
Iona Wayland
Author and Sensitivity Reader
About Iona Wayland
Iona Wayland is an author, book lover, and tea enthusiast. She considers herself a child of the forest, and is a devoted animal mom and mental health professional who specializes in trauma. She depicts aspects of the human experience often in fantastical ways. Common themes of her work include: grief, surviving trauma, and finding purpose and strength.


Ashes
October 10, 2020
After her brother Donny’s tragic death, Angela Soloman is instructed where to lay his ashes in order to bring peace to his restless spirit. She must journey and battle deviant supernatural beings, face her own traumatic past, and follow the rules of Hollow Forest to avoid the stalking creature called the Canid Carey. With help from a mysterious ally, she fights to quiet more tormented souls than one.
Ashes is a dark fantasy with a touch of supernatural horror. Available now in eBook and Paperback formats at Amazon.com
"Into the Forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul."
John Muir

Sensitivity Reading Services
Do you want to include mental illness and diversity in your work but not sure if you’ve hit the mark or have hidden biases? Consider Iona Wayland as your sensitivity reader.
As an avid reader, author, and trauma-specialized mental health professional, Iona is passionate about being a sensitivity reader. She can review your work in progress to give feedback regarding misrepresentation, harmful depictions, and inaccuracies regarding mental injury/illness and multiracial identity in fiction. She can offer solutions to better depict your character’s narrative.
What Iona Does
Iona will evaluate your manuscript and focus on ensuring inclusivity of mental health and/or diversity to avoid tokenizing mental illness and diversity. She will educate about proper portrayals that do not sensationalize or trivialize the experiences.
Special Interests
Mental Injury and Illness
Trauma survivorship
Childhood
Domestic violence
Codependent relationships
Sexual
Exploitation
Attachment (including Borderline Personality Disorder)
Dissociation disorders and dissociative experiences
Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DDNOS)
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
Polyfragmentation
Depersonalization
Derealization
Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms
Complex PTSD
Flashbacks and their subtypes
Depression
Major
Persistent
Bipolar
Anxiety
Social
General
Substance Usage Disorder
Special Interests
Multiracial Experiences
Latina/o/x
Colorism
Machismo/misogynistic ideals
Cultural pride
First-generation American
Ethnocentrism
English Second Language (ESL)
Traditional vs. new ideals
Caribbean Black
Colorism
Familial expectations
Blended families
Racial pride
Irish Catholic
Religious practices
Classism
Mixed Race Identity
Intersectionality
Interracial relationships (romantic, familial, platonic, and professional)
Micro/macro aggressions
Exploring identity and diverse racial backgrounds
The harms of the terms “passing” and “racial ambiguity”
Peripheral Interests
Iona has working knowledge and/or experience in these areas. She can refer you to further literature and other sensitivity readers if she feels she does not have enough information about these topics.
LGBTQIA+
Asexuality and demisexuality
Gender exploration and fluidity
Sexuality exploration and fluidity
Disabilities
Neurodivergent versus neurotypical
Autistic versus allistic
Urban and Rural Living
Inner city life below the poverty line
Appalachian life below the poverty line
Base Cost for Services
$300 for manuscripts 80,000 words or less.
Rates vary based on:
If your manuscript is above 80,000 words
A quick turnaround time
Complexity of request
Requirements for Sensitivity Review
If interested, fill out the form below or send an email with the title “Sensitivity Review” to iona.wayland@gmail.com
Include what services you’re looking for, manuscript length, a brief synopsis of your work, and desired deadline.
Manuscripts should be in its later drafting stage and free of major errors. Sensitivity readership is suited for polished works.
If Iona is able to accept your manuscript, submissions should be in 12 point black Times New Roman font and double spaced for easier reading.
All terms subject to change