Cultural Accuracy Editorial Services
Ensure your manuscript isn’t offensive, inaccurate, or perpetuating harmful stereotypes
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What Is Cultural Accuracy Editing?
Cultural Accuracy Editing (also known as Sensitivity, Authenticity, Diversity, or Targeted Expert Reading) involves vetting a manuscript for issues of (mis)representation, biases, stereotypes, and a range of other factors that may be deemed harmful or antagonistic to a person or population group.
Learn more about cultural accuracy editing in this article by KAA Senior Editor Hannah Gómez, featured in Publishers Weekly’s Book Publishing Almanac 2022.
Why It’s Important for Your Book
Many publishers now seek these critical analyses for manuscripts in an effort to release books that are culturally accurate. This field of work arose in response to events and grassroots movements like #WeNeedDiverseBooks, #MeToo, and #BlackLivesMatter as the public demands fair and accurate representation, justice, and equity for readers from diverse backgrounds and better ethics in the publishing industry.
In the past decade, a number of titles have been retracted, condemned, or even dropped entirely due to insensitive or harmful content.
Our Cultural Accuracy Editorial Services allow your manuscript to be reviewed and vetted by a professional editor who specializes in recognizing potential cultural accuracy issues.
The feedback you will receive is not to censor or condemn your book, but to empower you to make the best decisions in the service of your readers.
It was an absolute pleasure getting to work with Kevin Anderson and his team. We reached out to them for an authenticity read and the reader we were paired with was thorough, highly attentive, and had an excellent grasp of the subject matter at hand. We’re extremely grateful to the KAA team for their professionalism and resourcefulness, and highly recommend their services.
“I’m so happy that I moved forward with a Cultural Accuracy Reading at KAA, so my book could be more inclusive and resonate with a wide range of readers. They spent time making sure they found the best reader who could address my concerns and personal blindspots. My reader shared clear comments and provided great alternative words and phrases to explore using instead. I also loved the helpful resources and links to articles to provide me with more context and education. I not only have a better book because of a CAR, but I also feel like a better human. I have been recommending this service to my friends and clients because I truly believe all authors should have a Cultural Accuracy Reading before sharing their work with the world.”
The Cultural Accuracy
Editorial Process
01
Choose Cultural Accuracy Categories
Identify specific categories of sensitivities (see list below) on which you would like to focus—or select “general cultural accuracy editing.” You may also choose whether to have a single reader or several review your manuscript. Each cultural accuracy editor will be an expert on reviewing for the specific topic and personally identify with the chosen category.
02
Cultural Accuracy Review
The chosen editor(s) will review the entire manuscript and give feedback on any potential issues, affirm and elucidate strengths, and provide editorial suggestions on how to amend the manuscript.
03
Senior Editor Review
One of our Senior Editors will review the feedback from a publisher’s viewpoint and provide additional insight.
Customize Your Cultural Accuracy Editorial Services for Any of the Following
Our process allows you to present specific questions or concerns for cultural accuracy editors to consider while reviewing your manuscript and to choose the exact type of reader you want based on (but not limited to) the criteria listed below:
- Adoption/foster care
- Ageism
- Alcohol/substance abuse
- Arab/Middle Eastern/North African Identity
- Asian/Pacific/Desi identity
- BDSM/kink/consensual fetishes
- Black/African identity
- Chattel slavery
- Chronic illnesses
- Cognitive impairments and disabilities
- Domestic violence
- Fatphobia/body image/body acceptance
- Gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, or other sexual orientations
- Grief/trauma
- Immigration
- Incarceration/prison/criminal justice system
- Latinx/Hispanic identity
- Mental illness
- Military service/veterans
- Mixed-race identity
- Native/Indigenous/First Nations/Aboriginal identity
- Neurodivergence/autism
- Nonconsensual/taboo fetishes (e.g. pedophilia/grooming, necrophilia, incest)
- Physical disabilities
- Poverty/socioeconomic disadvantage
- Refugees/asylum seekers
- Religion/faith/spirituality/
atheism - Self-harm/suicide
- Sex work professional
- Sexual assault/abuse
- Trafficking/contemporary slavery
- Transgender or nonbinary gender/two-spirit identity
Contact us for a quote today!
Disclaimer: While our cultural accuracy editors are well trained and highly qualified, and utilizing our service gives authors confidence and comfort in knowing they made every possible effort to ensure their manuscript is not insensitive, there is no way to safeguard against all potential cultural accuracy issues, and we cannot make any guarantees or warranties herein.
Our Executive Team
Join Our Team
and Make a Positive Change
Interested in working with us as a Cultural Accuracy Editor?
Please send a detailed cover letter and bio to careers@kawriting.com with the subject line “Cultural Accuracy Editor.”