What Is a Sensitivity Read? A Guide for Authors

There is an old writing adage: write what you know. However, there will be times when you are including identities outside of your lived experience. This is where a sensitivity reader can be helpful. Let’s talk about what sensitivity reading is, how to hire a sensitivity reader, and representation as a whole.

What is a sensitivity read?

A sensitivity read is when you have a reader (or readers) review your story from their lived experience. Typically, you will hire a sensitivity reader when you are writing about an identity that is not your own. However, sometimes even writing within the community, it's helpful to have sensitivity readers. For example, my book NeurodiVeRse includes a variety of autistic representations. Since my aim was a more holistic representation of the autistic community, I hired sensitivity readers to help provide feedback on the identities I was portraying.

A sensitivity reader is going to look for any representation that may be harmful, inaccurate, or based on stereotypes instead of lived experience. Sensitivity reading focuses on representation and is not developmental editing, copyediting, or proofreading.

What sensitivity reading isn’t

There’s a misconception that sensitivity readers will censor or control what you are writing. The final representation will still be yours. The goal of sensitivity reading is to alert you to any misrepresentations and help guide you in correcting them. It isn’t a guarantee that you will not face criticism. Groups are diverse and have differing opinions and lived experiences. It is still important to understand why you are including identities outside your lived experience and how to respectfully represent those identities.

When do you need a sensitivity reader?

Best practice is to obtain a sensitivity reader anytime that you are writing a character outside your own experience. However, you specifically need a sensitivity reader when you are writing about someone’s lived experience. An example of this could be if your main character is a gay man, but you are a woman. Or perhaps you are writing a Black main character, and you are a white author. For both, the main character has an identity that is a core aspect of who they are, and even if the story doesn’t specifically focus on sexuality or race, those are aspects of someone’s identity that are core to who they are as people.

Additionally, even if the main character is not an identity outside your lived experience, but you are writing about a marginalized group, it could be best to obtain a sensitivity reader. For example, if you are an autistic parent writing a book that intricately involves autism, it would be best to obtain an autistic sensitivity reader. Even though you may present the world through the lens of being an autistic parent, how autism is represented will be impactful to the autistic community. There will most likely be areas of autism that are represented in one way, that an autistic sensitivity reader could give you insight into how it would be perceived by the autistic community, or even more intimate knowledge of being autistic that could strengthen the book without causing harm to a marginalized community.

What to expect from the process

Each sensitivity reader will have a different process, and it is best to coordinate with them directly. It is in everyone’s interest if there is a contract that clearly outlines what the sensitivity read entails, what identities are being read for, the cost, and the timeline. Sensitivity reading isn’t a fast process. The reader will need enough time to critically read through the story and provide feedback. Most sensitivity readers will leave comments directly in the manuscript, as well as a report that provides more comprehensive feedback.

Depending on your needs, you may submit your entire manuscript or just a section. A section can be a more affordable alternative, especially if a character only appears for a limited time. Or, you could have a specific scene that you are looking for more feedback on. If you submit a scene, make sure you are also conscious of any areas referencing the situation and/or character elsewhere in the novel.

How to receive feedback

Receiving feedback on your book can be difficult, regardless of what the feedback is. Sensitivity reading feedback can be especially hard to sit with. You are creating characters with the best of intentions, and with a reason that is one that you most likely care deeply about. Having someone point out something that could be misconstrued, is inaccurate, or could even cause harm to a community can be a lot to sit with. With any feedback, I suggest you read it through once and then sit with it before making any changes. This is especially important with sensitivity reading. It is possible that the feedback can cause intense feelings within yourself. Anytime we are doing work involving identities that are outside the dominant culture—i.e., white, abled, cis, heterosexual, etc.—it can leave you with emotions. Take a moment to sit back and remember that your sensitivity reader is not passing judgment. They are helping you to craft a story that best represents their identity. Take time to sit with those emotions, but also understand where your sensitivity reader is coming from.

Do I need to pay my sensitivity reader?

Your sensitivity reader needs to be compensated for their time. Given our society, one of the best ways to do so is to pay them. However, there can be other alternatives that could be mutually beneficial to both parties. For example, services could be exchanged. One author could provide sensitivity reading, while the other could proofread the sensitivity reader’s own writing. The important point is that the sensitivity reader is being compensated for their time in a way that is beneficial to them. Asking a member of a marginalized community to do free labor to help their community from being represented negatively is unfair and harmful. Plan on paying your sensitivity reader. If money is not an option, then make sure to compensate your sensitivity reader in a way that they agree is beneficial to them.

How to work with a sensitivity reader

The sensitivity reader must represent the needs that you are looking for. It is possible that you will not completely understand the needs, as someone outside of the community. A sensitivity reader may ask for clarification. For example, while I am autistic and selectively mute, it would be outside my experience to read for someone who has no verbal communication. It is possible that you will be unable to find someone specifically with this identity, and the difference in lived experience should be communicated to you. It is important to be as clear as possible about your needs, and do not get offended if a reader asks for more clarification. This is a sign that they are making sure they are a good fit for your work.

Always make sure that you work with someone who will address your concerns, lay out what services they offer, and use a contract. Given the nature of the work, it is possible that sensitivity readers will not offer to do a sample read, as this could be considered free labor for their identity.

My services

I offer sensitivity reading for identities including autism, ADHD, C-PTSD, non-binary, queer, aromantic, asexual, and a variety of other lived experiences. Besides my identities, I have a Master of Science in Developmental Psychology and experience as a published author. I understand the expenses of writing and do aim to keep my rates for sensitivity reading low. If you are interested in working with me on a project, you can find out more information here.