Minority Database
Is there a better Way to Link Sensitivity Readers & Authors?
Sensitivity readers are much needed and appreciated, but they are expensive and it takes some shopping around to find the right one. Once a writer has found the right sensitivity reader, the process starts again with the next book.
A sensitivity reader is that person who combs your novel and gives your feedback on cultural stereotyping, mistakes you make in portraying a minority, a condition, or a group with certain orientations.
As a diversity writer, there are so many cultures and conditions I would love to write about, but I’m stopped in my tracks by first the responsibility this entails, and second the many errors I could slid into my representation of these groups.
I have seen many multicultural stories giving a poor representation of the way cultures/groups think and feel while going for the stereotypical holidays/typical issues for flavor.
Saying that a character is from a certain culture or minority doesn’t make that character true or interesting. If done wrong, it can ruin your novel and your reputation.
The easy way doesn’t make a novel very attractive, but the hard way might be too hard for an author who already has to wear too many hats.
Few people realize how long a writer’s journey can be and the number of skills one has to acquire to gain some tracking in the literary world… unless they are writers themselves. That’s because writers make it look easy when in fact they have rewritten and replotted their novel twenty or more times before it was good enough to be published.
They deserve a lot of respect.
A writer not only has to be accurate on every little detail of their novels, they have to master pace, characterization, editing, revision, marketing, blurbing, fluidity, world building, POV, voice, and so on and so forth. And then there is the matter of representing diverse characters properly while giving each one a unique voice.
Sensitivity readers are necessary people in the industry and some make their living doing that job. They are an essential part of writing. They can point out details that make our world resonate and deepen our plots. They can be a stepping stone to your novel’s success.
They do have that power!
They are also very beneficial to those authors who specialize in one type of books. A sensitivity reader can be a long term committed helper that might be part of this world and open doors for you. It is not a bad idea to consider a sensitivity reader as a long term investment if you are planning to target one minority in particular.
A badly represented minority is like a wine turned to vinegar.
I understand the grief this gives to people from this culture or community. I am sensitive to it. It hurts to be misrepresented. It hurts even more not to find any character we can bond with.
Some authors are torn between wanting to represent cultures they love and admire, cultures they have some connection with (through ancestry, friendship, marriage, affinities, etc.) and the criticisms they get. Some authors even take the effort and money to hire sensitivity readers and then are bashed when they make mistakes. Because they don’t know the culture intimately, they are condemned to represent only their side. Often it’s the Western, white side, but not always. Minority writers also make mistakes in representing others. The other side is not easy.
How does it feel to be limited?
Awful!
Minorities are often angry at authors and authors are often angry at minorities while they should be working together.
Authors often feel like they can’t write about anything significant without being judged. They are told to write about what they know. But how can anyone demand that artists limit themselves? Artists are people who are curious, who want to explore, who are open to the possibilities and that includes having characters from different backgrounds meeting and interacting.
If I am a Muslim and I want to write about my community, I have to include people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. I cannot step into a mosque without meeting Pakistanis, Arabs, Malays, American converts, etc. I often do not find much in common culturally, but we share a common religion, we share a love. I cannot be accurate and write about Muslims if I have characters that are only white and Europeans (which I am).
What does that mean? Concretely?
That means that I need to hire sensitivity readers who are Pakistanis, Arabs, African, Malaysian, etc. for one single book that has its central action in the mosque. That’s overwhelming. It would cost me $250 for each sensitivity reader per novel! Which means $250 + $250 + $250 +$250 +$250, which means thousands of dollars I don’t have!
And then, I will only get one person’s perspective, which is fabulous but not enough. What if in this mosque, some people are Sunni Muslims, and others are Shia Muslims, or Sufis? It happened before. These groups have significant differences.
And then, I will have no return on my investment because writing doesn’t pay the bills.
Often the regular author cannot make a good return on their investment, especially self-published authors who spend between $500 to $1,000 on copy-editing, between $100 and $500 on book cover design, between $100 and $500 on marketing if not more, plus fees I haven’t even included such as traveling for research, taking writing classes, etc.
So, what can be done to make everyone happy and reach our main goal: represent minorities accurately?
Write a basic list!
A minority list to show what to look for.
I think lists have a better potential to reach authors who might not otherwise be open to correct some of the mistakes they make. It’s hard to be told we didn’t portray a minority accurately when we spent so much energy and work on research. It’s heart breaking. It’s demoralizing. A list like that would help a writer consider options or points of view before they even start writing their book.
I propose to have lists of things to look for.
I’m counting on you to help me fill up these lists.
There is a comment box under each of my articles where you can propose changes. I will add comments as I go. I think we need to have some kind of database that would be a base for everyone to consult.
I think that if many sensitivity readers and minorities participate, they will shine by their knowledge and show writers they can handle the task.
If no one knows who you are, no one will come to find you.
I am planning on having references to articles for different minorities as well as testimonies. Anything and everything is welcome and useful.
It would be nice to have a permanent place to consult when needed.
I am also planning on having the references of sensitivity readers and authors specialized in minority groups. They would be wonderful to consult. If a book is well done concerning a minority, it will find its place in the list.
Does that mean sensitivity readers will become obsolete.
No!
You still need sensitivity readers.
These lists will free sensitivity readers from spending a lot of time pointing out the obvious. They will be able to concentrate on helping you deepen your characters instead and building your worlds more accurately.
So, what do you think?
Are you in?
Are you going to continue being angry at each other or will you do something about it?
I think everyone can benefit because the world is becoming more and more diverse and it will be harder and harder to write novels involving only one group. We are living in a wonderful time where people from different backgrounds intermarry and share many activities together. Let’s represent the world more accurately in our writing.
Let’s help each other.
Sensitivity readers are much needed and appreciated, but they are expensive and it takes some shopping around to find the right one. Once a writer has found the right sensitivity reader, the process starts again with the next book.
A sensitivity reader is that person who combs your novel and gives your feedback on cultural stereotyping, mistakes you make in portraying a minority, a condition, or a group with certain orientations.
As a diversity writer, there are so many cultures and conditions I would love to write about, but I’m stopped in my tracks by first the responsibility this entails, and second the many errors I could slid into my representation of these groups.
I have seen many multicultural stories giving a poor representation of the way cultures/groups think and feel while going for the stereotypical holidays/typical issues for flavor.
Saying that a character is from a certain culture or minority doesn’t make that character true or interesting. If done wrong, it can ruin your novel and your reputation.
The easy way doesn’t make a novel very attractive, but the hard way might be too hard for an author who already has to wear too many hats.
Few people realize how long a writer’s journey can be and the number of skills one has to acquire to gain some tracking in the literary world… unless they are writers themselves. That’s because writers make it look easy when in fact they have rewritten and replotted their novel twenty or more times before it was good enough to be published.
They deserve a lot of respect.
A writer not only has to be accurate on every little detail of their novels, they have to master pace, characterization, editing, revision, marketing, blurbing, fluidity, world building, POV, voice, and so on and so forth. And then there is the matter of representing diverse characters properly while giving each one a unique voice.
Sensitivity readers are necessary people in the industry and some make their living doing that job. They are an essential part of writing. They can point out details that make our world resonate and deepen our plots. They can be a stepping stone to your novel’s success.
They do have that power!
They are also very beneficial to those authors who specialize in one type of books. A sensitivity reader can be a long term committed helper that might be part of this world and open doors for you. It is not a bad idea to consider a sensitivity reader as a long term investment if you are planning to target one minority in particular.
A badly represented minority is like a wine turned to vinegar.
I understand the grief this gives to people from this culture or community. I am sensitive to it. It hurts to be misrepresented. It hurts even more not to find any character we can bond with.
Some authors are torn between wanting to represent cultures they love and admire, cultures they have some connection with (through ancestry, friendship, marriage, affinities, etc.) and the criticisms they get. Some authors even take the effort and money to hire sensitivity readers and then are bashed when they make mistakes. Because they don’t know the culture intimately, they are condemned to represent only their side. Often it’s the Western, white side, but not always. Minority writers also make mistakes in representing others. The other side is not easy.
How does it feel to be limited?
Awful!
Minorities are often angry at authors and authors are often angry at minorities while they should be working together.
Authors often feel like they can’t write about anything significant without being judged. They are told to write about what they know. But how can anyone demand that artists limit themselves? Artists are people who are curious, who want to explore, who are open to the possibilities and that includes having characters from different backgrounds meeting and interacting.
If I am a Muslim and I want to write about my community, I have to include people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. I cannot step into a mosque without meeting Pakistanis, Arabs, Malays, American converts, etc. I often do not find much in common culturally, but we share a common religion, we share a love. I cannot be accurate and write about Muslims if I have characters that are only white and Europeans (which I am).
What does that mean? Concretely?
That means that I need to hire sensitivity readers who are Pakistanis, Arabs, African, Malaysian, etc. for one single book that has its central action in the mosque. That’s overwhelming. It would cost me $250 for each sensitivity reader per novel! Which means $250 + $250 + $250 +$250 +$250, which means thousands of dollars I don’t have!
And then, I will only get one person’s perspective, which is fabulous but not enough. What if in this mosque, some people are Sunni Muslims, and others are Shia Muslims, or Sufis? It happened before. These groups have significant differences.
And then, I will have no return on my investment because writing doesn’t pay the bills.
Often the regular author cannot make a good return on their investment, especially self-published authors who spend between $500 to $1,000 on copy-editing, between $100 and $500 on book cover design, between $100 and $500 on marketing if not more, plus fees I haven’t even included such as traveling for research, taking writing classes, etc.
So, what can be done to make everyone happy and reach our main goal: represent minorities accurately?
Write a basic list!
A minority list to show what to look for.
I think lists have a better potential to reach authors who might not otherwise be open to correct some of the mistakes they make. It’s hard to be told we didn’t portray a minority accurately when we spent so much energy and work on research. It’s heart breaking. It’s demoralizing. A list like that would help a writer consider options or points of view before they even start writing their book.
I propose to have lists of things to look for.
I’m counting on you to help me fill up these lists.
There is a comment box under each of my articles where you can propose changes. I will add comments as I go. I think we need to have some kind of database that would be a base for everyone to consult.
I think that if many sensitivity readers and minorities participate, they will shine by their knowledge and show writers they can handle the task.
If no one knows who you are, no one will come to find you.
I am planning on having references to articles for different minorities as well as testimonies. Anything and everything is welcome and useful.
It would be nice to have a permanent place to consult when needed.
I am also planning on having the references of sensitivity readers and authors specialized in minority groups. They would be wonderful to consult. If a book is well done concerning a minority, it will find its place in the list.
Does that mean sensitivity readers will become obsolete.
No!
You still need sensitivity readers.
These lists will free sensitivity readers from spending a lot of time pointing out the obvious. They will be able to concentrate on helping you deepen your characters instead and building your worlds more accurately.
So, what do you think?
Are you in?
Are you going to continue being angry at each other or will you do something about it?
I think everyone can benefit because the world is becoming more and more diverse and it will be harder and harder to write novels involving only one group. We are living in a wonderful time where people from different backgrounds intermarry and share many activities together. Let’s represent the world more accurately in our writing.
Let’s help each other.
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