Writers of the Future Scholarship

Name: Writers of the Future Contest

Award Amount: Variable (up to $5,000)

• Quarterly prizes: $1,000 for 1st place, $750 for 2nd place, and $500 for 3rd place.
• Annual Golden Pen Award of an additional $5,000 to the top 1st-place quarterly winner.

Information and Eligibility:

The Writers of the Future Contest, founded by L. Ron Hubbard and administered by Author Services Inc. (Galaxy Press), offers aspiring and amateur authors in science fiction, fantasy, and dark fantasy an opportunity for recognition, publication, and professional development. The contest is free to enter, entries are judged anonymously by professional authors, and winners are published annually in the “L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future” anthology. Entrants retain full rights to their work.

Eligibility criteria include:

• Publication History: Open only to new and amateur writers who have not published a novel or short novel or more than one novelette or more than three short stories in any medium. Payment must include at least 6¢/word or distribution of 5,000 copies/hits to count as professional.
• Genre: Entries may be science fiction, fantasy, or dark fantasy short stories, up to 17,000 words.
• Originality: Submissions must be entirely the entrant’s original work in English. AI-generated text or plagiarism leads to immediate disqualification.
• Entry Rules: No entry fee required; entrants may submit one story per quarter, up to four entries annually. Anonymous judging processes are strictly followed.

Application Process
All applicants must submit the following:

• Story Submission: One original short story (≤17,000 words) in approved genre, submitted online per quarter.
• Cover Letter: Contains identifying info (which is kept separate for judging); the manuscript itself must have no names, addresses, or contact details.

Deadline:

• 1st Quarter: December 31
• 2nd Quarter: March 31
• 3rd Quarter: June 30
• 4th Quarter: September 30

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