Why Fact-Checking Can Make Your Fiction Stronger, and How to Find the Right People for the Job

Your manuscript is finished; you have taken your beta readers’ input and made changes suggested by your agent or content editor. You are ready to set your manuscript aside until publish day, right? Well, not quite. Whether your writing is a novel, a short story, or a travel diary, it isn’t just your grammar that needs to be correct.

In recent years, media discussions about fact checkers have abounded in the political arena. That is not the only place where fact checkers dwell. Even with fiction stories, readers will speak up if you write about historical events and place them in the wrong era, or if you describe an internal combustion engine incorrectly or confuse the steps in construction or repairs to an old home. You need to be certain you describe those details properly. Your editor may catch some slip-ups, but to ensure you have your facts right, it’s best to find an expert on the subject or someone who is a member of a particular community. An artist may be able to explain how long it takes acrylic paint to dry or why certain materials are better to use for painting; a chef can inform you why a menu with umami, one of the five basic tastes, is important to a meal.

Reaching out to experts is even more important when you need to represent a community you don’t belong to. If your travel memoir mentions traveling with a wheelchair or with oxygen, speak with real people who require help with such devices about their experiences regarding ADA-compliant access with trains, planes, and bus travel; don’t make assumptions that because there are laws about travel, all transportation is now easy. If you choose a name for a character of a different ethnicity from yours, determine that the names you select fit into that demographic correctly. For example, Asian names are not interchangeable; some are specific to Korean culture while others are part of Chinese heritage. Many cultures do not require spouses to use the same last name or add extensions to the family names for the children. In many of these cases, it’s impossible to truly understand experiences and situations through research alone, but sensitivity readers are an integral part of the editing process and can tell you exactly how to represent those situations in your story in order to make it feel authentic.

Going Pro

If you decide your draft could benefit from a more specialized review, either in certain passages or for plot or character elements that occur throughout the book, subject matter experts, or SMEs, can often cut down the research you’ll need to do and provide more specific feedback on your story. SME is not an official title or degree but a recognition of specific skills that may be helpful as you’re revising your book. According to the job site Indeed.com, “Subject matter experts, or SMEs, are authorities in their field who can provide expertise to fill knowledge gaps on a project or within a company. Although many professionals today undergo cross-training in several areas, SMEs are in great demand because of their deep understanding of their chosen field.”

SMEs often have years of formal education or training and firsthand experience within their field. As you’re searching for SMEs related to a topic, look first at contacts in your community who are already recognized as successful in their field from awards they received or press notices. Do you have friends, neighbors, or relatives with unique skill sets related to your story? Then turn to books or articles in your targeted field; who is writing them? What topics and people are trending on social media that tie into the details you’re researching? 

You might wonder how to approach these experts, but many like to provide explanations or describe their field of expertise to someone else. Introduce yourself as an author working on a short story or novel and explain the questions you’re hoping to answer. If your introductory email or phone call mentions some aspect of their writing or website that drew you in, your SME might be eager to assist. Flattery often works! And if you run into someone who is too busy to reply or is a curmudgeon, don’t be discouraged; move on to others on your list.

Tips for your SME Search

Once you have identified your SMEs, keep the following tips in mind to make sure your discussions provide the answers you need.

1. Know who you’re talking to. Review their website, if any. Peruse any books or magazine articles written recently, and explore any online appearances such as on YouTube, Instagram, or local or national media appearances. You’ll know better the questions to ask them and maybe get a few of the more obvious details cleared up before you reach out.
2. Prepare a list of questions for your contact. Make sure you’re organized and know what you want to ask ahead of time. You may think you won’t forget, but it can be easy to get sidetracked in a conversation, and there’s nothing worse than hanging up the call and realizing you forgot to check the most important detail in your story. 
3. Prepare a script that explains your reasons for reaching out to them. Phone calls work, but email may be preferred for its flexibility. If you’re calling or meeting in person, suggest several options for your contact time to allow them to schedule a time convenient for them.
4. Be respectful. Keep the conversation short and to the point. If you can, set up a Zoom call that would define your time parameters. 

Pro Tip: If you wish to record their responses, get their permission in advance. This isn’t just good etiquette; depending on where you live, disclosing that you’re recording a conversation may be a legal requirement.

5. Follow up. Be gracious and thank them for their time and knowledge, and follow up with a written response. Tell them when or where your work will be published if you can, so they can look at it or cite it later. Ask if you can reach out later, should additional clarifications be necessary. Know that you may also reach out to additional experts; you are not limited to just one.
6. Give credit where it’s due. Beyond thanking your SME personally, it may be a nice gesture to shout them out in your book’s acknowledgments. Here are some sample acknowledgments to give you an idea.
   In her bestselling novel about nurses who served in the Vietnam War, The Women, Kristin Hannah thanked the many nurses she consulted about their experiences by name, saying in part, “You truly are an inspiration,” “Thank you for taking the time to read and critique an early draft and answer questions,” and “Thank you for sharing personal photographs and memories.”
   In her Cozy Mystery set in Puerto Rico, Barbacoa, Bombas, and Betrayal, author Raquel V. Reyes acknowledges the cooks of that island who inspired her and taught her local cooking traditions. She referenced specific YouTube and Instagram accounts, local cooks, and cookbooks by name.
   A more formal recognition was made in the epic biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by authors Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, who acknowledged their SMEs by saying: “We are indebted to several eminent scholars who took the time to carefully read early versions of our manuscript. Jeremy Bernstein, also an Oppenheimer biographer, is an accomplished physicist and writer who did his best to correct our wrong-headed apprehensions of quantum physics.”

Of course, after your interview with your SME, you might need to make changes in your manuscript to correct any deficiencies or descriptions revealed by your newly gained information. But the result will be a stronger, more believable story for your readers to devour. So, indie author, start your search. Using the tips above should make it easier.

Sharon Kay Dooley