Make sure your story’s representation is authentic and not harmful to the community it draws on with a sensitivity reading
As someone with lived experience of all the things I offer sensitivity readings for, I have the knowledge to help you avoid stereotypes, outdated language, and unconscious bias in your writing. I am also a PhD student studying the lives of sexual assault survivors and have a Master’s degree in Gender, Medi and Culture from a very intersectionality-focused programme, so I also have the academic knowledge to back myself up.
What I offer readings for: trauma (including c-PTSD); abuse and sexual assault narratives; mental health (especially BPD and psychosis); chronic pain and fatigue (especially fibromyalgia), including the use of mobility aids; genderfluidity and being non-binary; bisexuality; and being plus-size/fat
How a sensitivity reading works
Discussing Your Needs
After submitting your request for a sensitivity need, we will have a brief conversation about your needs to make sure my services are a good match for you, and so that you know how the process will take place
In-Line Comments
As I read through your work, I will add in comments about what works well as well as where there is room for improvement. I will give suggestions about what may work better and also provide sources, where necessary.
Thorough Reading
I will read your manuscript with a critical eye to see what works well within it, but also to check for any inaccuracies or potentially offensive content. This is not an attack on you, but a way to ensure your manuscript is top quality.
Manuscript Report
Once I have read through your work thoroughly and left comments, I will create a 2–5 page document that analyses your text globally. I will again point out what works and what doesn’t, and highlight further reading
Prices: £0.003/word (first 50% payable on booking and exchange of contracts)
What if it’s too early for a sensitivity reading but I want advice?
If you’re early in the process of writing or editing your manuscript, you might still want some advice on how to nail the representation you’re aiming for. In this instance, consider having a representation consultation: by email, Instagram DM, or video/audio call, you can pick my brain with any questions you might have about the representation you’re aiming for in your book.
Price: £17.50/hour (minimum 1 hour)
Testimonies
“After only an hour consultation, I learned a lot and Elle helped me identify some pros and cons in my story.
10/10 recommend Elle if you’re writing a character or theme outside your own lived experience.“
— R.T.Eves (@r.t.eves_fantasywriter), fantasy author
“As someone who doesn’t have fibromyalgia, Elle was PARAMOUNT in writing a character who does in a healthy, respectful way. After the consultation, Elle also provided me with an insightful sensitivity read. They gave praise where it was earned ( which was incredibly appreciated ) and gave me tips on how to improve upon wording, too. Their suggestions helped me see how choice of word, even from another character’s perspective, could add depth to what is experienced by the character.“
— Wren L. Helgren (@wlhelgren_editing), fantasy author (Thyrst on Third) and editor
“Elle is a very fast, very thorough sensitivity reader who captured things in my manuscript that I hadn’t even thought of. I cannot recommend them enough. The detailed report you receive at the end is amazing and not only tells you what issues there might be, but why those would be issues.”
— Hannah Rebekah Graves, retired horror and dark fantasy writer
More About Elle
I am a disabled, mentally unwell, bisexual, genderfluid, fat person from the United Kingdom. I have significant trauma, and am a survivor of domestic violence, CSA, and other sexual violence. I use mobility aids to get about in day-to-day life: sometimes a wheelchair pushed by a carer, sometimes a walking stick (I’ve never got on well with walkers). I am a part-time PhD student (see below) and I’ve also, in the past, single-handedly run a support group for survivors of abuse and/or sexual violence.
I started my sensitivity reading journey in March 2025. While I may be new, I am using my lived experience of the things I read to inform my process. I have been an avid reader since childhood, and while my favourite genre is fantasy, I’ve been known to get lost in all sorts. Outside of this business and attempting to write my own novel (it really can be a struggle at times, huh?), I’m a doctoral researcher. Broadly working within Cultural Studies, my work is looking at the lives—including trauma—of those who survive sexual violence. Like my fiction writing and sensitivity reading, this PhD is informed by my own experiences as a survivor.