The Who, What, and Why of Sensitivity Reads

In December 2017, the New York Times inquired whether sensitivity reads result in better books—or censorship. At that time, several books (mainly debut YA novels) were deemed offensive in pre-publication reviews and delayed by the publisher as a result. In 2019, following a backlash, a YA novel was withdrawn from publication at the request of the author, who, ironically, worked as a sensitivity reader. Online skirmishes have also prompted authors of adult books to revise, postpone, or pull their work, both in the US and across the pond.

Last summer, not long after denouncing the idea of posthumous edits of literary classics, PEN America implored the literary community “to be zealous guardians of literary freedom and to avoid giving in to pressure to pull books because of content that some consider offensive.” Social media calls for canceling books seem to have subsided (although conservative-led book bans have not).

Still, writers continue to wonder if and when hiring a sensitivity reader is the best course of action. The answer depends on who you ask and how you define this term.

What are sensitivity readers?

• According to the consultancy Writing Diversely, they are partners to writers, guiding them to “genuinely represent diverse experiences while steering clear of stereotypes and biases.”
• “Aside from improving a book,” states the website Writing with Color, “sensitivity readers are vital in opening up a conversation between marginalized groups and those outside of that sphere.”
• Hachette Book Group uses the term authenticity reader, which is “effectively the same” as sensitivity reader, says Alvina Ling, vice president and editor in chief of the company’s Little Brown Books for Young Readers imprint.
• At the multicultural children’s book publisher Lee & Low Books, expert readeror targeted expert reader is the preferred term. Stacy Whitman, publisher of Lee & Low’s Tu Books imprint, explains, “They are consulted for their expertise, whether that be for identity and cultural knowledge or for scientific expertise, historical expertise, etc.”

While most sensitivity readers position themselves as readers, not editors, some services may cross the line into editorial assessments, consultations, copyediting, and fact-checking.

The concept of sensitivity reading is not new. Charles Dickens is said to have revised his depiction of the Jewish character Fagin in Oliver Twist based on the feedback of a Jewish critic. And writers and publishers have long relied on experts, such as psychologists, police officers, doctors, and lawyers, to review fictional scenes pertaining to their field. But the term sensitivity reading seems to have gained ground, at least in children’s publishing, since the formation of We Need Diverse Books in 2014. Based on a conversation with Random House Children’s Books, School Library Journal reports that sensitivity reading is now “a standard part of the workflow for many mainstream publishers.”

Writers and publishers hire sensitivity readers for a variety of reasons: to review a character whose identity the writer doesn’t share, a scene set in a country they have researched but never visited, or a dialect they’ve studied but never spoken, among other scenarios. And they’re used for a range of genres and age categories. “All books can benefit from authenticity readers,” says Ling, though she also acknowledges that they are more important for children’s and YA books. “Adults have a broader outlook on the world, whereas for a child, a depiction in a book might be their first or only experience of a certain, say, race or culture.”

Eric Smith, an agent with P.S. Literary who has worked as a sensitivity/authenticity reader and has hired such readers for his own books, says that they are also valuable “for something you do have a lived experience with.” An adoptee, Smith writes about adoption, but his experience isn’t universal. “It can’t be. So, I oftentimes reach out to other adoptee friends and writers to get their eyes on the stories I’m working on.” While Smith says that it’s impossible to relate to every reader, “that extra layer of insight can help you think about your own lived experience in a way you maybe haven’t before.”

Similarly, Lee & Low has also consulted with experts within the same culture as a writer, Whitman says. For example, she has an Indian American author of historical fiction who “felt strongly about consulting an expert who could advise her on how saris and kurtas were worn in the specific time period in which she was writing.” Although the writer was dealing with her own culture and already had context, she was keen on getting the take of a historical expert, “a very specific one, culturally.”

Jeff Herman, who runs an eponymous literary agency and wrote an opinion piece for Publishers Weekly last year about a client who “was forced to meaningfully modify his manuscript” based on the report of a sensitivity reader hired by his Big Five publisher, suggests that sensitivity readers can compromise an author’s vision when it comes to nonfiction. “Accuracy and authenticity should be prioritized in memoirs, narratives, and history,” he says. “Sanitizing the truth, distorting personal experience, or revising backlisted books should only be considered under extreme circumstances, like preempting a billion-dollar lawsuit.”

Sensitivity readers may be hired by the publisher after the acquisition stage, but writers are expected to do their due diligence well before this point. “If a writer is creating significant characters outside of their own background, they should be doing research at all stages, either interviewing or consulting with people from that background,” says Ling, who considers this step “part of the writing process and therefore the author’s responsibility.” If Ling acquires a book and determines that an additional authenticity reader is required, she will first ask the author to address the issue. Depending on the situation, her company “will sometimes pay for the readers.” Hachette also has an in-house authenticity reader program, Ling explains, “and if an employee volunteers to be a reader, they are also compensated for that time.”

Smith says he’s seen “a handful of publishers reach out to sensitivity readers for projects they’ve already acquired.” Although this is something the author can certainly ask for, “everyone is different” when it comes to who pays for the readers, “so it’s a conversation to have with your agent and editor.”

Regardless, sensitivity readers cannot safeguard an author or publisher from extreme or all circumstances. “No expert can prevent a book from being criticized,” says Whitman. Nor can they catch every potentially offensive aspect of a book. But a reader who flags outdated language, tokenism, stereotypes and tropes, and/or instances of cultural appropriation can help set the stage for a favorable reaction post-publication.

In addition to steering clear of unrealistic expectations, Smith warns writers against using sensitivity readers as a checklist item. “It’s not a sensitivity reader’s job to be a shield for you in the event you get something wrong. This isn’t a situation where you can say, ‘Oh, I had a sensitivity reader, it’s fine.’ That’s not the job of a sensitivity reader, a critique partner, a beta reader, [or] any of your friends who helped workshop this book along the way,” he says.

What happens when the author doesn’t agree with the sensitivity reader? If the author has hired the reader on their own, it is entirely their choice whether to follow the feedback, just as it is if they hire a developmental editor or any other freelancer. The decision is trickier if the publisher hires the sensitivity reader for the author and the two are at odds. All agents and editors interviewed for this piece agree that this situation should be handled in the same way as a difference in opinion regarding an editorial letter.

Ling says she would evaluate the reader’s notes and, “depending on how strongly I felt, I would push the author to address the comments and may bring in other readers to get their opinions as well.” Ultimately, however, the decision about whether to incorporate the reader’s feedback is up to the author because “it’s their book in the end.”

Whitman concurs that the author has the final say on any feedback received, but “if valid criticism of an expert reader isn’t addressed, the author must stand behind why they didn’t take that feedback, and we as the publisher must take into consideration whether we can stand behind it as well.” Whitman adds that it’s rare for editorial feedback to result in any kind of dealbreaker, in part because writers who sign with Lee & Low “know what they’re getting into … and everyone is generally on the same page of wanting to get it right.”

“I would review the conflict and give my honest opinion,” says Herman. “If I thought the writer’s choice would make the book unmarketable or diminish its quality, I’d say so. If I thought the publisher was wrong, I’d say so. If the publisher refuses to publish the book without the changes, there would need to be a difficult conversation between all stakeholders, though power wouldn’t be equally distributed.”

What are the risks of writing outside your identity? According to Herman, “Outsiders are often ideally suited to write about experiences and cultures that aren’t their own.” Yet contemporary writers who are not part of a historically marginalized group often find themselves in a dilemma: to adhere to the advice to “write what you know” or within their lived experience, and to simultaneously represent the diversity of our world today.

Ling suggests that, when Writing the Other, writers have a look at Ibi Zoboi’s blog post The Rocky Unpaved Roads of Good Intentions and Alexander Chee’s essay How to Unlearn Everything, both of which encourage writers to self-reflect and determine, among other considerations, why they want to tell a particular story. Through her website Rabbit with a Red Pen, Crystal Shelley explores ways to include diverse identities in a cast of characters but not “tiptoe around the identity.”

Depending on the context, Whitman suggests “bringing on a co-writer to really do the subject justice—and being willing to share the compensation. This is not to say it can’t be done well. It’s just that someone from the majority has to do a lot of work to take the perspective of someone who is more marginalized.”

Will a book be passed over by agents, editors, or publishers if an author’s identity doesn’t match the topic? “It depends,” says Ling, who doesn’t usually know the author’s identity when she first begins reading a submission. “If I fall in love with the book and then find out that the author is not writing from personal experience, I’ll see what experience or expertise the author has. But for me, it’s the book that’s of utmost importance.” Ling adds that the angle, premise, or perspective of the story can be a factor. “If your book is about being from a certain place or being a certain race, then I do think it’s more important that the author share that background,” she says. “But if you’re writing an exciting adventure story that is more plot driven than character driven, or writing from multiple points of view, it’s less crucial.”

Bottom line: In a business that often calls for caution, publishers may bring on sensitivity, authenticity, or expert readers for peace of mind. For Whitman, the reason is simpler: to make the book better. “Everything in an editor’s relationship with an author is one of conversation, relationship, and sometimes negotiation,” she says. “Sometimes the emotional hit of that feedback might feel like an author’s creative freedom is being stifled, but I’ve heard authors say that about editorial letters as well.” If disagreements arise, “have conversations about why, and then consensus can be found.”

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A former acquiring editor of children’s books at Little, Brown and Simon & Schuster, Sangeeta Mehta runs her own editorial services company.