Salt & Sage Books

How to Write Black Characters: An Incomplete Guide Salt & Sage Books

Can an author who isn't Black write Black characters?







You care about writing diversely. You know how important it is to have accurate representation in your stories. You want to include characters whose experience is outside of yours. It's easy to find examples of writing gone wrong, but where do you start to get it right?




The Incomplete Guide to Writing Black Characters can help. Written and collaborated by several of Salt & Sage's Black editors and sensitivity readers, this guide is a compilation of important things you should know before you sit down to write a Black character. You'll find 10 of the most common tropes and concerns as identified by our talented staff, with links, explanations, and ideas for how to write your Black character authentically and with real respect.




By no means is this exhaustive, but it is a great place to start. The print book is around 100 pages long.




Disclaimer: No one book or perspective can reflect the diverse experiences of Black folx, nor should you use this as your only guide. We strongly encourage you to hire a sensitivity reader (or several!), to listen to Black voices, and to read #ownvoices books by Black authors.




This Guide was written entirely by our Black sensitivity readers. Check out all of our sensitivity readers at https: //www.saltandsagebooks.com/sensitivity-expert-readers/.




A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Black Lives Matter.