Publish an NYT feature, build your public scholar profile with Daniel HoSang
Daniel specialises in racial formation and racism in politics, culture, and the law. Here he talks about how writing a New York Times feature improved his already solid public scholar platform and caught the attention of agents and media outlets.
Daniel HoSang
Professor of American Studies, Yale University
Race and Democracy Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute
Interdisciplinary expert on racial formation and racism in politics, culture, and the law
Author of A Wider Type of Freedom: How Struggles for Racial Justice Liberate Everyone (among other books)
S&W support: Transform with Anne and Developmental Editing with Daniela
Q&A
This summer you wrote a complex multimedia piece for the New York Times: “Inside the Rise of the Multiracial Right.” How did that happen?
I was approached by a senior editor at the New York Times opinion desk who had been following my work on the multiracial right. They proposed an essay that would be paired with portraits and photographs, and encouraged me to conduct new interviews. The goal was to anchor the piece not only in people’s stories, but also in the specific neighborhoods and places where these dynamics are unfolding.
How did readers and others respond?
The response was wide-ranging and immediate. I heard from scholars, journalists, and readers across the country, and the piece sparked follow-up interviews on radio, television (PBS’s Amanpour & Co), and podcasts (Dissent’s “Know Your Enemy”). It also generated interest from academic and trade presses about future projects. Overall, it confirmed that many people are eager to better understand this shifting political terrain.
Any insights for academics just starting to build the kind of public-facing portfolio you have?
Over the past several years, I’ve published a half dozen public-facing essays based on this research (like “Why Jan. 6 Enticed People of Color”). At times it was difficult to find the right balance between those projects and my scholarly writing, but those essays helped me translate my work for new audiences. They also allowed the Times editor to find me in the first place. So thinking about those efforts as slowly building a body of work that could connect scholarly analysis to broader publics.
Bonus: What do you wish we had asked you? Or what advice do you want to give to other writers like you?
I used to think public-facing work was only worthwhile if it got published. I now realize that even drafts and unpublished attempts were valuable practice that sharpened my skills. I’d also emphasize the extraordinary editorial support I received at the Times. Strong public writing often benefits from robust teams of editors, fact-checkers, and other interlocutors, so I’m now much more intentional about sharing my draft work with a range of readers to get early feedback, rather than holding on to work until I think it's ready.
Would you like to Build Your Public Scholar Platform?
We’ve helped many successful academics think bigger and reach larger audiences. Book a consultation with Anne to talk about how Engage or any of our other public scholar support services can help you raise your profile and make a more significant impact with your research.
