#authenticity reading

[neoncityrain]

ay anybody wanna hire an authenticity reader (me) /hj

for real tho, been looking into it due to thinking a LOOOOT about glitchs misogyny + ableism + anti-transness + racism, plus its turning out that a standing job may not be possible and im trying to get on disability-- buuut essentially my only income is commissions that i barely have the drive to work on until then. and that sucks. so i looked into it and this is a job i can do and am passionate about. if absolutely goddamn nothing else, i am very familiar with a slew of mental and physical disabilities, and a lot of queer experiences

i know this isnt an easy thing? or something that i can just be perfect at overnight. BUT i genuinely would be happy to offer this, ESPECIALLYYYY while i learn the ropes.

THIS IS ALSO RELEVANT TO THINGS LIKE AO3 WORKS, BTW. i dont mean Just value commercial published art, i mean any art.

[seedsofwinter]

Thought bouncing out from that post I reblogged about "neopastoral" trends in fandom and transformative works.

I'm a sensitivity and authenticity reader and content editor. Typically every year for the past roughly decade, I've had 3-8 assignments with traditional publishers.

American publishers this year, 2025? Nothing.

I know I'm just one person with one year of this. But 2024 was a high count year. So I do take it as a sign of the times. That I wasn't even contacted for manuscripts I had to pass on due to time crunch, or not being a good fit for the story personally, etc.

I don't think there are only cozy novels happening with no marginalized voices or special experiences that need to be asked about. I do think that the industry was never super excited to have to look for big huge red flags an author might need to take out or risk a scandal.

I'm so grateful to have worked on so many books, scripts, and comics. I hope we don't stop caring about authentic voices just bc the government here says marginalized groups don't matter any more.

I'd be curious to know how it's been this year for other freelancers who do the same.

[francescaswords]

Psst, I have spaces for free sensitivity reading/authenticity reading (for chronic illness, ME/CFS, ADHD) in September and October as I move into more editorial work. Info, credentials & contact.