What Is a Sensitivity Reader? Who Can Be a Sensitivity Reader? Who Hires Sensitivity Readers? Free eCourse!

Quick Quiz: What is wrong with this ad?”

A. I don’t see anything wrong.
B. Too much skin?
C. This Nivea ad is inferring that “fair” skin is better and that Africa-American women want “fairer” skin.

If you answered A or B, then you need a sensitivity reader.

Hi, my name is Patrice Williams Marks, and I’m a screenwriter, novelist, event scriptwriter, ad writer, and sensitivity reader/reviewer.

NY Times Excerpt:
“Late last year, the novelist Keira Drake announced that her publisher was giving away copies of her upcoming young adult novel, “The Continent,” a fantasy set in a world where two nations have been at war for centuries. “It’s raining books!” she wrote.

Her enthusiasm was quickly punctured. Online reviews poured in, and they were brutal. Readers pounced on what they saw as racially-charged language in the descriptions of the warring tribes and blasted it as “racist trash,” “retrograde” and “offensive.” Ms. Drake and her publisher, Harlequin Teen, apologized and delayed the book’s publication.”

The Nivea ad above (or the Dove ad shown) met a swift fate as the uproar lead them to scrap their million-dollar campaign, put out multiple fires and risk boycotts from consumers… and worse yet; one-star reviews.

So what is a SENSITIVITY READER and Who Can Be a SENSITIVITY READER?

Sensitivity Reading is an emerging industry available to content creators who want to alleviate unintentional bias or racism in their books, in magazines, ad campaigns, television, film, gaming, app development and more. Would you like to learn to be a reader?

The best sensitivity readers are people who have first-hand experience, and are part of a sub-group. Examples include minorities, the disabled, animal lovers, the LGBT community, foster children, foster parents, veterans, etc.  Basically, people who have life experiences within any of these groups and identifies themselves as belonging a certain group, could be a sensitivity reader.

A Sensitivity Reader will point out any possible racism in projects’ descriptions/actions of characters or story.  They may also point out any possible stereotypes in descriptions/actions of characters or story, and suggest how to address the issue.

Who Hires SENSITIVITY READERS?

These are just a few:

• Novelists (indie and otherwise)
• Publishing Houses
• Artists
• Gaming Companies
• Ad Agencies
• Media Companies
• Sellers on Amazon, Jet, Walmart.com
• and more…

So how do you get started as a Sensitivity Reader? Do You Have to Be a Writer Yourself? Where Do You Find Clients?

Sign up for my free email course (eCourse) on Sensitivity Reviewing. The course lasts for one week. Each day you will be given researched, curated information, along with small action steps to get you started.

I am also conducting a FREE WEBINAR on Becoming a Sensitivity Reader. Register Here.

I look forward to meeting you!