Virtually every successful author, from Stephen King to Dan Brown, started out as a wannabe writer, with talent, persistence and a good story to tell. But that also describes just about every unpublished scribe sitting at the word processor.
So what is it that makes the difference between a rejection slip and a multibook deal? According to one best-selling, Hollywood-based fiction publisher, the difference is that someone with influence believed in that writer.
"So many creative writers have seen their dreams crushed, with only three in 10,000 stories written in the U.S. ever getting published. That's a very sobering statistic," said John Goodwin, president of Galaxy Press. "You have to have someone to believe in you and stand up for you and say 'look at this person.'"
One vehicle for supporting new and fledgling authors is the world-acclaimed, free-to-the-public global contest called Writers of the Future, now in its 23rd year. Created by best-selling author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, the merit-based Writers of the Future Contest was initiated to discover and encourage talented beginning writers of science fiction and fantasy.
Quarterly winners of the contest appear in a best-selling, annual, speculative fiction anthology published by Galaxy Press, receive cash prizes and attend an all-expenses-paid gala awards ceremony and writing workshop.
"The Writers of the Future Contest is that break that new writers and illustrators need and deserve," Goodwin said. "This tradition continues with the latest group of announced winners for our latest installment."
Throughout the contest's 23-year history, more than 500 writers and illustrators have had someone stand up and say "look at these writers and illustrators as the contest's winners." Writers have gone on to publish over 300 novels and 3,000 short stories, with several becoming New York Times best-selling authors.
The contest was later expanded to include illustrators who have also gone on to successful illustration and design careers. "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 22" (Galaxy Press, 2006) features the works of the 12 winning quarterly writers and 12 illustrators from the 2005-2006 contest. It is available in such diverse outlets as airports and Wal-Mart, as well as bookstores.
The entire history of past winners and awards ceremonies can be seen at www.writersofthefuture.com.
To learn more, including details on how to enter the contests, visit the Web site at www.writersof thefuture.com or the blog at wotf blog.galaxypress.com.
A quarterly contest gives aspiring writers and illustrators the chance to have their work published and appreciated.
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