sensitivity reading

What Is A Sensitivity Reader?

A Sensitivity Reader is someone who reads an unpublished work to check for unconscious/conscious biases against marginalized communities reflected in the work. Basically they make sure that the work works for all communities; instead of reinforcing the sometimes subtle Othering of populations marginalized by society.

A Sensitivity Reader improves the work, making it useful for more people, which means a broader reach. And isn’t that what you want as an author or publisher?

Why You Need One

“Write what you know.” is the old-school edict for writers, but sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know. And sometimes you have a particular idea that needs fleshing out, but it’s from a POV or lived experience that you just aren’t intimately familiar with. Having friends, partners, or colleagues from that community isn’t the same as being from that community & sometimes only insiders can tell the difference.

A Sensitivity Reader can cover the gaps in your lived experiences that could cheapen your work; or make it unbelievable, or ineffective. A Sensitivity Reader can make your worldbuilding or your arguments really pop instead of being flat words that hold meaning only for a few.

My Process & Fees

I use Google Docs to work. I prefer 2 weeks of working time for works of up to 50K (we can negotiate time for larger works). I generally do a couple of read throughs before making any edits. I use the “Comments” option to highlight problematic words/phrases. Sometimes I’ll offer alternative suggestions, sometimes I won’t, and sometimes I’m simply letting you know how a word/phrase can be interpreted in a way that’s problematic. I will also alert you when there’s a larger ongoing conversation in the community affected by that problematic word/phrase.

How much back/forth between us is up to you. Maybe we need to have a longer conversation about an issue, or maybe you just want the suggestions because you’d already realized it was iffy, but just weren’t sure of other options to express your thoughts. I do ask that you ignore the Google Doc notifications until I’ve given you the “All Done!” message, as I do a number of read throughs while editing & may need to edit my edit!

I currently charge $250 for works up to 50K (with an extra fee for “rush jobs”) .

My Experience

I am a Black, fat, queer, leftist poly dyke with moderate to severe PTSD & related trauma manifestations. I’ve been working in the social justice arenas for almost 40 years. My mentors are some of the finest critical thinkers in social activism, and so are many of the people I am lucky enough to call friend. And I know what I don’t know (for example, while I can make sure you aren’t littering your corporate manual with words like “pow-wow”, or urging your readers to find their “tribe”; if you’re writing about water rights in the midwest, I would refer you to a Sensitivity Reader involved in Indigenous Activism).

In my time working professionally in the queer & feminist arenas, I became the defacto proofreader/editor for various departments (mostly Development); and I was the Interim Arts Editor of a popular feminist journal in the late 90s. I have been the unofficial proofreader/editor for partners’ & colleagues’ writing for decades & I am also a published author myself. So I am familiar with the editing process from both sides of the equation; I’m familiar with the potential sting of critique; and I’m also aware of how much better works are with concrit.

If you’re ready to proceed, or you just wanna talk more before making the leap, please fill out the form below.