Authenticity Reading
Gender-Based Violence
Writing about gender-based violence requires a nuanced and accurate approach to avoid misrepresenting or invalidating a reader's experience. My sensitivity reading service is designed to help you navigate this complex topic with authenticity and empathy.
As a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence, and a police officer with specialized training in both areas, I am considered an expert on these topics. I also speak at conferences and on podcasts, and I gave the keynote speech for the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence.
My goal is to support you in the accurate and sensitive representation of:
Sexual assault and sexual abuse
Domestic violence, including psychological, financial, and emotional abuse
Teen dating violence and intimate partner violence
Forms of narcissistic abuse and coercive control
I will provide detailed feedback and advice to ensure your representation of these matters is authentic and respects your readers' experiences.
Chronic Illness & Disability
Every chronic illness and disability is unique, and all experiences are personal. I can help you navigate these topics with the authenticity and respect they deserve.
As a person with chronic pain and multiple chronic illnesses, and as a neurodivergent wheelchair user, I have a deep understanding of the daily realities of life with invisible and visible disabilities.
I will support you in accurately representing these experiences and help you locate stereotypes, biases, ableism, or harmful language. My review can assist with situations that relate to:
Chronic Pain & Fatigue: The physical and emotional realities of living with daily pain and extreme fatigue.
Invisible Illness: The challenges of having a condition that is not outwardly visible.
Mobility & Adaptive Devices: The practicalities and social dynamics of using a wheelchair or other mobility aids.
Neurological Conditions: The nuances of living with neurological symptoms, including sensory processing differences.
Medical Gaslighting: The experience of being dismissed or invalidated by medical professionals.
While I cannot speak for every person with a disability, I can provide valuable feedback on your manuscript based on my specific lived experiences, ensuring your portrayal is authentic and respectful.
Authenticity Reading Package:
$350
For manuscripts up to 100,000 words
This package provides a focused evaluation of your manuscript, centered on your specific areas of concern. My feedback is grounded in my personal lived experience, with the goal of helping you avoid potential misrepresentation or harm.
You will receive:
A detailed report with constructive feedback on your representation.
An optional 30-minute post-edit virtual meeting to discuss my suggestions and comments.
This specialized service is based on the editor’s lived experience. The goal is not intended to be a judgment on you or your writing, but to identify potential points of harm or misrepresentation. While this is a good-faith effort at accurate representation, no authenticity reader can guarantee your work is above all reproach. An authenticity read may limit the risk of misrepresentation and helps build reader trust.
FAQs about Authenticity Reading
What is Authenticity Reading?
At its core, this is a type of editing that looks at the author's depiction of specific characters, subject matter, and themes throughout the novel that deal with specific lived experiences. The terms sensitivity reader and authenticity reader are often used interchangeably, but many people prefer the term authenticity as a more inclusive term.
Why do I need an Authenticity Reader?
Authors hire authenticity readers when writing about a lived experience that they have not lived. Authenticity readers help ensure you are depicting a true experience and not just what your assumption of a particular experience is.
Is this censorship?
No, hiring an authenticity reader is not censorship. Like any other form of editing, your authenticity reader simply offers suggestions to help you improve your writing. The goal of the authenticity reader is to help you steer clear of inadvertently offending the audience that you were trying to reach when you wrote your novel.
Who should I hire as an Authenticity Reader?
Authenticity Readers will have expertise in a specific subject matter, and will use that expertise to guide the author and their writing. This means that there is not one catch-all authenticity reader. You would want to hire one who has expertise in the area you’re concerned about.
When should I hire an Authenticity Reader?
There are lots of reasons you might consider hiring an authenticity reader. I would suggest considering it if you are writing about any lived experience you haven’t had.
This could include:
Characters who are a different race from you
Characters who belong to the LBGTQIA+ community and you don’t
Characters who have a disability you don’t have
Characters who experience mental health challenges that you haven’t experienced
Characters that are part of an ethnic community that you’re not part of
Characters have experienced trauma that you haven’t experienced