We will soon be rolling out a new page that will detail any potential trigger warnings for our publications. This is something I have been wanting to do for some time now but wanted to make sure we did right. I know that many in the writing community have strong opinions on the merits of including trigger warnings. There are those who say they need them so they can manage their own trauma effectively and avoid material that may reopen traumatic wounds. There are those that believe the very existence of trigger warnings is some moral affront to free thinking and creates a generation of “snowflakes.” There are those who consider trigger warnings the equivalent of “spoilers” by revealing content in the book the reader would not otherwise know without reading.
And, look, WE ALL KNOW how some people are about potential spoilers?
I am also aware that there is a body of research that suggests, at least for some groups, trigger warnings may actually increase anxiety reactions by causing the person to anticipate the worst.
That said, my readers are adults. And it is not my job to make decisions for them regarding their own needs. My job is to make sure that they have the information they need so they can make decisions. First, I’m a businesswoman. I don’t want people buying one of my books and then leaving negative reviews because they feel like they weren’t properly warned about the content, or worst, blasting me on social media and amplifying my company in a negative light. On a most basic level, that is just bad for business.
But second, I have empathy. And the last thing I want is for a reader to be traumatized because they took a chance buying one of our titles and it caused them distress. If providing that information can prevent even one person from experiencing mental distress, then what moral reason do I have not to do it?
I am in the process of on-boarding a new publishing assistant who’s primary job will be to read each title and identify potential triggers. We are then going to take that information and create a dedicated page on the website that readers can reference. Again, my readers are adults. Those that don?t want or feel they don’t need trigger warnings can ignore the page on the website. Those who want or feel they need that information will be able to find it easily.
Once the page is created, I will also work through my various distributors to get a line added to product descriptions that points people to the website if they want to learn about potential triggers. Again, instead of listing them all in the description, the information will be made available to those that want it.
As someone who has personally been struggling with mental health issues, I understand how easily even the most innocuous things can sometimes trigger a negative reaction. While it isn’t realistic to expect the world to shield any of us 100% from things that may provoke a trauma reaction, the least I can do is provide readers with the tools they need to shield themselves from content they may wish to avoid.