“People say to me all the time ‘you don’t seem like you would write true crime’, and they expect me to be gothic, and wear all black,” true crime author Shanna Hogan giggled.
Hogan, a Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication graduate, adjunct professor and true crime nonfiction writer is a New York Times best-selling and award-winning author.
Hogan said readers are always shocked after they meet her.
"I have a super positive and a kind of bubbly personality," she said. "It’s a juxtaposition to what I write about."
Hogan said attending the Cronkite School created the platform for all of the opportunities she has had. Before she came to Cronkite, she didn't think she would ever be a strong enough writer to do that.
“I knew that when I was in college that I wanted to write, but I wasn’t a good enough writer as my ideas were,” she said. “I really wanted to get better as a writer, and I knew to do that, I needed to write every single day.”
After writing an article on a crime that would later develop into her book, "Dancing With Death," a detective she was interviewing told her what she was reporting on was book-worthy, and that she should pursue the idea.
“I never thought that I would be writing about crime when I got into journalism,” Hogan said. “But, I found crime stories very intriguing, how the cops put together the pieces and solved the murders. When I started reading my first police report and digging into it, I got hooked.”
Six months later, after teaching herself how to find a publishing agent, learning how to write a book proposal and studying countless true-crime books, "Dancing With Death" was sold after six days. She instantly found an agent, and was immediately signed with a publisher.
Hogan began researching a female killer in 2010, when Jodi Arias was only known locally, eventually publishing "Picture Perfect." Hogan researched two female killers at once, publishing “Dancing With Death,” a tale of a passionate crime involving a Las Vegas stripper, in 2011.
The book made it onto the New York Times bestseller list. Hogan also made appearances on television shows "20/20," "The View" and "Anderson Cooper 360," all to speak about her bestseller and the Arias trial.
In 2013, when Arias’ trial began, Hogan attended the trial sessions four to five days a week, and it became a full-time job.
“I would’ve written 'Picture Perfect' for free,” she said. “I loved that book and wanted to write a book so much."
Hogan said she continued to develop her career in writing, and most recently published her book, “A Stranger She Loved,” in 2015. Hogan took a leap of faith by choosing to quit previous jobs to dedicate her time and make a living off of writing books.
“I decided I owed it to myself, to bank on myself,” she said.
Outside of all of her tremendous accomplishments, she is extremely loved and admired by her family, friends and students.
“Shanna is unbelievably ambitious. I've never seen someone follow their heart the same way Shanna does,” Christina Caldwell, Hogan’s longtime friend and colleague, said.
Caldwell said she sees Hogan becoming more well known and continuing to pursue her writing.
“I see her writing more books and becoming an even bigger juggernaut on the non-fiction scene,” she said. “Shanna lives and breathes what she does. She's a journalist to the core and I can't put into words how much I admire her for that.”
Christia Gibbons, current Cronkite School associate faculty member and communications consultant, was Hogan’s professor early in her college career. Although their relationship began as a teacher and student relationship, it later blossomed into a great friendship.
“As far as her work ethic, she’s tireless. She wants to get it right, she wants to make it the best,” Gibbons said. “She’s incredibly gifted talent wise, but she’s incredibly gifted in the way she uses her talent. Shanna is a hell of a thinker.”
Related Links:
Walter Cronkite's legacy continues at journalism school five years after death
Cronkite professor receives investigative journalism award
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