Writers of the Future
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Writers of the Future (WOTF) is a science fiction and fantasy story contest that was originated by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1980s. Hubbard characterized the contest as a way of "giving back" to the field that had defined his professional writing life. The contest has no entry fee and is the highest-paying contest for amateur science-fiction and fantasy writers. WOTF, along with the parallel Illustrators of the Future contest, have become important stepping stones in many creative careers.
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[edit] Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest Rules and Procedures
The Writers of the Future (WOTF) contest may be entered quarterly, and is open to authors who have no, or few, professional publications. The Contest rules state that entrants cannot have had published "a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits." Eligible works are fiction (e.g., stories) up to 17,000 words in length; poems, songs, screenplays, non-fiction, etc., are not eligible.
Manuscripts are blind-judged (with names deleted), and are separated out in quarterfinal and semifinal award rounds by the Contest Judge (currently K. D. Wentworth, previously Dave Wolverton during much of the 1990s, and originally Algis Budrys). A small handful of finalists are sent to a panel of professional sf writers, who determine the top three awards. Prizes are hefty: $1000 (first place), $750 (second) and $500 (third). The process is then repeated the next quarter. At the end of the contest year, the four quarterly first place stories compete for a separate annual grand prize, the "Gold Award," which includes an additional $4000. The first, second and third place winners and often a selection of the other finalist stories are published annually, for which the writers receive additional compensation for publication rights. Thus, a grand prize-winning author can make over $5000, possibly close to $6000, for a single story - more than many writers receive for a first novel.
Some finalist stories not considered among the top three (in effect, the fourth or fifth placers) may be included in the annual anthology. These are called "published finalists." The writers are compensated for publication rights, but are not considered winners and receive no prize money, but are eligible to re-enter the contest. Often writers will repeatedly enter the contest, quarter after quarter, until they either win or become ineligible due to publications elsewhere.
An artists' contest, the Illustrators of the Future (IOTF), was added in 1988. Like the WOTF contest, the Illustrators contest is open to amateurs. The Rules state: "The Contest is open to those who have not previously published more than three black-and-white story illustrations, or more than one process-color painting, in media distributed nationally to the general public, such as magazines or books sold at newsstands, or books sold in stores merchandising to the general public. The submitted entry shall not have been previously published in professional media as exampled above."
Entrants submit a portfolio of three pieces of artwork, which are circulated among the judges. Up to three winners are selected every quarter, each given a prize of $500. Unlike the Writers, the Illustrators are not ranked. After the completion of the contest year, each of the twelve Illustration winners is assigned one of the stories from among the twelve Writer winners, and given a month to return the finished illustration. A single grand prize, also called the Gold Award, is accompanied by a prize of $4000 - judging is based only on the final illustration, not the initial portfolio. While the art is judged according to standard artistic considerations (composition, draftsmanship, consistency of lighting, sensawunda, facial expressions, etc.), a key consideration during the final judging is whether or not the art would make the viewer want to read the accompanying story. The art is also included in the annual anthology, and illustrators are additionally compensated.
No official tallies are given for the number of entrants in either contest, but it is believed that thousands enter the Writers contest every quarter, but only hundreds enter the Illustration contest. Thus, the Illustration judges are sometimes often unable to find three deserving winners, and only pick one or two. (This is not a problem for the Writing judges.) Should the Illustration winners number less than twelve in a year, each illustrator is - as usual - assigned a single story to illustrate for purposes of determining who wins the Gold Award. Returning the assigned illustration quickly does not directly correlate to winning the Gold Award, but those artists who do so are allowed the opportunity to illustrate additional stories.
All winners and published finalists attend the annual week-long writers' and artists' workshops and Awards gala at the invitation and expense of the contest administration. Tuxedoes and gowns are worn by the judges, administrators, and winners for the Awards gala (but members of the general public are casually attired), and various Hollywood actors are generally in attendance, in addition to prominent science fiction authors and artists. These include the present judges in addition to a famous and generally elderly writer given a Lifetime Achievement Award. While it is not required to attend the week-long festivities and seminars, it is thought by some that those in the running for the Gold Award may advance their cause by displaying professionalism and hard work at that time; judges for the contest, however, refute this, as the judging is done blindly in advance of the week-long pre-awards event and most judges don't arrive on site until the last day of the workshop. Still, some contestants believe it is an unwritten rule that judges look for quality not only in the submitted work but in its creator.
[edit] Prominent Judges and winners
Many historically important and famous writers and artists have judged these awards, or have won them themselves. Notable writing judges have included, over the years: Algis Budrys, Gregory Benford, Kevin J. Anderson, Orson Scott Card, Jack Williamson, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Brian Herbert, K. D. Wentworth, Tim Powers, Robert J. Sawyer, Frederik Pohl, Jerry Pournelle, Andre Norton, Larry Niven, and Anne McCaffrey. Prominent art judges have included, over the years: Bob Eggleton, Frank Kelly Freas, Frank Frazetta, Will Eisner, Vincent DiFate, Edd Cartier, Stephen Youll, Sergey Poyarkov, Ron and Val Lakey Lindahn, Stephen Hickman, and Leo and Diane Dillon.
Winners in the contest have included the writers Dave Wolverton, Jay Lake, Sean Williams, Syne Mitchell, David D. Levine, Bruce Holland Rogers, Steven Savile, Luc Reid, Howard Hendrix, Robert Reed, James C. Glass, Karawynn Long, James Alan Gardner, Mary Turzillo, R. Garcia y Robertson, Jim C. Hines; and the artists Shaun Tan, Rob Alexander, Sergey Poyarkov and Frank Wu. Wolverton, Wentworth and Poyarkov were winners who later became judges for the contest. Many people have entered both the Writers and Illustrators of the Future, but no one has yet been a winner in both.
[edit] Connections to Scientology
The original sponsors of the contest were Bridge Publications, Inc., the publishing arm of the Church of Scientology. Recently, the sponsorship moved to Galaxy Press, which was spun off from Bridge to publish Hubbard's fiction and the contest anthologies.
The contest has also served as a promotional vehicle for Hubbard himself, who returned to science fiction publishing with Battlefield Earth at about the same time as he began the contest. On the covers of the annual WOTF anthologies, Hubbard's name appears "above the title", and in at least as prominent a font. The contest itself and the black-tie awards ceremony - despite the insulation of the judging from Scientologists and Scientology - may be viewed cynically[citation needed] as an attempt to aggrandize and celebrate L. Ron Hubbard as a writer and patron, thus lending further reflected brilliance onto the Church of Scientology itself[citation needed].
Although Hubbard is also the founder of the Church of Scientology, entering or winning the contest does not in any way require or imply endorsement or membership in the Church of Scientology, and the contest itself has been endorsed by a wide range of well-known speculative fiction writers (see Judges and Winners above) who have no relationship to Scientology whatsoever.
The selling of the anthologies itself could not possibly underwrite the substantial cash prizes (which amount to tens of thousands of dollars per year), in addition to the gala awards ceremony and the weeklong pre-awards festivities. It is believed that funds to support this endeavour are thus channeled directly or indirectly through various bodies (such as Galaxy Press) from sales of Hubbard's other works[citation needed], including his science fiction novels and such Scientology books as Dianetics.
Irrespective of these connections, the Contests serve as important stepping stones in the careers of many fledgling writers and illustrators. [citation needed] None of the judges are Scientologists, and none of the winners so far are known to be Scientologists. Many ambitious new writers and artists are thus able to go in one leap from obscurity (and possible financial instability) to their desired new careers. [citation needed]
