How to Write a Book Without Gender References

Writing a book that does not refer to gender can pose a challenge, but some authors wish to write in this manner. Authors of technical and scientific books, and other non-fiction works, may choose to write in a gender-neutral way, if they feel strongly about referring to both sexes equally. Gender-neutral writing allows authors to avoid stereotyping either sex, and also avoids offending readers who are sensitive about such issues. You can rely on the following tips to avoid writing gender-specific text.

• 1

  Write in the second person ("You can buy the product at a discount price by following the store's instructions."), or in the imperative ("Follow the store's instructions to buy the product at a discount price.") to bypass the problem of writing in a gender-specific manner.

• 2

  Use nouns that describe both sexes ("actor") rather than gender-specific nouns ("actress").

• 3

  Write about your subjects in the plural, and use "they" as the pronoun instead of using "he or she" pronouns. For example: "If consumers follow the store's instructions, they can buy the product at a discount price."

• 4

  Use gender-neutral titles, rather than gender-specific pronouns or nouns: "The advertiser's marketing skills..." instead of, "The woman's marketing skills..."

• 5

  Replace pronouns with nouns. Instead of writing, "She will find this helpful," write, "The cook will find this helpful."