StokerCon 2025: Full Schedule

Welcome to the premiere horror literary convention presented by the Horror Writers Association. Registration for StokerCon 2025 is now available! This year the convention is being hosted by the city of Stamford, Connecticut, at the Hilton Stamford Hotel and Executive Meeting Center. We’re taking over from June 12th through the 15th, 2025.

4:00pm EDT

Adapting Books to Film: Bringing Horror from the Page to the Screen

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Join Adam Nevill and other panelists for a look at what it takes to adapt horror stories for film. They’ll share real-world experiences with optioning material, working with screenwriters and producers, and balancing creative vision with industry demands.

Moderators

Brian McAuley

Author / Screenwriter / Professor

Brian McAuley’s debut novel Curse of the Reaper was named one of the Best Horror Books of 2022 by Esquire. His holiday slasher novella Candy Cain Kills earned praise from Kirkus Reviews for its “sublimely drawn characters,” some of whom survived for the sequel, Candy Cain Kills... Read More →

Speakers

Lisa Wood

Vice President, Horror Writers Association

L. Marie Wood is an award-winning psychological horror author and screenwriter. She won the Golden Stake Award for her novel The Promise Keeper. Her screenplays have won Best Horror, Best Afrofuturism/Horror/Sci-Fi, and Best Short Screenplay awards at several film festivals. Wood’s... Read More →

Paul Tremblay

Paul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and Massachusetts Book awards and is the author of Horror Movie, The Pallbearers Club, Survivor Song, The Cabin at the End of the World, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, the crime novels The Little Sleep... Read More →

Jamal Hodge

CEO, Hodge Cinema

JAMAL HODGE is a multi-award-winning filmmaker and writer from Queens NYC who has won over 80 awards with screenings at Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance, Cannes, and others. He directed the first season of Investigation Discovery Channel’s ‘Primal Instinct’ and is a Producer... Read More →

Clay McLeod Chapman

Author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, Kill Your Darling, Stay on the Line, What Kind of Mother, Ghost Eaters, Whisper Down the Lane, The Remaking, and others.

Adam Nevill

Adam L. G. Nevill was born in Birmingham, England, in 1969 and grew up in England and New Zealand. He is an author of horror fiction. Of his novels, The Ritual, Last Days, No One Gets Out Alive and The Reddening were all winners of The August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel. He... Read More →

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

5:00pm EDT

Bram Stoker Awards Panel

Thursday June 12, 2025 5:00pm - 5:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

What are the Awards about, how do they work, how can HWA members and non-members participate in the Awards.

Moderators

Alex Hofelich

co-Editor, PseudoPod

Alex Hofelich is Co-Editor of Pseudopod, a weekly horror podcast magazine. It is part of the pro-paying Escape Artists network, which has been delivering weekly short fiction in multiple genres since 2005. He has been involved with PseudoPod since 2009, and edited the anthology... Read More →

Speakers

Brian Matthews

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Bram Stoker Awards® Show Coordinator; Pitch Session Coordinator, Horror Writers Association

Author, financial planner, former psychologist, husband, and father. Trustee for the Horror Writers Association, as well a National Co-Chair for StokerCon. I also run the Pitch Sessions and act as the Bram Stoker Awards Show Coordinator. That pretty much sums it up.

Laura Blackwell

Writer and Story Hour cohost

Laura Blackwell is a Shirley Jackson Award-winning writer of speculative fiction. Her stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies including Nightmare, PseudoPod, CatsCast, and Shirley Jackson Award-winner Aseptic and Faintly Sadistic. She is copy editor for The Deadlands, and... Read More →

Lila Denning

HWA-Volunteer Coordinator, St Petersburg Library System

Shawnna Deresch

Becky Spratford

Readers’ Advisory Specialist; HWA Secretary, RA for All

Becky Spratford [MLIS] is a Librarian in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All. She writes reviews for Booklist and a Horror review column for Library Journal. Becky was a 24 year locally elected Library Trustee and a former Board member for both the Reaching Across Illinois Library System and the Illinois Library Association. Known for her work with Horror... Read More →

Thursday June 12, 2025 5:00pm - 5:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event

6:00pm EDT

Hooked on Horror: Writing Horror for YA and Middle Grade Audiences

Thursday June 12, 2025 6:00pm - 6:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Horror isn’t just for adults—it has long captivated young readers, from those first spine-chilling stories to the narratives that keep us coming back for more. Panelists will discuss their experiences with horror as young readers, how they craft engaging yet age-appropriate stories, and the unique challenges of writing for children. Topics will include what’s “too scary,” the importance of diverse voices, and navigating sensitive issues like book bans and censorship in children’s literature.

Moderators

Sarah Faxon

Sarah Faxon, who publishes under S. Faxon, is a dark fantasy, horror, and urban fantasy author. Sarah is the author of the books: The Animal Court, Foreign & Domestic Affairs, Tiny Dreadfuls, Origins: The Blue Dragon Society, co-writer of Lost Aboard and How to Become A Successful... Read More →

Speakers

Gaby Triana

GABY TRIANA is the Cuban-American author of 24 books for adults and teens, including Dark and Dangerous Things, Moon Child, Island of Bones, River of Ghosts, City of Spells, Wake the Hollow, Cubanita, and Summer of Yesterday. Her short stories have appeared in Classic Monsters... Read More →

Anastasia Garcia

Author of the Frights to Tell at Night Series

Alyssa Alessi

Author•Spooktastic Book Fair creator/host

Please talk to me about 90’s horror shows and movies, ghosts, witchcraft, the struggles and triumphs of publishing and the moon.

Rob Costello

Rob Costello (he/him) writes dark and contemporary fiction with a queer bent for and about young people. He’s the contributing editor of We Mostly Come Out At Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures, nominated for a 2024 Bram Stoker Award® and named a 2024 CYBILS... Read More →

Robert Ottone

Robert P. Ottone is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of THE TRIANGLE and is also the best-selling author of CURSE OF THE COB MAN, THE SLEEPY HOLLOW GANG, THE VILE THING WE CREATED and NOCTURNAL CREATURES.His short fiction has been collected in TEAR ME OPEN as well as HER INFERNAL... Read More →

Thursday June 12, 2025 6:00pm - 6:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event

11:00pm EDT

Monster Mash!

Thursday June 12, 2025 11:00pm - 11:59pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

A fun, late-night programming piece, not at all a serious discussion--though it might just get intense! Nine participants and one host. Two teams of three. Three judges. An intrepid group who will strive to answer the age old question: "Which monster would win in a fight?" In each round, each team will randomly be assigned a monster out of classic horror or folklore and a random setting will be chosen (or provided by the audience). Each team will then make their case for why their monster would defeat the other team's monster, how their powers or characteristics would match up, and how their environment might be a factor. After the cases are presented, the judges will assess the arguments and decide the winner! Tongue-in-cheek! Outlandish! Deeply meaningful! Place yer bets and let fate decide!

Moderators

James Chambers

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Chair, Horror University, Horror Writers Association

James Chambers is the Bram Stoker Award® and Scribe Award-winning editor and author of A Bright and Beautiful Eternal World, On the Night Border, On the Hierophant Road, the graphic novel, Kolchak the Night Stalker: The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe, and editor of Under Twin... Read More →

Speakers

Mo Moshaty

Writer, Lecturer, Producer and Journalist, NightTide Magazine/Mourning Manor Media

Mo Moshaty is a multi-award-winning horror writer, producer, and international lecturer whose work explores trauma, folklore, and the boundaries of fear through a diverse and inclusive lens. She is the author of Maddalena – 206 Word Stories (2022), Henry – A Quaint and Curious... Read More →

Thursday June 12, 2025 11:00pm - 11:59pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event

9:00am EDT

Horror Podcasts: Conversations That Feed the Genre

Friday June 13, 2025 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Join Guest of Horror Scott Edelman, host of Eating the Fantastic, and fellow panelists for a conversation on the power of podcasting to build community, preserve genre history, and spark meaningful dialogue. From one-on-one interviews to roundtable discussions and narrative formats, panelists will share their experiences creating and appearing on podcasts that deepen connections between horror creators and fans.

Speakers

Alex Hofelich

co-Editor, PseudoPod

Stephanie Gagnon

Host, Books in the Freezer Podcast

Scott Edelman

Author

SCOTT EDELMAN has published 125+ short stories in magazines such as Lightspeed, Analog, Apex, and The Twilight Zone, and in anthologies such as Why New Yorkers Smoke, Crossroads: Southern Tales of the Fantastic, and MetaHorror. He began his professional writing career in the comics... Read More →

Tamika Thompson

Author

Tamika is author of THE CURSE OF HESTER GARDENS (Erewhon/Kensington, 2026) & Next Generation Indie Book Awards Horror WINNER, UNSHOD, CACKLING, and NAKED (Unnerving Books), which Publishers Weekly calls “powerful,” “unsettling,” and “terrifying.” She is also the author... Read More →

Friday June 13, 2025 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

10:00am EDT

Scaring And Daring Anthology Panel

Friday June 13, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Glen 2 & 3

From Captain Hook’s run-in with dark magic to Sherlock Holmes narrowly escaping graveyard spirits to a happily never after for Cinderella, this horror anthology is anything but a bedtime story. In this terrifying new assemblage for young readers, the best-loved stories from the literary canon are revisited and reimagined with a deadly twist by some of the top authors working in middle grade today. Join contributors from the Scaring and Daring official HWA anthology as they talk about their stories.

Moderators

Eric J. Guignard

Gentleman Extraordinaire, Dark Moon Books

Eric J. Guignard is a writer and anthologist of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press Dark Moon Books. He’s twice won the Bram Stoker Award, won the Shirley Jackson Award, and been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and International Thriller Writers Award.He has over 150 stories appearing in publications around the world and has edited and published thirteen anthologies, such... Read More →

Speakers

Teel James Glenn

writer, self

Teel James Glenn has killed hundreds and been killed more times-- on stage and screen as he has traveled the world for forty plus years as a stuntman, fight choreographer, swordmaster, jouster, illustrator, storyteller, bodyguard, actor and haunted house barker.His stories have been... Read More →

Maxwell Ian Gold

Executive Director, Horror Writers Association

Maxwell I. Gold is a Jewish American multiple award nominated author who writes prose poetry and short stories in cosmic horror and weird fiction with half a decade of writing experience. Five time Rhysling Award nominee, two time Pushcart Award nominee, and author of the Bram Stoker... Read More →

Ai Jiang

Ai Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian writer, Ignyte, Bram Stoker, and Nebula Award winner, and Hugo, Astounding, Locus, Aurora, and BFSA Award finalist from Changle, Fujian currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. Her work can be found in F&SF, The Dark, The Masters Review, among others... Read More →

Lisa Morton

Author of four novels and over 200 short stories, screenwriter, Halloween and paranormal expert, past President of the Horror Writers Association.

Friday June 13, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

11:00am EDT

80's/90's Kindertrauma

Friday June 13, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

Glen 2 & 3

The 80's and 90's were a splendor of dark fantasy and science fiction for children, some of which have haunted us since in a phenomenon known as Kindertrauma. Panelists will look back on some of their favorite classic kids media and discuss how the stories, characters and settings influenced their work and how that frightening nostalgia has driven the narrative of today's television shows and books.

Moderators

Katherine Silva

Author and EIC, Strange Wilds Press

Katherine Silva is an ace Maine horror author, a connoisseur of coffee, and victim of cat shenanigans. Her favorite flavors of the genre mix grief and existentialism which she combines with her love of the New England wilderness in her works. She is a three-time Maine Literary Award... Read More →

Speakers

Robert Ottone

Alyssa Alessi

Author•Spooktastic Book Fair creator/host

Please talk to me about 90’s horror shows and movies, ghosts, witchcraft, the struggles and triumphs of publishing and the moon.

Ann Dávila Cardinal

Author

Jamie Flanagan

Jamie Flanagan writes television shows. Credits include The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, The Fall of the House of Usher. Theatre nerd. Avid gamer (tabletop and video).

Logan Alexander Johnson

Logan Alexander Johnson is a writer, designer, and researcher who uses words as a vehicle for activism, inclusion, and empowerment. He brings a designer’s empathy to the page, shaped by over a decade of experience in human-centered design. Logan writes stories that highlight the... Read More →

Friday June 13, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

12:00pm EDT

Salem's Lot at 50/Nosferatu at 103

Friday June 13, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

This panel addresses the evolution of the Nosferatu mythos since the original film and how it has evolved over the last 100 years. This evolution includes Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot (and its prequel "Jerusalem's Lot"), which takes stronger inspiration from Nosferatu than from Dracula or other vampire traditions.

Moderators

Chris Panatier

Writer

Speakers

Andy Davidson

Andy Davidson is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of In the Valley of the Sun, The Boatman's Daughter, and The Hollow Kind. His novels have been listed among NPR's Best Books, the New York Public Library's Best Adult Books of the Year, and Esquire’s Best Horror of the Year... Read More →

Leadie Jo Flowers

How to change the world through education using science fiction (including horror and fantasy, of course). STEM education works as well!

Lisa Kröger

Trustee, Horror Writers Association

Horror writer. Author of MONSTER, SHE WROTE and TOIL AND TROUBLE. Cohost of the Know Fear Cast and The Monster, She Wrote podcast.

Steven Van Patten

Writer/ Producer/ Stage Manager, Laughing Black Vampire Productions

Brooklyn native Steven Van Patten is the author of the critically acclaimed Brookwater’s Curse trilogy that features an 1860s Georgia plantation slave who becomes law enforcement within the vampire community. In contrast, the titular character in his Killer Genius series is a modern... Read More →

Friday June 13, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

1:00pm EDT

Feedback That Doesn’t Haunt You: What to Look for in Writing Groups and Beta Readers

Friday June 13, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

The wrong feedback can kill a story—or worse, a writer’s confidence. The right feedback? It can transform your horror into something unforgettable. In this panel, we’ll explore the full spectrum of constructive critique, from beta reader partnerships to long-term writing groups. Panelists will share experiences building supportive feedback circles, surviving toxic ones, and crafting critique that actually helps. You’ll learn how to set expectations, spot red flags, give and receive feedback that empowers, and build relationships that sharpen your storytelling and strengthen your creative resilience. Whether you’re hoping to join a writing group, build a beta reader network, or stop dreading feedback, this panel offers practical tools and cautionary tales. We’ll also leave time at the end for attendees to network and start forming their critique communities.

Moderators

Christa Carmen

writer

Christa Carmen is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Daughters of Block Island and Beneath the Poet’s House, coming fall 2024 from Thomas & Mercer.Additional work can be found in Vastarien, Nightmare, Orphans of Bliss, Year’s Best Hardcore Horror, and the Stoker-nominated... Read More →

Speakers

Sam Rebelein

Sam Rebelein holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, with a focus in horror and memoir. Sam's work has recently appeared in Bourbon Penn, Coffin Bell Journal, Press Pause Press, Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the Year, and elsewhere. HarperCollins' horror and crime... Read More →

Meghan Arcuri

Meghan Arcuri is a Bram Stoker Award®-nominated author. Her work can be found in various anthologies, including Borderlands 7 (Borderlands Press), Madhouse (Dark Regions Press), Chiral Mad, and Chiral Mad 3 (Written Backwards). She served over two terms as the Vice President... Read More →

Tom Deady

Tom Deady's first novel, HAVEN, won the 2016 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. He has since published several novels, novellas, a short story collection, and the first book in his middle grade horror series. He has a Master's Degree in English and Creative... Read More →

Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito

Editor, Writer, Publisher

Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito (she/her) is a Chinese American judge, mom, and writer in Portland, Oregon. Her writing has appeared in Nightmare Magazine, Flame Tree’s Asian Ghost Stories, Chromophobia, Mother: Tales of Terror and Love, Death’s Garden Revisited, and Unquiet Spirits... Read More →

Jonathan Lees

Jonathan Lees has spent over twenty years championing filmmakers through his programming work with the New York Underground Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, TromaDance, and currently at the Final Frame Horror Short Film Competition at StokerCon.

Friday June 13, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

2:00pm EDT

The Tangled Skein of Short Stories

Friday June 13, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

In his introduction to Bazaar of Bad Dreams, Stephen King noted, “I never feel the limitations of my talent so keenly as I do when writing short fiction.” Learn why short stories aren’t just lazy novels; they are an art form with its own set of rules and skills.

Moderators

Crystal O’Leary-Davidson (C. O. Davidson)

Writer and Teacher

Crystal’s work has appeared in Pseudopod, Vastarien, Cemetery Gates and in various horror anthologies. She co-edited MONSTERS OF FILM, FICTION, AND FABLE and is a founding member of the Atlanta chapter of the HWA. She teaches writing, the Gothic, and horror at Middle Georgia State... Read More →

Speakers

Ananda Lima

Author

ANANDA LIMA is a poet, translator, and fiction writer born in Brasília, Brazil, now living in Chicago, IL. She's the author of the poetry collection Mother/land, winner of the Hudson Prize. Her work has appeared in The American Poetry Review, Poets.org, Kenyon Review Online, Gulf... Read More →

Norman Prentiss

NORMAN PRENTISS is the author of ODD ADVENTURES WITH YOUR OTHER FATHER, THE APOCALYPSE-A-DAY DESK CALENDAR, and LIFE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE, and he won the 2010 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction for INVISIBLE FENCES, published by Cemetery Dance (www.cemeterydance.com... Read More →

James Chambers

Trustee; Co-Chair, StokerCon Governing Committee; Chair, Horror University, Horror Writers Association

Lisa Morton

Author of four novels and over 200 short stories, screenwriter, Halloween and paranormal expert, past President of the Horror Writers Association.

Tim Waggoner

i've published over sixty novels and eight collections of short stories. I write original horror and dark fantasy as well as media tie-ins. I'm a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, a one-time winner of the Scribe Award, and I've been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award... Read More →

Friday June 13, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

3:00pm EDT

Southern Gothic in the Contemporary South

Friday June 13, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Southern Gothic literature is undeniably drenched in the south’s dark past. How have sub-genres like Southern Gothic changed in relation to the current social and socioeconomic issues in that region of the United States, and how are contemporary writers using horror to represent them?

Moderators

Jessi Ann York

Jessi Ann York’s stories have been featured at several professional rate horror markets, including PseudoPod, Vastarien, Cemetery Gates Media, Love Letters to Poe, and more. Her first two stories, “Phases of the Shadow” and “Women of the Mere,” were mentioned as standouts... Read More →

Speakers

Rhonda Jackson Garcia AKA RJ Joseph

academic and creative writer/editor/professor, RJ Joseph, Writer/Speaker

Rhonda Jackson Garcia, AKA RJ Joseph, is a Stoker Award™ and Shirley Jackson Award nominated, Texas based academic and creative writer/professor whose writing regularly focuses on the intersections of gender and race in the horror and romance genres and popular culture. She has... Read More →

Crystal O’Leary-Davidson (C. O. Davidson)

Writer and Teacher

Andy Davidson

Gaby Triana

Clare Castleberry

Clare Castleberry is an author, artist, and narrator from Louisiana. She began her career writing adult content for online zines, then moved on to erotic horror shorts such as Hungry for Control (which also appeared in Year's Best Hardcore Horror, Volume I) and Toxic Femininity. Several... Read More →

Friday June 13, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

9:00am EDT

The Halloween Librarians and You: A Not So Scary Partnership

Saturday June 14, 2025 9:00am - 9:45am EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Join members of the HWA’s Library Advisory Council and author Clay McLeod Chapman for a discussion on how authors can make connections with libraries, foster relationships, and bring horror to more communities throughout the year. Moderated by author and librarian Corey Farrenkopf.

Moderators

Corey Farrenkopf

Staff Librarian, Eastham Public Library

Corey Farrenkopf is a Cape Cod based writer and librarian. His work has been published in Nightmare, The Deadlands, Strange Horizons, Vastarien, Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Bourbon Penn, and elsewhere. He is the author of the novel, Living in Cemeteries and the... Read More →

Speakers

Jocelyn Codner

Reference & Outreach Librarian, Chatham University

Ben Rubin

Horror Studies Collection Coordinator, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Horror Studies Collection Coordinator for Archives & Special Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System - responsible for building, managing, and curating archival and rare book resources related to horror studies and serving as subject area expert for reference related... Read More →

Clay McLeod Chapman

Author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, Kill Your Darling, Stay on the Line, What Kind of Mother, Ghost Eaters, Whisper Down the Lane, The Remaking, and others.

Meghan Bouffard

Information Services Librarian, Sargent Memorial Library

Public Librarian in Massachusetts. Serves as Secretary of the HWA’s Library Advisory Council. As a librarian I advocate for horror readership by challenging genre perceptions and fostering a culture of exploration. You will often find me reading stories of witches, crumbling haunted... Read More →

Yaika Sabat

Saturday June 14, 2025 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

10:00am EDT

Behind The Scenes Of Anthology Editing

Saturday June 14, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Glen 2 & 3

We will go deeper into assembling a memorable anthology beyond just choosing perfect stories, exploring how to curate and arrange stories according to theme, setting, and mood, and building an arc throughout the book.

Moderators

Gevera Bert Piedmont

Editor/Author, Transformations by Obsidian Butterfly

STOKERCON VENDOR COORDINATORNeurodivergent cyborg author/editor of weird and horror fiction@bybertabird | Linktree

Speakers

Sofia Ajram

Queer writer, poet & metalsmith. Writer of “Coup De Grâce” (Titan Books) 10/24. Editor of “Bury Your Gays: An Anthology of Tragic Queer Horror” (Ghoulish Books) 03/24

Douglas Gwilym

Bram Stoker Award nominated short story author, novelist seeking representation, editor of NOVUS MONSTRUM

Douglas Gwilym has been known to write a weird-fiction rock opera or two, and carry a uke around at StokerCon. His short story "Poppy's Poppy" was a Bram Stoker Award finalist last year. His story "Year Six" was on the longlist in 2022, and is on Ellen Datlow’s recommended reading... Read More →

Michael Bailey

Senior Editor, Written Backwards

Michael Bailey is a recipient and ten-time nominee of the Bram Stoker Award, a five-time Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and a three-time recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award, along with several independent publishing accolades. He has written, edited, and published many books... Read More →

Paula Guran

Editor, anthologist, and reviewer Paula Guran has edited more than 50 science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthologies and more than 50 novels and collections featuring the same. She was senior editor for Prime Books for seven years. Previously, she edited the Juno fantasy impr... Read More →

Douglas Murano

Founder/CEO, Bad Hand Books

Saturday June 14, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event

11:00am EDT

How To Promote Your Book Without A Big Budget

Saturday June 14, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Creators offer strategies for leveraging social media, finding ARC readers, bookstore/library outreach and other techniques to plan a successful book launch with a minimal budget.

Moderators

KC (Kristina) Grifant

Author, Editor, San Diego HWA co-chair

A previous StokerCon chair, KC Grifant is an award-winning writer based in Southern California who creates internationally published horror, fantasy, science fiction, and weird west stories. Dozens of her short stories have appeared in podcasts, magazines, games, and Stoker-nominated... Read More →

Speakers

Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Jennifer Barnes

Managing Editor, Raw Dog Screaming Press

Jennifer Barnes is managing editor of Raw Dog Screaming Press which has been publishing off-kilter books for nearly two decades. She spent four years as an editor for The Dream People Literary Magazine. Her children’s book, Better Haunted Homes and Gardens, illustrated by Kristen... Read More →

Pedro Iniguez

SF/Horror Writer

Pedro Iniguez is a Mexican-American Bram Stoker, Elgin, Rhysling, and Dwarf Star Award-nominated horror and science-fiction writer from Los Angeles, California. He is also a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominee. He is the author of MEXICANS ON THE MOON: SPECULATIVE POETRY FROM... Read More →

Ai Jiang

Brian McAuley

Author / Screenwriter / Professor

Saturday June 14, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

12:00pm EDT

Runnin' With the Devil

Saturday June 14, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

The rock music of the 1970s was a horror fan's dream come true. From the onstage horror theatrics of Ozzy Osborne and Alice Cooper to the bewitching presence of Stevie Nicks, this era of songwriting was filled with horror and dark fantasy imagery. With music as varied as the eccentric glam rock of David Bowie and the werewolves and excitable boys of Warren Zevon to the real-life horrors of Starkweather in Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska," these artists explored ghosts, witches, the occult, monsters, true crime, and the downright weird in some of the decade's most enduring tunes. This panel will delve into this creepy era of music and discuss how these songs have impacted the horror genre as a whole as well as the panelists' own work.

Moderators

Gwendolyn Kiste

Gwendolyn Kiste is the three-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens, Reluctant Immortals, Boneset & Feathers, Pretty Marys All in a Row, and The Haunting of Velkwood. Her short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in outlets including Lit Hub, Nightmare, Best... Read More →

Speakers

Sara Tantlinger

Sara Tantlinger is the author of the Bram Stoker Award-winning The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes, and the Stoker-nominated works To Be Devoured and Cradleland of Parasites. She has also edited Not All Monsters and Chromophobia. She is an active HWA member... Read More →

Renee S. DeCamillis

Author & Editor, Renee S. DeCamillis, Editing & Writing Services

Renee S. DeCamillis is a horror author and freelance editor, and the author of the psychological thriller/supernatural horror novella The Bone Cutters, Book 1 in The Bone Cutters series, and Chisel the Bone, Book 2 in the series. She also has a book forthcoming on Sept. 10... Read More →

Michael Allen Rose

Bizarro Writers Association President, RoShamBo Publishing

Michael Allen Rose is a Wonderland Award winning author, musician, and performance artist based in Chicago, IL. In addition to writing books such as Jurassichrist & Inappropriate Toasts For All Occasions, he also edits and publishes anthologies under the name RoShamBo Publishing... Read More →

Nat Cassidy

Nat Cassidy writes horror for the page, stage, and screen. His acclaimed novels Mary: An Awakening of Terror and Nestlings were featured in best-of lists from Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, NPR, the Chicago Review of Books, the NY Public Library, and more, and he was named one of the... Read More →

Douglas Gwilym

Bram Stoker Award nominated short story author, novelist seeking representation, editor of NOVUS MONSTRUM

David Simms

David Simms is the author of PIERCE THE VEIL, FEAR THE REAPER, and DARK MUSE, published by Crossroad Press. His new middle grade novel, CURSE OF THE BARRENS is the latest entry in HWA legend's Elizabeth Massie's AMERI-SCARES series. Residing in Staunton, VA, he works as a psychology... Read More →

Philip Fracassi

Saturday June 14, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event

1:00pm EDT

Horror as Therapy

Saturday June 14, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Themes about human nature and social commentary abound in written and visual horror. The panelists will discuss how horror can be used to process real-life experiences, how they have grown as individuals from consuming and writing horror, and what themes they hope their audiences will see within their works. Further, the panel will also dissect the myth of the morose and depressed writer and suggest ways positive psychology can help writers in their work.

Moderators

Sarah Faxon

Speakers

B.C. Bull

Kevin Kennel

Hello, I am a fiction writer with many writing projects in various forms of development. I have recently been published in the anthology: Satan Rides Your Daughter Again and have had some poetry published online at misfitsmiscellany.com Some of my favorite writers are: Grady Hendrix... Read More →

Mark Matthews

Mark Matthews is a Shirley Jackson Award Finalist, a graduate of the University of Michigan, and a licensed professional counselor. He is the author of On the Lips of Children, All Smoke Rises, Milk-Blood, and The Hobgoblin of Little Minds. He also edited, published, and contributed... Read More →

David Simms

Nicole Wolverton

Nicole M. Wolverton is a fear enthusiast and Pushcart-nominated writer of 50-plus works of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and pop culture essays, as well as two novels—including A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS, Nicole's 2024 young adult horror novel (CamCat Books). She also served... Read More →

Saturday June 14, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

2:00pm EDT

Crafting Original Monsters

Saturday June 14, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

The legendary pantheon of horror monsters is never too full! These innovative novels introduce a brand-new bestiary with creeping, crawling critters beyond your wildest nightmares. In this panel, authors will discuss how they developed these lustful zombies, apocalyptic students, and fears-made-flesh—and offer advice on how budding writers can develop unique monsters of their own.

Moderators

Michael Arnzen

Asst Director, MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at SHU

Amityville-born horror writer Michael Arnzen holds four Bram Stoker Awards® and an International Horror Guild Award for his often funny, always disturbing fiction and poetry. In addition to his creative books—like the novel, Grave Markings, the short story collection, Proverbs... Read More →

Speakers

S. A. Barnes

S.A. Barnes works in a high school library by day, recommending reads, talking with students, and removing the occasional forgotten cheese stick as bookmark. Barnes has published numerous novels across different genres under the pen name Stacey Kade. She lives in Illinois with more... Read More →

Tim Waggoner

Cassandra Khaw

CASSANDRA KHAW is the USA Today bestselling author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth and the Bram Stoker Award-winner, Breakable Things. Other notable works of theirs are The Salt Grows Heavy and British Fantasy Award and Locus Award finalist, Hammers on Bone. Khaw’s work can... Read More →

Nat Cassidy

CJ Leede

CJ Leede is a horror writer, hiker, and Trekkie. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University, and a BA from NYU’s Gallatin School, where she studied Mythology and the Middle Ages. When she is not driving around the country, she can be found in LA with her boyfriend... Read More →

Saturday June 14, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

3:00pm EDT

Writing Horror Novelizations and Media Tie-Ins

Saturday June 14, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Learn what it takes to thrive in the world of horror tie-ins and novelizations with Guest of Honor Tim Waggoner and V. Castro. They’ll share real-world examples of IP assignments, how to craft standout pitches, outlines, and chapters, and tips for adapting your voice to a shared universe. You'll also get advice on finding tie-in work, honing your shared-world writing skills, and delivering quality under deadline.

Moderators

Linda D. Addison

Trustee, Horror Writers Association

Linda D. Addison is an award-winning author of five collections, including How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend, recipient of the HWA Lifetime Achievement Award, HWA Mentor of the Year and SFPA Grand Master of Fantastic Poetry.

Speakers

V. Castro

Tim Waggoner

Saturday June 14, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

4:00pm EDT

Editing Horror: Shaping Stories and Building Worlds

Saturday June 14, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Get an inside look at the editing side of horror with Guest of Honor Paula Guran and other panelists. They’ll share real-world experiences working with authors, selecting stories for anthologies, and shaping manuscripts into finished books. You’ll also get advice on developing an editorial eye, collaborating with writers, managing deadlines, and navigating the evolving horror market as an editor.

Moderators

Eric J. Guignard

Gentleman Extraordinaire, Dark Moon Books

Speakers

Kelly Lonesome

Executive Editor, Tor Nightfire

I am a Hugo Award nominated editor of novels and novellas. I joined Tor Publishing Group in 2019, and I have had the privilege of working with terrifyingly talented authors for our Nightfire imprint. I acquire adult fiction across TPG and while I am always searching for unique stories... Read More →

Ellen Datlow

Trustee, Editor of short fiction through novellas

Ellen Datlow has been editing sf/f/h, short fiction for more than forty years. She currently acquires short fiction and novellas for Tor.com. She’s edited more than one hundred anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series and has won multiple awards for... Read More →

Paula Guran

John F. D. Taff

Saturday June 14, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session

10:00am EDT

Off the Beaten Path: Self-Publishing, Indie Presses, and Crowdfunding for Horror Writers

Sunday June 15, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Glen 2 & 3

Traditional publishing isn't the only way to get your horror stories into the hands of readers. In fact, more writers than ever are finding success through alternative routes—whether by self-publishing, partnering with indie presses, or launching crowdfunding campaigns to bring their visions to life.

This panel will explore the strengths, challenges, and opportunities in self-publishing and indie publishing, focusing on how each path specifically serves horror writers. Panelists will demystify what indie publishers are looking for in submissions and how the author-publisher relationship differs from working with a Big Five house. They'll also dive into the self-publishing process and how crowdfunding can be used to fund your project.

From submission tips and marketing strategies to connecting with indie booksellers and leveraging your community, this panel will offer practical insights for horror writers ready to take the non-traditional path and make it their own.

Moderators

Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Speakers

Nicole Kurtz

Russ Colchamiro

Russ Colchamiro is author of the Sci-Fi thrillers Crackle and Fire, Fractured Lives, Hot Ash, Blunt Force Rising, and Trigger Point, the ongoing series featuring hardboiled private eye Angela Hardwicke. Russ also is the author of the rollicking time travel/space adventure, Crossline... Read More →

L.P. Hernandez

Author and publisher, Sobelo Books

Writer of In the Valley of the Headless Men, Stargazers, and No Gods Only Chaos. Co-owner of Sobelo Books with L.C. Marino. Host of Dog-eared Nightmares. Air Force officer. Father, husband, metalhead.

L.C. Marino

Author

Author of thrills, suspense, and horror fiction and host of The Suspense is Killing Me Podcast. Author of The Haunting of the Whispering House series, including titles Bury the Child, Burn the Girls, and Bless the Mother. Lucas is also cofounder of Sobelo Books, owner of the Spineless... Read More →

Adam Nevill

Exhibitors

Shawn Hainsworth

Sunday June 15, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
Glen 2 & 3

Convention Event, Livestreamed Session