Bob Would Love To Speak At Your Event
Bob has been a guest at a number of conventions across the southeastern United States. He has also taught a mix of workshops in places as diverse as small town libraries to more prestigious events such as the Atlanta Self Publishing Conference. He's been a guest at book clubs, spoken at events in bars, and been on a wide array of virtual shows. Below you can see the topics he feels most confident speaking about, as well as letters of recommendation, and a full listing of past panel appearances at conventions.
Use the contact form on this site to reach out, unless you happen to already have his email address, phone number, or have talked to him on social media.
Dragons, Mermaids, Minotaurs, Oh My! panel at Dragon Con 2023. Bob seated beside Sherrilyn Kenyon.
As A Guest Bob Has Spoken On Topics Such As:
The Craft of Writing
As a published author Bob has been asked to speak on a variety of craft related topics. Sample panels include:
Firearms in Fantasy
Dragons, Mermaids, Minotaurs, Oh My!
People Who Live In Your Book
The Business of Being A Creative
Bob has long been transparent about his business practices in order to provide free education. Alongside this he has taught workshops such as "How to Diversify your Income as a Creative." Sample panels include:
So You’ve Finished Your Book…Now What?
Growing Your Social Media Presence
How To Fill Up Your Writing Portfolio
Tabletop Gaming
Bob has been a long time indie ttrpg game designer and has freelanced in the space. He loves talking about smaller rpgs in particular, like One Sheet RPGs. Sample panels include:
RPG Design Jam
One Sheet RPGS
Small, Tiny, and Encapsulated Board Games
AI
In his day job Bob works in tech, in spaces where AI is having an impact. He keeps abreast as best he can of this rapidly changing technology, and has spoken at a number of conventions on the subject, espcially how it relates to creatives. Sample panels include:
AI & ChatGPT: The Impact on Content Creators
AI and What It Means for Horror Fiction
Ethical Artistry: How to Relate to AI
Podcasting
Bob has been a host and guest on a number of podcasts. He has taught workshops on starting your own podcast. Sample panels include:
Podcasting for Authors
How to Promote Your Creativity with Podcasting
Podcasting/Livestreaming 101
Genre Fiction (Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror)
Bob primarily reads and writes genre fiction, typically horror, fantasy, urban fantasy, steampunk, and sci-fi. He's most knowledgeable about horror, fantasy, and urban fantasy however. He can talk about specific books, genres, or tropes, just ask. Sample panels include:
Putting the Rural in Urban Fantasy
Modalities of Horror
Horror: The Darker Side of Fantasy
Horror
Bob loves him some horror. Books, movies, and games, he loves them all. Sometimes folks even let him talk about them! Such as on:
Dead Space: Zero Gravity Zombies
Horror in a Modern World, Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies...oh my!
Modalities of Horror
Paranormal
Bob will readily admit he doesn't really believe in the paranormal...but he really loves to talk about it anyway! Sample panels include:
Cryptids of the Southeast
Cryptobiology
Fight the Fairies!
Assorted Nerdery
Bob is a huge nerd! His interests are many and varied, and he can talk about a huge number of topics. Strange things. Old things. Just ask, and he may well be able to talk about whatever niche topic you need. Sample panels include:
Sorting the Demi-gods of Elden Ring
Cats Rule the World
Geeky Dad Jokes
Live Plays/Podcasts
A new field for Bob, he has been in a few live plays for some indie games at conventions. He has also been on podcasts recording live episodes. Sample panels include:
The Witch Is Dead Live Play
Postcards from the Expedition Live Play
Wise_N_Nerdy: Where Fatherhood Meets Fandom - Live From Chattacon
Full Convention Panelist and Moderator List
Past Panels: (MP = Main Programming)
CONjuration, 2024 (11): Writing with Magic: Using Digital Tools, Our Favorite Cryptids, Wise N Nerdy: Where Fatherhood Meets Fandom, Finding the Stories: Bob McGough, What Creatives Need To Know About AI, First Sentence: The Most Important Words Of Your Story, One Sheet RPG Live Play, Sorting SEC Football Teams!, Organic Marketing for Authors/Creatives, Writing for the Reader with Aphantasia, Conjuring Collaboration: When is Teaming Up Magical
Multiverse Con, 2024 (10): Hobbits and Hashtags, Bedtime Stories - The R+ Rated Storytime!, Why Do We Like To Be Scared?, Budgeting for Your Author Career, The One-Page RPG, An Hour of Zero Means You Are Dead, MEETup: Podcasters, YouTubers and other Digital Content Creators, Potato Masher: Chuck Tingle RPG Go!, The Rise of Horror Anthologies and TV Series, Getting Into Miniature Gaming
Dragon Con, 2024 (7): We Got Game, Writing A Series, Not Just A Place, Wise_N_Nerdy: Where Fatherhood Meets Fandom Live!, Be A Podcast Guest Pro: How to Get Booked (& Get Invited Back), 101 Fascinating Ways To Kill Off A Character, Writers Go Digital: Creating, Engaging, & Finding Readers
ConCarolina, 2024 (7): Blue Collar Heroes, How To Build A Cult Following On Social Media, So You Want to Be A Podcaster, Game Recommendations, Respect the Hustle: Side Gigs For Writers, Geeky Dad Jokes, Dune Through The Years (MP)
Jordancon, 2024 (5): Let's Design A Game, Charity RPG (MP), Dead Space: Zero Gravity Zombies, Design A Game Like A Pro, The Future Is Hilarious
Chattacon, 2024 (5): Video Games: Changing for the Good, Horror in a Modern World, Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies...oh my!, Wise_N_Nerdy: Where Fatherhood Meets Fandom, Killing the Wicked Witch of the West
CONjuration, 2023 (11): AI and the Impact on Creatives, On the Outskirts: Rural Fantasy in an Urban World, So You’ve Finished Your Book…Now What?, Sorting the Demi-gods of Elden Ring, One Sheet RPGS, Worldbuilding, People Who Live In Your Book, Diversifying Your Revenue Streams as a Creative, The Witch Is Dead Live Play, Firearms in Fantasy, Cryptids of the Southeast.
Multiverse Con, 2023 (7): RPG Design Jam, Modalities of Horror, One Page RPGs, Ethical Artistry: How to Relate to AI, AI and What It Means for Horror Fiction, Social Activism through Art, Bedtime Stories: The R Rated Storytime
Alabama Comic Con, 2023 (2): How to Get Published (Moderator), Diversifying Your Revenue Streams as a Creative (Moderator)
Dragon Con, 2023 (6): Podcasting for Authors, Dragons, Mermaids, Minotaurs, Oh My!, AI & ChatGPT: The Impact on Content Creators, Postcards from the Expedition Live Play, Quick, Small RPGs, Small Tiny and Encapsulated Board Games.
ConCarolinas, 2023 (5): Growing Your Social Media Presence, Fight the Fairies!, Cats Rule the World, Cryptobiology, Podcasting/Livestreaming 101.
Imagi-Con, 2023 (1): Featured Guest, Southern Horror and Fantasy panel (MP).
CONjuration, 2022 (6): How to Get Your Book Published (Moderator), Putting the Rural in Urban Fantasy (Moderator), Horror: The Darker Side of Fantasy, How to Promote Your Creativity with Podcasting, Southern Fried Fantasy (Moderator), How To Fill Up Your Writing Portfolio
Multiverse, 2022 (1): Social Media and Digital Marketing for Authors
Dragon Con, 2022 (1): Indie Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
Magic City Con, 2022 (1): How to Get Published (Moderator)
Alabama Comic Con, 2022 (1): How to Get Published (Moderator)
Alabama Comic Con, 2021 (1): How to Get Published (Moderator)
Sonocon, 2019 (1): How to Get Published (Moderator)
Gump City Comic Con, 2019 (1): Author Panel (Moderator)
Fanticon, 2019 (2): How to Get Published (Moderator), Book Discussion (Moderator)
CONjuration 2022. Southern Fried Fantasy Panel. Me, Ben Meeks, Bobby Nash, and Nancy Knight.
Workshop Presenter List
Fiction In Fantasy at the Kelly Fitzgerald Art Center, 2024: So You Want To Write A Book, I've Written A Book...Now What?
Atlanta Self Publishing Conference, 2024: What Authors Need To Know About AI
Atlanta Writing Workshop, 2024: Organic Marketing for Authors
Alabama Writing Workshop, 2024: Organic Marketing for Authors
Atlanta Self Publishing Conference, 2023: Earnings Beyond Royalties.
The folks who hung around after my Atlanta Writing Workshop to ask more questions.
Bob's Top Fandoms
Niche Topics Bob Can Nerd Out On On Panels
The Warriors (1979) and the book.
The Black Company series by Glen Cook.
Real Time Strategy Games.
True Detective.
The Lovecraft Mythos.
Lake Placid/Anaconda/Jaws/big creature eating people movies.
Found Footage Horror Movies.
Alternatives to DnD.
Warhammer/Warhammer 40k/Anything Games Workshop.
Letterkenny/Shoresy.
Non DC/Marvel Comics.
Fantasy Heist Novels.
Board Games.
Crusader Kings 3.
How awesome cats are.
Educators: I Would Love To Come Speak To Your Students!
Are you a high school or college educator? Or maybe an educator in a non-scholastic specific area, like a library or prison? Are you interested in having an author come speak to your class? Consider me! I would love to speak to your students!
While I could talk about a lot of differently weirdly niche nerdy topics from Artificial Intelligence to Lake Placid, what I really would love to talk with your students about would be what it’s like to be an author/creative in this day and age. I can speak about the creative process, the struggle of marketing yourself, how to treat it like a business, all in realistic terms. I can give the lay of the land in publishing, explain how I used freelancing to help fund my efforts, and discuss how I have worked to diversify. I love to talk transparently about how you need to define success for yourself, using that to help motivate you.
If any of this sounds good to you, don’t hesitate to reach out. If there is a specific topic you would like me to discuss just let me know, I want to speak to your students' specific needs. If you are within easy driving distance of Montgomery Alabama, I am happy to come in person. Otherwise I will happily attend virtually.
Here are my quick qualifications: Eagle Scout, Bachelors and Masters from Troy University, self and traditionally published author, podcaster, and indie tabletop game designer. You can find out a lot more about me HERE and HERE , but there are the highlights.
Bigger Names I Have Paneled With
No, this isn't to stoke my ego
I mean, it is a little. But really the point here is to show you that Con Runners have begun to trust me on the panels with the big names, and I haven't mucked it up. I now get to be on Main Programming on occasion, and I promise to not disappoint you.
Kevin J. Anderson
Bill Bridges
Matt Dinniman
John G. Hartness
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Goni Montes
David Weber
Timothy Zahn
Bob on a panel with Kevin J. Anderson