R.E:S.P.E.C.T! Q&A WITH PROFESSIONAL SENSITIVITY READER AMEEMA SAEED

ME: Do you think I’m too sensitive?

My Guy: Well, maybe a little sometimes…

ME: HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A HURTFUL THING?!

—RE:BOOKS

Photo Alyson Hardwick. Source: She Does the City

RE:BOOKS: Can you tell us why you are a sensitivity reader and what is your specialty in sensitivity reading?

AMEEMA SAEED I’m a sensitivity reader because I believe in the importance of storytelling. I believe that representation is important, but that it should also be done with care and responsibility. It’s important to me that readers can see themselves reflected in the books they read. 

I have done sensitivity reading for a wide variety of characters and identities. Fat characters, Muslim characters, South Asian (specifically Pakistani characters), LGBTQ2SIA+ characters (specifically bisexual or pansexual characters), characters with chronic illnesses, chronic pain, and disability, characters with mental illnesses (anxiety, eating disorders, depression) — and many more. Sensitivity readers typically employ a combination of lived experience and research to inform their edits. I’ve also done work with corporate clients, to oversee language, marketing, merchandising, product curation, and communication.

[I did reach out, a second time, to the lovely Ameema, asking if using the word “fat,” as seen above, was acceptable, especially since she’s a sensitivity reader. Her answer? “Yes, I specifically use the word fat over other words. Fat is a neutral descriptor!”]

RE:BOOKS: Can you tell us about your first time as a sensitivity reader — for whom or what (e.g. a book, an article…)?

AMEEMA SAEED: I feel like I had been (internally) sensitivity reading for years. As a young fat, Brown girl who loved to read, it took a very long time for me to see someone who looked like me in the books I read. Even now, so often what I read is a harmful stereotype, or an offensive or poorly written caricature. 

I had been thinking about sensitivity reading for a while, and fates aligned when a YA fiction author I followed on Twitter, tweeted an open call for sensitivity readers on their Twitter. I reached out and applied, and we had the chance to work together on their book, and it was a blast! I felt heard and respected, and I think the author did too. I enjoyed their story and am always proud to see the book on my shelf, because I know they, and I (and the other sensitivity readers) worked hard at making sure the story was thoughtful and written with care and intent.

RE:BOOKS: I know it’s a job. But when did you realize that publishing/writers/editors really needed sensitivity readers?

AMEEMA SAEED: If you’re from any kind of marginalized community, you’ve probably seen media representation that is harmful or hurtful, even now. Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, we saw a lot of harmful tropes, characters, and representation. I didn’t have a word for it, but I grew up knowing we needed to do better, and it feels great to be able to participate in making the book industry more inclusive. 

RE:BOOKS: Any times you have been completely appalled while reading something? What were you appalled about?

AMEEMA SAEED: Like many sensitivity readers, I try not to talk a lot about my past clients — this can be for a few reasons. From confidentiality clauses to personal choice — as just because you were a sensitivity reader for something, it doesn’t mean that your suggestions were heard or that changes were made based on them. 

The truth is, sometimes authors, publishers, or corporations will even hide behind sensitivity readers, using the fact that they hired them as a shield from accountability. 

That being said, while I’ve seen some pretty harmful or ignorant messaging, I try to reserve judgment and not assume ill intent. Most of the time, especially when people hire a sensitivity reader, they want to make sure the things they write about are written with care, thoughtfulness, sensitivity, and respect. 

Sometimes people make mistakes, and sometimes people have preconceived notions and stereotypes — it’s our job as sensitivity readers to try to address these as best as we can so that readers can see themselves reflected in the books they read, with care, respect, and responsibility. 

RE:BOOKS: Can you tell us how the process works. Do writers/publishers come to you? And then what do you do?

AMEEMA SAEED: I am active on social media and a couple of databases. This is where a lot of my clients or prospective clients have found me. Once you establish a relationship with a publishing house, an editor, an author, or a corporation, they are also likely to seek you out again. 

Most often the way it works is the client (publisher, author, editor) reaches out — either directly to you, or to established communities or databases. You negotiate and agree on terms (including rate and turnaround time).

Then each sensitivity reader has their own process which involves reading, providing feedback, and suggesting edits to the story. It’s good practice to have multiple sensitivity readers, so you get different perspectives. 

The editors and the author then read through the feedback, and decide whether they need to make any changes. We don’t always know which of our suggestions are actioned until the final product comes out. 

RE:BOOKS: Finally, some are opposed to sensitivity readers because writers/authors feel like they are policed and can’t write outside “the other” if they don’t live their lifestyle. Thoughts on detractors of sensitivity readers?

AMEEMA SAEED: I think a lot of the criticisms of sensitivity reading come from a misunderstanding of what it is that sensitivity readers do. You can find sensitivity readers in corporate roles, in film and TV, and in publishing. 

What we do is not about censorship or being some kind of “woke police”. Sensitivity readers, like many editors, can help shape the story or add more context to the settings and the characters. We can help review the language you use, and the way you write characters from different identities. 

We work with authors or editors (or in some cases corporations) to address potential inconsistencies or causes for concern, to ask difficult questions, and to help write authentic and well-rounded stories and characters — everything from making sure a regional meal is described correctly to choosing a name that makes sense to a character (based on their ethnicity) to making sure the language used isn’t harmful. We just want to make the story or the work better.

There’s a great Twitter thread by Sarah Shaffi that works to demystify sensitivity reading and address the kinds of changes that sensitivity readers can suggest.

RE:BOOKS: What do you love about being a sensitivity reader and what do you hate about being a sensitivity reader?

AMEEMA SAEED: What I love most about being a sensitivity reader is this sense of pride I get that the author/publisher/corporation value their audience enough to want to make sure their content is thoughtful and sensitive. I love when I catch and am able to suggest a change that makes the character feel more well-rounded, or real! 

On the flip side, it can be a lot of responsibility, and the pressure can get to you. I spend a lot of time doing research and reading and re-reading because I want to do the best possible job! It also gets tough when you’re sensitivity reading for a really good book, and you have to remind yourself that you’re not just reading for fun, haha!

RE:BOOKS: Thank you for your time! So, where can writers/editors/publishers find you?

AMEEMA SAEED: Writers, editors, and publishers can find me on Instagram or Twitter (@ReadWithMeemz) or by emailing me at ReadWithMeemz@gmail.com