S.2 Ep.22 Invisible Errors, Visible Impact: Cultural Accuracy and Sensitivity Editing with Hannah Gomez

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where great stories deserve great craft, world building goes beyond imagination, and the details you don't see can matter the most. 

This week, hosts Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan sit down with Hannah Gomez, Senior Editor and Director of Cultural Accuracy and Sensitivity Editorial Services at Kevin Anderson & Associates, for one of the most eye-opening craft conversations we’ve had yet — especially for aspiring authors.

We dive into what cultural accuracy and sensitivity editing actually means (and what it doesn’t), why fantasy and invented worlds are never as disconnected from real history as we think, and how small overlooked details can quietly break reader trust. Hannah shares how her work helps authors strengthen their stories, avoid unintentional harm, and build more immersive, believable worlds — not by policing creativity, but by sharpening it.

From goblin stereotypes with real historical roots to cookbook naming pitfalls to fantasy races that accidentally mirror real-world bias, this episode pulls back the curtain on blind spots most writers never realize they have until someone shows them.

📚 What if your “made-up” fantasy race isn’t actually neutral?
🔍 What tiny detail can break reader trust instantly?
🧠 And how can curiosity — not fear — make your writing stronger?

If you’re an aspiring author, fantasy writer, or worldbuilder, this episode is a must-listen craft masterclass.

🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…

✨ What cultural accuracy and sensitivity editing actually is and why the name evolved. 
✨ The difference between “sensitivity” and simple factual or cultural accuracy. 
✨ Why fantasy worlds are never truly disconnected from real cultures and history. 
✨ Hidden historical roots behind common fantasy tropes (including goblins and witches). 
✨ The “IMDb goof” effect — how one wrong detail can pull readers out of a story. 
✨ Blind spots authors commonly have in both fiction and nonfiction. 
✨ Writing outside your lived experience and best practices that actually help. 
✨ Three essential self-check questions every author should ask while drafting. 
✨ How cultural accuracy edits work behind the scenes. 
✨ Budgeting for cultural accuracy edits as part of your publishing plan. 

🐦 CONNECT WITH US

🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic
👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland
👤 Sara Santillan – @the_magical_quill

📖 Guest: Hannah Gomez, Cultural Accuracy & Sensitivity Editor at Kevin Anderson & Associates: @KaWriting

✨ Mention this episode when reaching out to Kevin Anderson & Associates and Hannah will extend a listener discount on her services.