If you’ve never heard of sensitivity readers, you’re not alone. Until recently, I had no idea they existed. But I’m delighted and relieved that they do.
I’m the first one to admit that today’s bent toward political correctness can be taken way too far. On the other hand, some very public figures don’t seem to have even heard of the concept.
Wherever you fall on the PC scale, you want to make sure that your book doesn’t unintentionally offend readers. That’s just as true for those of you writing children’s books as it is for everyone else.
Not marginalizing people seems like it would be easy enough. But when writing about cross-cultural situations or people not like you, especially ones that aren’t part of your daily reality, that can happen all too easily. Even when you have the best of intentions. Even when you’ve done your research and carefully scrutinized your work.
Enter sensitivity readers, also known as “expert readers” and “authenticity readers.” As Marjorie Ingall wrote in her Tablet Magazine article, “Sensitivity readers … are representatives of an oft-marginalized group who try to ensure that the portrayal of the group—be it Jews, people of color, LGBTQ people, or people with physical disabilities and mental health issues—is not dimwitted.”
Consider these experts your line of defense when it comes to unintended cultural messages and/or mistakes. Controversy can be great for book promotion, but the last thing you want is to get called out for errors or bias.
By definition, the reviews of these sensitivity readers provide you with the cultural perspective that you lack, so you’ll want to consider any feedback with an open mind. Whether you wind up accepting their input or not, this is definitely not the time to be defensive or argumentative.
If you’re looking for sensitivity readers, The Writer magazine article “The Importance of Sensitivity Readers” recommends:
Here’s to making sure our work celebrates our humanness rather than the opposite.
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