Content warnings: Should you put them in your book? What topics are included? How do you write one?
These are the questions we’ll be talking about in today’s post!
Hi, I’m Kaitlin. As an editor for indie romance authors, my goal is to set you up for success. While there are no strict rules for content warnings in books, I’ll break down the basics below and help you figure out what feels right for your story.
Let’s start with a definition, shall we?
A content warning (also known as a trigger warning) is a brief paragraph placed in a book that warns readers of potentially distressing topics contained in the story. Some people have experienced various traumas in their lifetime, and graphic reminders of those events can cause them to relive unwanted memories and emotions. Placing a content warning in your book for scenes dealing with specific triggers helps people make an informed decision about whether they feel comfortable engaging with those topics at that time.
Placing a content warning in your novel communicates two significant things to your audience: empathy and credibility.
As a storyteller, you communicate empathy by considering your readers’ mental health and providing the information they need to have a positive reading experience. There are plenty of unpleasant or jump-scare moments in our everyday life. We don’t need surprise negative experiences in our books too!
Think of trigger warnings like movie ratings. We’re all familiar with these! For younger viewers or people sensitive to “mature” themes such as violence, sexual content, etc., movie ratings communicate in advance about the potentially disturbing topics they depict. If movie ratings provide this for the general public, it makes sense to include them in fiction books as well.
You also communicate credibility as a professional author by being transparent about the sensitive topics included in your book. Just because someone reads a book in the romance genre doesn’t mean they anticipate other mature themes like physical violence, self-harm, or death. Knowing you care enough to disclose these subjects builds trust with your audience and strengthens your credibility as an author.
I’ll say it again—your professional reputation can absolutely be influenced by your decision to include (or not include) trigger warnings.
This isn’t a threat! It’s just the reality of the publishing world.
Readers trust you more when you communicate with them and show that you care about their experience. You demonstrate that you are secure enough in your skill and authorship that you can afford to lose a few readers (and as we’ll see below, that rarely happens anyway!).
Another benefit? You minimize the risk of negative book reviews from people who felt blindsided by undisclosed material in your book. Your story might be outstanding, but one person’s bad experience can sway their whole impression—and the impression of anyone who reads their review online. Their review might even contain spoilers that damage the experience for other readers. Yikes!
Here’s the big picture takeaway: Content warnings are about helping every book find its way into the hands of the audience it was meant for (and away from those it’s not).
As I always like to say: Nope, it’s not illegal!
BUT, it may not be in your best interest as an author to leave them out. As I mentioned above, if a reader encounters something so traumatic they DNF (do not finish), their reaction will likely be to tell others about it—either online or in person, and this can really tank sales.
Also, you’re trying to provide a positive experience for your reader. Just because something doesn’t feel upsetting to you doesn’t mean it won’t be triggering to someone else. Providing content warnings is a simple way to support and care for your fellow human beings.
You might be worried that trigger warnings might turn away readers. This isn’t all bad. Think about it: If someone DID walk away from your book due to the trigger warning, they aren’t your right audience anyway.
However, the truth is that this scenario almost never happens! Most people still want to read the book. But at least you’ve handed them that choice, and they know what they’re getting into.
You have several options for where to place your trigger warning:
*A page at the front of the book (before the first chapter).
*A page at the back of the book (with a blurb in the front of the book to direct readers there). Some authors like to do this in case readers WANT to go in completely blind.
*A QR code at the front of the book that takes readers to the book’s content warning on your author website.
Nope! This is a common fear, but it’s just not true. Content warnings are typically so general that they won’t spoil the book for your readers.
For example, a description like “explicit sex scenes” informs the reader this is an open-door romance, but it doesn’t disclose which characters are featured in the scene or when it happens in the book. Other brief descriptions like “descriptions of self-harm” or “suicidal ideation” give readers the information they need without revealing any details of the who, what, when, or where.
So what should actually go in your trigger warning? Let’s talk about that next.
There are many websites with databases of common topics to pull from when creating the content warning for your book. To get you started, here are a handful of common potential triggers:
For more examples across pretty much every category, I recommend checking out this website and this one. Then, read this article for two examples of content warnings from actual books.
Pro tip: When you’re so close to your story, it can be difficult to pinpoint every scene that calls for a trigger warning. Ask your beta readers and/or your editor to give you feedback and make sure nothing slips through the cracks!
What do you think? Did reading this blog post help you understand more about content warnings in books?
If you’re looking for an editor who will help you strengthen your story and get it publish-ready, I’m always looking for my next great read. I’d love to hear from you!
If you’re ready to send your book to your editor, here are some basic formatting standards and tips that you can do to prepare your manuscript and make your editor’s life easier (and they’ll love you for it!).
Discover seven things book editors don’t do for authors or their manuscripts in this blog post written by a professional freelance copyeditor.
If you’re an author looking to hire an editor, here are some author red flags that editors look for—check them out to see what worries book editors when talking to potential clients.