are working with you, not against you.
- Carefully Implement Feedback
Again, the primary reason why you hired a sensitivity reader is to help improve your work. It is, however, crucial to go over the feedback they give and carefully apply it to your work.
The input you apply to your publication should center on the diversity of your work; You should use any feedback outside of that with your discretion. For example, if a theme of your book is religious discrimination, and a character in your book holds bigoted views about said religious group, a sensitivity reader would be wrong to tell you to remove the character.
Does Every Author Need A Sensitivity Reader?
Not all authors need to hire sensitivity readers. You only need a sensitive reader when you are a diverse writer, i.e., an author who explores other races, religions, etc.
For example, if you are writing a novel, and your main character is black or gay while you’re white or straight, you need to get a sensitivity who understands these people’s perspective more than you do.
However, suppose you are an author specializing in writing issues or stories around your culture or beliefs. In that case, all you need is the same editors you have been working with. But you might need a sensitivity reader’s expertise the day you decide to explore other cultures.
Sensitivity Reader Rates
The charge of a sensitivity reader depends on either the word count or flat rates. The average pay of sensitive reader who charges by word count as of March 2019 is between $0.005 to $0.1 per word.
For those who demand using a flat rate, it ranges from $100 to $350. However, if a sensitivity reader who charges by word count reads a book with 60,000 words, you will pay between $300 - 600 dollars.
Writing outside one’s own experience is a challenge that every author or self-publisher is willing to take. However, it is essential to get it right when writing about race, ethnicity, religion, gender, ability related issues.