Today I will give Comeuppance Served Cold one more read-through before sending it back to my editor. This round of edits came after two authenticity reads, one for my Black American characters and one for the visually impaired character. With their help, I’m confident that these characters are as authentic as I can make them. I chose not to make some changes, ones that changed my character drastically, or would have involved completely reengineering the plot (especially because it does seem like there was a simpler fix.)
Any lapse or insensitivity is my own ignorance, and I’m in learning mode every single day.
Some people complain about authenticity readers, (also called sensitivity readers), and act as if they somehow infringe on personal rights, or even, heaven help us, “art.” To me, it’s the opposite. They are my characters, created in my head and fleshed out by my hard work, sure, but I want their daily experiences to ring with validity–not merely prop up the stereotypes and masks we’ve made up about people we have categorized as “other.”
Now stepping off the soapbox, thanks.
In this process an important secret was revealed to me (okay, it’s not a secret). I asked Emily, “Is is Tor.com like the website? It is tordotcom like the twitter handle? What? What exactly is the name of my imprint?”
They said, “And there is the existential question we’ve been wrestling with!” The imprint’s name is Tordotcom Books. And now I know.
No ETA on a cover reveal, but Emily said they would check.
So, more later!
I’m planning to post a short blog on Goodreads, on the third Tuesday of the month, through September. Most of the posts will focus on Comeuppance Served Cold. Beginning in October, when I think I’ll have more to write about, I’ll increase the frequency. Right now I’m talking mostly about the period and Prohibition.