**Last updated December 2022 — I am still active as a sensitivity reader, even though my blog is not!**
If you read my blog, you know I care about books, and about diverse representation in those books. I also believe that writers can and will create characters outside their own experiences, not only for their own benefit but in service of a more realistic story that shows a variety of people with different backgrounds and identities, like people have in the real world. To that end, I’m offering my services as a sensitivity reader (and/or editor, if you so desire). Prices and more info are below.
What’s a Sensitivity Reader?
A sensitivity reader is a person you hire to read your novel manuscript (or short story, article, screenplay, whatever) and give you feedback on representation issues, based on their perspective as a member of the community in question. This is generally applied to diversity issues (race, sexuality, etc.) but you might also ask someone to give feedback based on their experiences working in a given profession or living in a certain area.
Qualifications
I’ve spent 10+ years working in public libraries, so I’m familiar with a lot of genres and readerships. (I also read 300 to 600 books a year, so you know, you get a sense of things). I have an MA in history, with all the reading, writing, and critiquing that entails. Plus life experience as a marginalized person, which is presumably the main reason you want a reader.
I can comment on:
- Autism and ADHD
- Bisexuality/pansexuality and queerness
- Asexuality
- Anxiety and depression
- Being from the Deep South (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi)
- Being agnostic/ex-Christian
- Academia/historical profession/public history & museum studies
You can see reviews of my work here on Fiverr.
What I Read
I read in basically every genre, but favorites are nonfiction, scifi/fantasy, historical romance, and comics.
I’ll happily read work in genres most sensitivity readers don’t serve, including scripts, game manuals, textbooks, specialized nonfiction, and anything else you need. (Feel free to contact me for special pricing if your piece isn’t best measured in word count.)
Pricing
My basic calculation is $2 per 1,000 words, with a minimum of $25.
I accept Paypal and Venmo, or you can visit me on Fiverr.
Hannah Reads Books 