Before I get to my argument for trigger warnings, I want to explain why this is so important to me. I have trauma. I mean - most of us do. In some form or other. I have distinct trauma about abusive relationships and violent homes. Verbal and physical situations continue to scare the hell out of me and I will forever be jumpy and anxious despite lots - lots - of therapy. I handle it well for the most part and don’t always share this part of me with others.
Recently, I had an interesting experience with an advanced reader copy of a book. There was a violent interlude that started the book. Page one - the hero turns a gun on the heroine. I didn’t make it past that. I told the PR fir
The PR firm was great - totally responsive and understanding but also didn’t know what was in the book and therefore wouldn’t have been able to provide such warnings. Eventually, they passed my message on to the author. This is when it actually got interesting (thanks for sticking with me).
The author replied directly to me with this message:
The reason there is no trigger warning is there is no domestic violence of any kind in the book. The preface of the book contains a scene where the hero would appear to be shooting the heroine, but it is there to mislead and create an element of suspense. The hero is actually protecting her from someone out to hurt her by helping her fake her death. As you can see, explaining that off the bat would be a rather large spoiler. The book is primarily a bodyguard book where the assassin is protecting his love interest.
I totally understand what she is saying - she doesn’t want to spoil the book or detract from the action or dramatic reveal that she is building up to. I can respect that. But I don’t understand why telling someone there will be violence in vague terms would spoil it. We do it for movies - we do it for music.
And it needs to become a standard practice in books.
I recently had a totally different experience with an author. It was a Netgalley ARC and a previously published author. The novel opens with a violent act - but it is also advertised in the description. I finished the book - which has other content warnings needed - and I emailed the author. This book hadn't been finalized yet and it was about a month before the date of publication - the author wrote me back and we had a pleasant conversation and she reflected - that yeah - it might need some warnings when it finally came out.
There are authors that do it. And do it well. Tessa Dare - has an entire page of her website devoted to it - not in her books but easily accessible and takes input from readers if she has missed one. Kate Meader is similar to Tessa Dare with a really in depth page on her website. Tillie Cole doesn’t have TW or CW per se but always has a foreword and a glossary where she explains things that she will have in the book. (And her MC books - Hades Hangmen - are intense as heck.) Scarlett Peckham does an amazing job warning her “Fair Readers” and even gives a lovely Author’s Note at the beginning (speaking specifically of The Rakess here) to explain the reasoning behind some of what she wrote. But the gold standard of warnings is Talia Hibbert.
Ms. Hibbert doesn’t worry that she will spoil anything. She is specific and her warnings don’t take anything away from the books. Just adds to them. Because I don't have to worry that I will get to a point in the book that I will be so uncomfortable or disgusted that I DNF or I finish but end up hating the book. I feel comfortable reading books that have themes that are hard for me because I am more prepared.
So as readers and consumers of this media - support each other in asking for these warnings. Let’s post them on our own. And promote authors that do - and encourage the ones who haven’t started yet.