Why Trigger Warnings Are Important

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of back and forth about whether trigger warnings should be included in media (books, movies, TV shows, etc.).

Some writers will say that trigger warnings spoil things that happen in the book, others will say that it is exposure therapy for the reader, but an author should not be the one to decide what readers are exposed to. Especially if you’re writing a content-heavy story.

A lot of factors play into whether a reader will pick up and purchase a book. The saying, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” applies to everything but book covers. A reader will judge the book cover, a reader will judge the blurb, a reader will even flip open to the first page and judge the first line, first sentence, first paragraph, etc. And then they will decide whether your book is worth buying or not. A content warnings page should be included in this judgement.

Some people can have very specific triggers. For example, as an editor and reader, if I’m going to read any type of content that doesn’t include consent prior to explicit scenes, I’d like a heads up. This is not to kink-shame by any means, but just in case a reader has trauma relating to such things, there should be a warning at the beginning of your book.

A trigger or content warning just let’s readers know to proceed at their own risk.

In the theme of sharing trigger warnings, I will share the warnings for HEART OF SKULLS below. These trigger warnings will be included in the beginning of my book as well, so readers can decide if they feel comfortable to purchase and read it.