Asking a sensitivity reader for a review

Name the pages, the group you want their eyes on, and that you want defects — not a blessing. Pay them however you already pay them. This letter is the brief.

1 min read

You do not need a reader to like you. You need them to say where a page will fail a person you are not.

Scope the job

Which chapters. Which lens — disability, faith, a specific community you named when you hired them. The date. Respect their time by not sending the whole book "in case."

Ask for a review

Review is a list of defects. "Do you think this is respectful?" is how you get a kind paragraph and no list.

If you already know a scene is shaky, say so. Do not make them discover the thing you are afraid of as a test.

Keep your session off their desk

The chat where you argued with a model about a word is not a brief. The pages and the ask are. Your note is the sentence you would say on a call: I want problems, not permission.

They answer when they can. You still pay them on the terms you agreed. This product carries the question, not the fee.

Tags creative review professionals

Frequently asked questions

Can I attach the manuscript?
No. Point at the file they already have, or paste the pages you want read. A briefing does not carry a book.
Should I ask if the book is "okay"?
No. That is a blessing. Ask them to list specific problems in a named section, ideally in order of how much they matter.
What if they have never heard of RelayLink?
They get email and can reply from it. If they already have a RelayLink account, you need an accepted contact first. The work and the invoice still happen where you already work.

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