How do you know if your story would benefit from a sensitivity reader?
Not to censor it. Not to sanitise it.
To make sure it lands the way you mean it to.
To make sure that you’re not misrepresenting a group of people.
Here’s the thing: if you’re writing outside your own experience—and most of us do, eventually—you need to ask yourself whether your words are doing what you intend. That’s where a sensitivity reader comes in.
What a Sensitivity Reader Is
(and What They’re Not)
A sensitivity reader is someone who shares a key identity, lived experience, or cultural background with a character or theme in your story. Their job is to read your work and flag anything that feels inaccurate, stereotypical, tone-deaf, or unintentionally harmful.
That’s it.
They’re not an editor. They’re not a censor. They don’t rewrite your work.
They tell you what they see, from their perspective.
“Sensitivity readers don’t tell you what to write. They help you understand what you’ve written.”
When Should You Consider One?
Here’s when it’s worth bringing one in:
✅ You’re writing a character with a lived experience very different from your own—particularly if that identity has been historically marginalised or misrepresented.
✅ The identity in question is central to the story (not just background detail).
✅ You’re tackling themes like trauma, cultural identity, systemic oppression, religion, or disability—especially if you haven’t lived those experiences yourself.
✅ You want to make sure you’re not reinforcing stereotypes, even unintentionally.
✅ You’re not worried about being ‘cancelled.’ You just care about getting it right.
It’s not about being politically correct. It’s about being factually and emotionally accurate—especially if your story is reaching beyond what you’ve lived.
When You Probably Don’t Need One
Let’s take the pressure off a bit.
You probably don’t need a sensitivity reader if:
❌ The identity in question is incidental—a side character with a passing mention.
❌ You’re writing a speculative culture that only loosely borrows from real-world groups (though you might want one if the parallels are strong).
❌ You have overlapping lived experience that covers most of what you’re writing.
❌ You’re writing from within your own community (though internal feedback can still be incredibly useful).
This isn’t about seeking permission. It’s about due diligence.
How to Find a Sensitivity Reader
Here’s how to do it without overcomplicating things:
- Look for someone who shares the identity or experience you’re writing about.
- Be specific: “I’m writing a deaf teenage character in a contemporary setting” is better than “I need a disability reader.”
- Ask in writer communities. Discord servers. Forums like AbsoluteWrite or Reddit’s r/writing.
- Use platforms like Writing Diversely or reach out to freelance editors who offer this service.
- Be clear about:
- What your book is about
- What you’re hoping to learn
- Your timeline
- Your budget
And yes—you pay them. This is professional labour. Expect to pay what you’d pay any freelance reader or editorial consultant.
What to Do With Their Feedback
This is the part a lot of writers get wrong.
- Don’t argue.
- Don’t debate.
- Don’t treat their feedback like a Yelp review.
You don’t have to take every note—but you do have to listen. You do have to understand. And if something stings? Sit with it for a bit. Ask yourself why.
No single reader speaks for an entire group. But if your portrayal lands badly with someone who is part of that group, that’s worth knowing.
The goal here isn’t to make your story safer. It’s to make it better.
More nuanced. More respectful. More real.
The Bottom Line
Getting a sensitivity read doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
It means you care. You care about doing your work properly.
That’s the mark of a serious writer.
I’m a middle-aged, white, cis-gendered straight guy. While I try to have a diversity of characters in my stories, I’m not out here trying to tell the story of what it’s like to be part of a marginalised minority.
That’s the difference, for me. I might write a character who’s trans, or gay, or a particular ethnicity—but I’m not trying to write about what it’s like to be any of those things.
One of my stories includes a character who’s trans-masc. His gender is part of his backstory, and it became clear to me while writing. It doesn’t come up in the narrative. It’s not the point of the story. It’s just part of who he is.
For that character, I didn’t feel I needed a sensitivity reader.
Personally? I would—and have—written characters from all sorts of backgrounds. But I wouldn’t try to write a story about the experience of being trans, or gay, or Black, or neurodiverse.
Not because I think I’d do a bad job (though that’s part of it), but because it’s not my story to tell.
That distinction—between writing characters and telling their story for them—is where most of the tension lies. Sensitivity readers can help you know when you’re crossing that line. Or when you’re close enough that it’s worth asking.
Let’s Talk
Ever used a sensitivity reader before? Have thoughts or questions about the process?