Why Cultural Accuracy Editorial Services?
More than ever, readers, librarians, and retailers are holding publishers accountable for misrepresentation. The vast majority of publishing employees are white, middle class, cisgender, heterosexual, and nondisabled, and too often, this has been the perspective most often represented in the books they publish.
The lack of cultural competence has led to publishers unwittingly releasing problematic and insensitive books. As they respond to calls for social justice with more diverse lists, it is incumbent on publishers to ensure those books are affirming, authentic, and accurate.
No customer should be harmed by material they read for entertainment or education. No librarian or retailer should have to worry that a book they’re carrying is participating in the spread of damaging or inaccurate ideas about already marginalized groups. No author should lose sales, face public vitriol, or have their book dropped because of problems that are easily addressed.
We’ve developed a cultural accuracy editorial service to make it as easy as possible for publishers to ensure their entire list is reviewed for issues of representation and harmful content is caught before it’s published.
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.”
How the Services Work
Cultural accuracy editing involves vetting a manuscript for issues of (mis)representation, biases, and a range of other factors that may offend or be deemed harmful to a person or population.
Our service provides targeted reads from professional, experienced, and carefully vetted editors who specialize in recognizing potential cultural accuracy or authenticity issues. And their diversity enables us to match the right editor with the specific concerns publishers want addressed in a manuscript.
Our firm and Board of Standards reviews and manages the process so publishers have a single point of contact to deal with and can be assured that quality is high, costs are controlled, and deadlines are met.
The process is simple, similar to the legal vetting publishers give the majority of their books:
01
Choose Targeted Categories
Our services are adaptable to a manuscript’s specific needs. You can ask the editor to address specific questions in the manuscript or to review it with focus on one or more areas of concern:
- Adoption / Foster Care
- Ageism
- Alcohol / Substance Abuse
- BDSM / Kink / Consensual Fetishes
- Black / African Identity
- Chattel Slavery
- Chronic Ilnesses
- Domestic Violence
- Gay, lesbian, pansexual, or other sexual orientations
- Immigration
- Incarceration / Prison / Criminal Justice System
- Latin / Hispanic Identity
- Mental Illness
- Military Service / Veterans
- Mixed-race Identity
- Native / Indigenous / Aboriginal Identity
- Neurodivergence / Autism
- Nonconsensual / Taboo Fetishes (e.g. pedophilia/grooming, necrophilia, incest)
- Physical Disabilities
- Poverty / Socioeconomic Disadvantage
- Refugees / Asylum Seekers
- Religion / Faith / Spirituality
- Self-harm / Suicide
- Sexual Assault / Abuse
- Trafficking / Contemporary Slavery
- Transgender or nonbinary gender / Two-spirit Identity
- White Supremacy
02
Cultural Accuracy Review
You may choose to have a single editor or several review your manuscript. Each will be an expert on reviewing the specific topic based on their portfolio of qualifications, as well as personally identifying with one or more of the categories you’ve selected.
The Chosen Editors
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.
Feedback
The feedback will be delivered using MS Word Track Changes comments within the manuscript itself as well as an editorial letter.
We can perform the cultural accuracy edit at any stage of a manuscript’s development and on whatever timeline you set.
03
Senior Editor Review
Our Senior Editor of Cultural Accuracy Editorial Services, Hannah Gómez, will be your single point of contact. She will review the feedback from a publisher’s viewpoint and provide additional insights if appropriate.
This Senior Editor will also field any questions you or the author may have for the reader(s) and facilitate a discussion, if needed, between the acquiring editor, author, and cultural accuracy expert. The process will be collaborative and collegial, with the goal being to get representations right.
The Benefits
ASsurance
Manuscripts are reviewed by cultural accuracy experts while the process is reviewed by our Board of Directors.
Efficiency
One-stop source for your entire editorial needs, fully managed to ensure your editors aren’t spending their valuable time finding, vetting, and micromanaging freelancers.
Professionalism
KAA has built its reputation in the publishing world by partnering with the best writers, editors, publishers, and literary agents to produce excellent books. We bring the same high standards to our cultural accuracy editorial service.
Our Executive Team
Pricing
Our pricing varies per the size and complexity of the order. While the typical rate for a full-length trade book is $0.02/word, we offer bulk rates for orders of 25 manuscripts or more.
We’re also pleased to offer heavily discounted rates to first-time clients and trial services.
Scale
Our service is designed to support a high volume of manuscripts without sacrificing quality, personalization, and efficiency. We can work with you one manuscript at a time, or scale to meet your needs.
CAES Clients
Who We Are
Kevin Anderson & Associates is an industry-leading book writing, editing, and publishing services firm headquartered in Manhattan with offices in Nashville and L.A.
Our team of former Big-5 acquisitions editors and New York Times-bestselling writers works closely with publishers and agents, providing a variety of reliable and well-managed editorial services.