Published February 2022

At time of writing, what exactly sensitivity consultation is and what it entails is a particularly heated topic in the UK publishing industry. I suspect it will remain relevant as more and more people in the field learn about it. In addition, quite a few of my clients haven’t used a sensitivity consultant before and are unsure of what to expect.

So, here are my thoughts on it, though do be aware that I can only speak for myself! Other consultants may think and act differently.

The process

So: when you hire me, what exactly will happen?

1. First things first: we’ll discuss deadlines, I'll take a quick look at the project, and then I’ll give you a cost estimate. This is also when initial contracts come in. I don't have a standard one of my own as the requirements are so different between my various clients, but I’ll usually happily abide by yours. I might ask for an additional clause along the lines of ‘we recognise that the consultant cannot be held responsible for complaints after the product is released’, just for my own protection.

2. I will then go away and look at the project over a period of a few weeks, usually about 20 - 40 pages at a time.

If the format of the project allows it, I will leave specific comments on particular vocabulary and language. If the format isn't appropriate for this - e.g. if it is a piece of art - I will make a new document and specify what and where I'm talking about.

At the same time, I will be making my own general notes in a separate document about my overall thoughts as I continue working: what is the project's message? How is X character or Y setting coming across? Are there harmful tropes that keep showing up?

3. When the deadline rolls around, I will send back your file with my comments, as well as a refined version of the general notes that I made throughout. The latter is what I call an 'overall sensitivity report', where I talk about any wide-ranging concerns I have about large topics (e.g. plot, themes, concepts).

This takes the form of various prose paragraphs underneath whichever headings seem most appropriate (e.g. 'Black characters', 'The setting', or even 'Miscellaneous' for small things that don’t fit elsewhere but which I think should be considered).

4. Once I've sent this to you, you are free to ask me any questions or ask for more information about what I've said, and I'll happily talk about it further. However, please note that the time taken for me to do this will also be charged for.

5. When we’ve agreed that you're happy with the feedback and feel that you can move forward, I will send you an invoice. You can choose whether to credit me in the final product or not. And generally, that's that!

Giving feedback

The last thing I want to do is to discourage anybody from being creative.

It's very important to me that creators feel like it is worthwhile asking for my feedback, and that I can help them to make manageable changes if they need to. As a result, I always take as generous an approach as possible and assume that everyone involved is acting in good faith. I will often point out the bits I like as well as the areas for improvement. In fact, there's been more than one project where I've said 'I think you've done very well here, and here are all the reasons why'.

Simply put: I will never send an email that simply says 'You are racist' or something like that. This seems to be an underlying fear for a lot of people, so I want to put that to rest in strong terms!

A typical example of my feedback might read like this: 'I really enjoyed your portrayal of this character. However, I think too much emphasis may be put on X trait, such as in this instance on this page and this page (insert various quotes). This is because these situations lean into (harmful stereotype). Here is some history on that stereotype: (explanation). If you want to change this, consider thinking about doing Y or Z instead. Here is some extra reading if you want to find out more: (links).'

I usually ask for there to be more nuance, more development, more detail about things. Sometimes I’ll recommend additional consultation with someone else if there’s something that strikes me as not quite right, but I have no personal expertise in the topic.

I will very rarely ask for anything to be removed entirely; I'd rather that things were reconsidered, added to, or clarified. I always do my best to recommend how to change a thing, not just what to change. For me, it's the how that's important.

With art, anything is possible - and a lot of my job is just pointing out the various other possibilities that creators might consider, rather than relying on harmful or tired assumptions about marginalised groups. Fundamentally, I am here to help you tell your story in a way that avoids perpetuating systemic discrimination and prejudice.

I have no expectation that all of my suggestions will always be taken on board, though of course I always hope that they will be! But your work is your work; it's up to you whether you agree with my assessment of things or not. You own it, not me.

Besides, sometimes it's impossible to act on all of my suggestions, perhaps due to time or monetary constraints. That's okay; the important thing is that you listen, and that you try.

Further resources