Authenticity and Sensitivity

Gender-Based Violence

Writing about gender-based violence is challenging. There are many widely believed stereotypes and misconceptions that can be difficult to navigate.

As a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence, I am intimately familiar with these topics. As a police officer, I sought out specialized training in both areas and I’m considered an expert on these topics.

I travel to schools and conferences to speak about these topics. I have been featured on many podcasts, and I was the Keynote speaker at the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence’s 20th anniversary conference in 2023.

The goal of sensitivity reading is to avoid alienating a reader who feels you misrepresented or, worse, invalidated their experience based on your representation. I will support you in accurately representing experiences that include sexual assault, domestic violence, teen dating violence, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse, narcissistic abuse, and other forms of intimate partner violence and control. I will provide detailed feedback and advice to enhance your representation of these matters.

Chronic Illness & Disability

There are many types of chronic illness and disability, and they are all experienced uniquely by the individual.

I have been diagnosed with Endometriosis, POTS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Long Covid, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Auditory Processing Disorder, and ADHD. I also have several debilitating symptoms that are yet to be attributed to a specific illness.

I am neurodivergent, I read lips to assist with my understanding, and, in addition to other mobility devices, I use a wheelchair to experience the world.

I can not speak for every person with a disability, nor will I try. However, I can assist with situations that relate to my lived experiences as a wheelchair user, chronic pain sufferer, and person diagnosed with my specific chronic illnesses.

I can support you in representing these experiences and help you locate stereotypes, biases, ableism, or language that might be harmful to members of the disabled community.

Authenticity Reading Package:

$150

For manuscripts up to 100,000 words

This package includes an evaluation of your manuscript where feedback will be focused on your specific area of concern.

You will receive a detailed report regarding your representation and the option to schedule a 30-minute post-edit virtual meeting to discuss suggestions and feedback.

Please note this is a specialized service with a focus on the editor’s personal lived experiences. The goal is not to judge the writer or the writing, but to identify potential points of harm or misrepresentation. Hiring an authenticity reader never guarantees that your work is above reproach, but it does show a good faith attempt at accurate representation and generally limits the risk of misrepresentation.

FAQs about Sensitivity Reading

What is Sensitivity 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.

Why do I need a Sensitivity Reader?

Authors hire sensitivity 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 a sensitivity 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 a Sensitivity Reader?

Sensitivity 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 sensitivity reader. You would want to hire one that has expertise in the area you’re concerned about.

When should I hire a Sensitivity Reader?

There are lots of reasons you might consider hiring an authenticity reader. I would suggest consider it if you are writing about any lived experience you haven’t had. 

This could include:

  • Characters who are a different race than 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

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