Aug. 28 – Sep. 1, 2025 in Atlanta, GA Buy

Discord logo

Professionals

Have a once-in-a-lifetime experience with us!

Grab your cape, because you won’t want to miss this!

Don’t miss this fandom-filled weekend as we showcase an incomparable assembly of humans and their gifts at Dragon Con.

Want to be the first to know when new professionals are announced?
Follow Dragon Con on social media.

For a list of guests, performers, and attending professionals ordered by confirmation date:

Want to be the first to know when new professionals are announced? Follow Dragon Con on social media.

Back to Top

B

  • Kevin Bachelder

    Kevin Bachelder's podcasts have won four Parsec Awards in the Best Fan Podcast category. He also leads the Dragon Con Newbies group, which puts on events to help new attendees.

  • Michael Bailey

    Michael Bailey has been a podcaster since 2007, when he launched his first show Views From The Longbox. He has hosted or co-hosted a number of podcasts over the years.

  • Aretta Baumgartner

    Aretta Baumgartner has been a professional puppeteer since 1992 and has served multiple terms as President of Puppeteers of America and as Education Director at Atlanta's Center for Puppetry Arts.

  • Jamie Bernstein

    Jamie Bernstein is a data scientist who specializes in building statistical models and the co-host of EnterpriseSplaining, a comedy podcast about Star Trek: Enterprise.

  • J.D. Blackrose

    J.D. Blackrose writes The Summoner's Mark series for Bell Bridge Books. She has published The Soul Wars, The Devil's Been Busy, and the Zombie Cosmetologist novellas through Falstaff Books.

  • Jennifer Blackstream

    Jennifer Blackstream is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and fantasy romance. She is amazed to have made a writing career out of a master's degree in psychology.

  • Jay Boyce

    Winner of the 2019 Warriors and Wizards award for best new LitRPG author, Jay Boyce is the bestselling author of A Touch of Power and Rise of the Mystic Mage series.

  • Bill Bridges

    Bill Bridges is a writer and game designer most known for developing White Wolf's World of Darkness horror RPG setting and the Fading Suns science-fiction universe.

  • Doug Burbey

    Doug Burbey is the author of the Blood War military urban fantasy series. In addition to writing, he is a DoD program manager for advanced military technology development efforts.

  • Tyra Burton

    Tyra Burton is the host and producer of the Geek Meets Social podcast. She writes sci-fi romance, cozy fantasy, and digital marketing books. Burton also co-hosts the Be Awesome Together livestream.

  • James J. Butcher

    James J. Butcher is a new urban fantasy writer and author of Dead Man's Hand, the first book in The Unorthodox Chronicles series. He is the son of Jim Butcher.

Back to Top

C

  • Kevin Cafferty

    Kevin Cafferty is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, head of brand and creative at a Fortune 500 company, DJ, and podcaster.

  • R. E. Carr

    R.E. Carr is the award winning author of the Rules Undying series, as well as exploring horror comedy and science fiction over her 20+ year book career.

  • Jason Cordova

    Bestselling author Jason Cordova was a finalist for both the John W. Campbell Award and Dragon Award, and the author of Mountain of Fire (Baen Books) and 20+ other novels.

  • Katie Cross

    Katie Cross really loves to write books, hike mountains, and eat cookies. You can find out more about her YA fantasy books at www.katiecrossbooks.com

  • Stephanie Crugnola

    Stephanie Crugnola is a chaotic-wholesome content creator specializing in Shakespeare, collaborative storytelling, soccer, marketing, and all things niche nerd.

Back to Top

D

  • Matt Dinniman

    Matt Dinniman is the author of the bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl book and manga series.

  • Hope Dugan

    Hope is a leadership consultant and success coach with 18+ years of experience helping people overcome limiting beliefs like perfectionism and imposter syndrome.

  • Patrick Dugan

    Dugan is author of the Darkest Storm series by Falstaff Books, Stone Cold Witch, Never Steal From Dragons, The ShadowBlade Chronicles, and Watchers of Astaria series from Distracted Dragon Press.

Back to Top

E

  • Kevin Eldridge

    Kevin Eldridge produces and hosts The Flopcast, a weekly pop culture comedy podcast. He is a published science fiction author, an organizer and host of skeptic events, and a comedy musician.

  • Kacey Lyn Ezell

    Kacey Ezell is a retired helicopter pilot who writes multigenre speculative fiction. She is a two-time Dragon Award finalist for Best Alternate History and has written multiple bestselling novels.

Back to Top

F

  • Richard Fierce

    Richard Fierce is an award winning fantasy author of over 40 books and is best known for his fantasy series Dragon Riders of Osnen.

  • Emily A Finke

    A forensic anthropologist by training, but a science communicator by passion, Emily Finke has spent the past 20 years teaching in museums, nature centers, pubs, conventions, and more.

  • Sean Fletcher

    Sean Fletcher is the Amazon bestselling, award winning author of a number of YA fantasy series. He can be found speaking, teaching writing, and working as a professional editor.

Back to Top

G

  • Clay Gilbert

    Clay Gilbert has published 14 novels since 2013, in genres ranging from science-fiction and horror to YA dystopia and urban fantasy.

  • Emily Goodwin

    Emily Goodwin has been involved with book publishing since 2007. She is the producer for the Writers of the Future Annual Achievement Awards.

  • John Goodwin

    John Goodwin, president of Galaxy Press, is the publisher of the fiction works of L. Ron Hubbard and the internationally acclaimed Writers of the Future anthology.

  • Darrell Z. Grizzle

    Darrell Z. Grizzle is a queer horror, urban fantasy, and thriller writer. He is the author of A Very Lovely Murder and I Never Meant to Start a Murder Cult.

Back to Top

H

  • Valerie Dawn Hampton

    Dr. Valerie Hampton, historical archaeologist, author, game maker, paranormal researcher, and Indie film producer, speaks on the intersection between popular fantasy and history, and has numerous publications.

  • K.T. Hanna

    K.T. Hanna is an author known for her series Library System Reset, Somnia Online, and The System Apocalypse Australia (with Tao Wong). She is powered by caffeine, Chipotle, and sarcasm.

  • Drew Hayes

    Drew Hayes is an author from Dallas who has published several books, including Super Powereds, NPCs, Villains' Code, Fred the Vampire Accountant, 5-Minute Sherlock, and Roverpowered.

  • Walter H. Hunt

    Walter H. Hunt is a science fiction and historical fiction writer with 12 published novels, including three in the 1632/Ring of Fire universe. The most recent is 1637: The French Correction.

  • Topher Hunter

    Topher Hunter is a professional biomedical science communicator and amateur droid builder, with a passion for trying new things and helping others to not make the same mistakes he/they made.

Back to Top

K

  • Darin Kennedy

    Dr. Darin Kennedy writes fantasy. His works include the Fugue & Fable trilogy, The Pawn Stratagem trilogy, the Songs of the Ascendant series, Carol, and The April Sullivan Chronicles.

Back to Top

L

  • Courtney Lytle

    Courtney Lytle is a practicing attorney who is a partner at CM Law's Atlanta office and an adjunct professor of law at Emory Law School.

Back to Top

M

  • Alex Matsuo

    Alex Matsuo is an author and paranormal investigator who has been seen on shows: Paranormal Revenge, Tubi's Scariest Places in the World, Haunted Hospitals, and Most Terrifying Places in America.

  • Bob McGough

    Bob McGough is an author, podcaster, and indie tabletop game designer, best known for the Jubal County Saga urban fantasy series and the Books, Beards, Booze Podcast.

  • Joseph Meany

    Dr. Joseph Meany is a science consultant and director of the Interstellar Research Group. He is a co-producer of the podcast series From Here to the Stars.

  • Ben Meeks

    Ben Meeks is an award winning sci-fi/fantasy author, a woodworker/turner, as well as a personality on the Books, Beards, and Booze Podcast. He excels at creative, outside the box thinking.

  • Bill Mulligan

    Bill Mulligan works as a special effects technician, writer, director, actor, and producer. He is a contributing writer to Gruesome magazine and the Decades of Horror podcast.

Back to Top

N

  • James P. Nettles

    James Nettles is a business and technology consultant, speculative fiction and nonfiction author, founder of Author Essentials workshop company, and a founder of the ConTinual convention.

Back to Top

P

  • James Palmer

    James Palmer is a writer of sci-fi and pulp adventure, author of the Shadow Council Archives, and editor of the Monster Earth series, League of Monsters, and Southern Fried Cthulhu.

  • Berta Platas

    Cuban born fantasy author and artist Berta Platas writes YA fantasy and witchy cozy mysteries, many co-authored with longtime friend Nancy Knight.

  • Noel E Plaugher

    Noel Plaugher writes fiction and nonfiction. He is the author of Standing Qigong for Health and Martial Arts and the urban fantasy series The Lady Dragon of Chinatown.

Back to Top

R

  • Ellie Raine

    Ellie Raine is the award winning fantasy author of the NecroSeam Chronicles, a high fantasy epic series which has won several awards including first place in fantasy for Writer's Digest.

  • Aaron Michael Ritchey

    Aaron Michael Ritchey is the author of 58 novels under various pen names. He has been an Amazon All-Star and his book, Armageddon Girls, was a Dragon Award finalist.

  • Jynxie Rose

    Jynxie Rose is a LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent/AuDHD, family friendly content creator. Her community, The CephaloSquad, fosters a safe/cozy environment that fights bullying and raises awareness of mental health and self care.

  • Stacey Rourke

    Stacey Rourke is the award winning author of works that span genres, but possess the same flair for action and snarky humor.

Back to Top

S

  • Tony Sarrecchia

    Tony Sarrecchia is a writer and narrator who creates audio dramas, including the award winning Harry Strange Radio Drama and Everything Evolves.

  • Daniel Schinhofen

    Daniel Schinhofen has published over 60 books since 2016, receiving name recognition in the LitRPG and GameLit community. He has published in multiple other genres as well.

  • Tamsin L. Silver

    Tamsin Silver is a New Mexico based author who writes historical fantasy and urban fantasy. She is also the creator/writer/director of the web series, Skye of the Damned.

  • Sarah J. Sover

    Sarah J. Sover is the author of the urban fantasy Fractured Fae series (Fairy Godmurder, Faed to Black) and the comedic fantasy Double-Crossing the Bridge, from Falstaff Books.

  • Shami A Stovall

    Shami Stovall is a two-time Dragon Award nominee for best YA Fantasy. She co-owns her publishing company, Capital Station Books.

Back to Top

T

  • Mel Todd

    Bad Ash Publishing owner and author, Mel Todd, has written and published over 40 stories. Specializing in stories of wonder without romantic plot lines, her books are devoured by fans.

Back to Top

V

  • R.R. Virdi

    R.R. Virdi is a two-time Dragon Award finalist, Nebula Award finalist, and USA Today bestselling author. He is the author of The Grave Report and The Books of Winter.

Back to Top

W

  • Constance G.J. Wagner

    Constance G.J. Wagner, writer, editor, poet, playwright, and Tolkien scholar, speaks regularly and passionately on all things Middle-earth at both academic and fan-friendly events nationally and internationally.

  • DL Wainright

    DL Wainright uses their degree in world religions and lifelong love of horror to write creepy books that incorporate folklore and mythology, which means someone gets eaten in every one!

  • Dave West

    Dave West is an actor and interviewer who also hosts game shows, wrestling events, and rock 'n' roll concerts. He can be found on the Needless Things YouTube channel.

  • Jennifer Whitworth

    Jennifer Whitworth is a NASA engineer working at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. She supports Artemis and Gateway Payload Integration for experiments destined for the Gateway Station or Lunar surface.

  • Marisa Wolf

    Marisa Wolf writes SFF that ends with hope, no matter how hard the circumstances. She has co-authored novels in shared universes and authored solo novels in her own worlds.

  • Tao Wong

    Tao Wong is a sci-fi and fantasy author best known for his A Thousand Li, The System Apocalypse, and Hidden Dishes series of works.

Back to Top

Y

  • Ben Yalow

    Ben Yalow has attended about 900 cons and worked on a third of them, including having chaired the 2023 Worldcon in China. He has edited four books for NESFA Press.

  • Jessi Ann York

    Jessi Ann York's first two stories, Phases of the Shadow and Women of the Mere, were mentioned as standouts in The Best Horror of the Year Vol. 13.

Cancellations

The following previously confirmed guests will unfortunately not be able to attend Dragon Con this year.

    Featured Guests

    Featured

    Featured
    Guests

    Guests

    Guests
    Performers

    Performers

    Performers