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Game Talk - Dennis K. Crosby

  • Mar 15
  • 8 min read

I'd first met Dennis a couple of years back at StokerCon in San Diego. Laidback, articulate and good-humoured, conversation just flowed. As is often the way with conventions, I attended a fraction of the programming, one such panel being Black Voices in Horror. And while Dennis was moderating, you could tell there was plenty the man could say. Time to get into the game.




1. For those who don't know, who are you?


Greetings all! I’m Dennis K. Crosby, a proud storyteller with works in the genres of horror, urban fantasy, and supernatural thriller. My urban fantasy series consists of Death’s Legacy, Death’s Debt, and Death’s Despair. They’ve received amazing reviews, awards, and each of them debuted on Amazon’s bestseller list in multiple categories. I’ve also written 17 short stories, mostly in the horror genre, across multiple anthologies, including 3 volumes of the Castle of Horror anthology series Thinly Veiled, Dracula Beyond Stoker (2 issues), Night Terrors, and Weird Tales Magazine. I have 4 additional stories slated for 2026 and I’m looking forward to seeing them out in the wild.


In addition to writing, I am also an editor. I co-edited a horror anthology with my friend, KC Grifant called Dread Coast: SoCal Horror Tales. This project was born from our desire to help individuals and families impacted by the devastating wildfires in Southern California in January 2025. I am also an Editorial Assistant with Stars and Sabers Publishing, a small press based in Los Angeles.


I’m a frequent panelist and moderator at conventions and writing festivals, including WonderCon, Comic-Con, and the Southern California Writers Conference. And, being from Chicago, I am an avid Cubs fan and lover of deep-dish pizza.


2. Game talk – how do you organise and manage your game? How has it evolved?


Like many storytellers, I have a fulltime job that is a bit removed from my creative endeavours. The nature of that work can be physically and mentally draining, and as much as I’d like to say I write every day or tackle some aspect of my writing career each day, it’s just not realistic for me. So, I tend to organize based on project.


If I’m working on a novel, I set a due date about 120 days out (this could be less depending on word count), establish an approximate word count, and divide that by 16 weeks for a weekly word goal. Setting weekly goals works better for me than daily goals, because again, some days the keyboard is a shadowy spectre haunting me. Stalking me. Mocking me. Eating my snacks and drinking my bourbon, and…I digress. So, weekly goals help me get to a completed first draft. I let that draft marinate for 2-4 weeks and work on short stories or begin the research for the next novel I’ll write. After that 2-4 week period I spend the next 30 days in edits and rewrites. Strangely, this phase is something I enjoy, and I can do this daily.


This system is similar for short stories, too—though in a much shorter period. Depending on the submission guidelines (Read them! Follow them! To. The. Letter.) I’ll get the first draft done in a few days, let it sit for a few days, then edit and revise over a day or two before submitting.


Beyond writing, there are events writers can and should attend. Conferences rooted around craft, business, genre and/or popular culture can be crucial in getting your name out into the ether. Set a schedule for attendance that best matches your time, finances, and ability to travel. I will typically only travel to two events that are out of state. I factor in time away, event registration, hotel and airfare costs, etc. Local events are a little easier in terms of travel. They can still be costly with registration fees, in which case it’s wise to have authors pals that may split vendor table fees with you.


This is the process that has evolved for me over the last few years. It may change in the future with more publications and more opportunities to attend/present at certain events.


3. Talk us through one of your biggest achievements in your game – give us the story behind it. How did it play out?


I still consider myself a bit of a novice in this game. I am excited for each opportunity that comes my way because it not only assists with exposure to readers and writing colleagues, but it also aids in my education about the business of publishing and the craft of writing. Each year since my first publication has had some moment that I consider a huge achievement. I think there are two, however, that stand out for me.


The first, was the opportunity to be Keynote Speaker (and eventually a workshop leader) at the Southern California Writers Conference. My first book was a “Pandemic Baby”, having launched in 2020. As a result, I was unable to have an in-person launch party, so I opted for a virtual “Happy Hour Launch”. I was able to share in the joy of my debut novel with friends and family from all over the country. One of the attendees was the director of the SCWC and following the event he invited me to be the speaker for their upcoming conference which was going to be virtual. The opportunity was overwhelming but truly felt like a full circle moment for me, because that conference was the very first writers’ event I’d ever attended. It was the place where I began to grow my writing network beyond San Diego, and it was also the place where I’d first learned about the company that would eventually help me publish my work. Returning to the conference, as a speaker, felt incredibly satisfying, and I was truly honored to share my experience with attendees, and hopefully inspire newer writers, just as I had been inspired years before.


The second standout moment was more recent for me. In March 2025, I was invited to be the Keynote Speaker for the Crest Canyon Academy’s annual Creative Writers Conference in San Diego. The conference was created by the high school students of Crest Canyon Academy and is completely organized and operated by them. At that conference I was doubly honored when they awarded me the Jonathan Maberry Inspiring Teens Award. This award meant a great deal to me for a couple of reasons. First, Jonathan is a writer I greatly admire. He’s become a friend and mentor over the years, and his advice has put me into positions of success that I might not have achieved otherwise. Second, this award was presented to me by students who not only appreciated my work as an author, but my work in and around the city of San Diego. My contribution to the community was taken into consideration as much as my prose, and having that recognized by young students—who inspire me regularly—meant more than I could have possibly imagined.


I would be remiss if I didn’t include my first publication as an Editor as a major achievement. Editing an anthology was always a long-term goal for me, but when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. I think saying “yes” is crucial in this business. It pushes us to try things that we might not otherwise pursue. It challenges us as storytellers and creatives to explore creativity in a way we never thought of or didn’t think we were capable of. Saying yes also shows our peers and our network that we are “go to” people when a need arises, or when a creative opportunity presents itself.

4. I knew you had a hand in organising StokerCon in San Diego a couple of years back (which was excellent), but didn't realise you were Keynote Speaker at another convention a few months earlier! How do the two compare/contrast, and have any similar opportunities presented themselves as a result of either?

For me, the difference between being a Keynote at a conference versus being an organizer, is the audience. As a Keynote, my focus is on delivering a message that is truthful, fun, educational, and inspiring. As Keynote, there is a portion of the work that is business oriented, too. So, there’s an element of sales in that you’re hoping people are inspired enough to buy your work, or at the very least, follow and/or support your career. This is true as a Keynote or workshop leader. Thankfully, I’ve had the opportunity to do both of those.


As a conference organizer, my focus is doing my part to ensure that attendees’ needs are met so they can enjoy the event. They shouldn’t need to worry about the little things so that they can focus on networking, learning, and having a great time in the environment with their peers.


5. It's great if things go according to plan. Tell us about when it didn't; how did you handle it? What were/are those challenges?


I am a former private investigator, and I currently work in social service—two professions that require a great deal of flexibility and patience. That foundation has helped me prepare for many challenges—big and small, and certainly in many aspects of my writing career.


As writers, we all talk about rejection. Whether it’s a novel, novella, or short story, we throw our heart and soul into the page, and we feel we’ve done excellent work, sometimes our best work, but it doesn’t land the way we hope. The agent, editor, or publisher didn’t connect with it the way we thought they would. Each occurrence is an example of something not going according to plan.


I have had my share of rejection. From querying my first novel, to submitting short stories to anthology calls, rejection is a fact of life in publishing. Fortunately, I feel that I was better prepared for those instances because of the people I surrounded myself with. Seasoned vets in the game like Jonathan Maberry (whom I mentioned earlier), Scott Sigler, Peter Clines, and many others, helped prepare me by giving me a realistic view of the publishing industry. The greatest lesson I learned from them is the idea that a rejection is not a commentary on you as a person, or even as a writer. A rejection is simply a letter stating that what you’ve written does not currently fit what that agent or editor is looking for in that moment. So, you can re-write and possibly re-submit. You can submit elsewhere in the hopes that your story finds a home elsewhere. Or you can do a bit of both. Whichever path you choose, it’s important to remember one thing: Don’t. Give. Up.


I’ve had stories rejected by editors who were friends, or eventually became friends, and several of them found homes elsewhere. The good and bad that you may experience in publishing is often a matter of perspective. Rejection isn’t the end. It’s simply a plot twist. Act three is still coming.


6. Give a pep-talk to someone on game in your field.


My pep-talk comes down to one word: COMMUNITY! I think it is absolutely essential that writers who are new to the game establish a community—a network of writing colleagues. Without community, I would never have attended my first writing conference. That conference was the foundation for everything that happened in my writing career afterward. From publication, to awards, to Comic-Con panels, and everything in between, I am the writer I am today because I have an amazing network of peers in the writing community. Some are NY Times Bestsellers, some have had books turned to television series or film, some are just starting out—and all are essential to my growth as a storyteller. You never know where inspiration will come from. You never know where that first opportunity will present itself. But I can assure you, neither will happen in a vacuum. Cultivate and nurture your writing community. If you need a place or person to start with, drop me a line. I’d be honored to be on your team.

7. Promo for latest work; headshot, website/links:


I am currently editing the 4th book in my Kassidy Simmons and looking for a publication date in late 2026. I have 3 short stories scheduled to release this year. For information on them, check out my website and social media for updates.


Instagram: @denniskcrosby

Threads: @denniskcrosby



 
 
 

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