International Writing Contest Debuts 25 New Authors & Illustrators
By Scot Noel
The Writers of the Future, the international contest for new writers and illustrators, recently announced the winners for this year's anthology and will launch the latest book at the end of June.
In 1990, one of my Science Fiction stories about nano-technology, “Riches Like Dust,” was a winner and was published in Writers of the Future Volume VI. This win was the springboard for my career in computer game development, which led to meeting my wife, later founding our own web and digital marketing company, and today having fun publishing our positively themed DreamForge Magazine of Science and Fantasy fiction.
They are getting to launch Writers of the Future Volume 38 this summer.
The 38th Annual L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Gala for Writers and Illustrators of the Future was held on April 8, 2022, in Hollywood held at the Taglyan Cultural Complex to announce the winners and unveil the cover.
The Grand Prize Golden Pen Award went to Desmond Astaire from Marquette Heights, IL, for his time-travel story "Gallows." The Golden Brush went to Zaine Lodhi from Lakewood, FL, for illustration for “Agatha’s Monster.” 
Desmond Astaire said: “Short story anthologies are such a beautiful piece of speculative fiction culture, and for L. Ron Hubbard's estate to continue nurturing emerging writers is a truly special gift. Thanks to all the judges and everyone at Author Services, Inc. and Galaxy Press responsible for anthologies like Writers of the Future for facilitating the journey of our imaginations to faraway times and places to the solace and escape of the story. My intent with this Golden Pen Award is to someday join your ranks and be able to touch minds and influence lives the way you've influenced mine in this wondrous venture of written storytelling.”
And Zaine Lodhi’s acceptance speech: “I don't think I would have made it this far if it hadn't been for my girlfriend, Haley Burton, whom I'd like to thank. She would tell me: 'You need to get better at managing your time. Just do it.' Thank you for encouraging me to stick with it. It means so much to me. From now on, every morning, I will continue to do what I do.”
The newest volume in the series was unveiled by John Goodwin, President of Galaxy Press. The cover art was created by Illustrators of the Future Contest Judge Bob Eggleton. Mr. Goodwin said, “This book is dedicated to our late Book Editor and Writers of the Future Contest Judge, David Farland, who wrote his last story just before his passing, ʻA Word of Power,ʼ which was inspired by the cover design.”
Succeeding David Farland is the new Writers Contest Coordinating Judge, Jodi Lynn Nye, and the anthologies will be edited by Dean Wesley Smith. 
The Awards Show kicked off with singer Jesse L. Stevenson's rousing rendition of L. Ron Hubbardʼs song, “Men of Reason,” followed by a moving tribute to the late David Farland, a longtime Writer Contest Judge and Book Editor who passed away suddenly this year, and a message from the late legendary Fantasy Artist, Frank Frazetta.
The Keynote Speaker was John F. “J.T.” Thompson, a recently retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General and former Commander of the U.S. Space Forceʼs Space and Missile Systems Center. He stated, “Everyone has doubts, everyone gets knocked down, everyone fails...the true measure of success, and perhaps the true nature of your character, is how you get back up! The mere fact that you're here, that you're presenting your work, means you're representing your character well...You are light, and darkness cannot overcome you! Congrats to all of you!”
This year’s writer winners: Mike Jack Stoumbos of Seattle, WA; J.A. Becker of Sydney, Australia; M. Elizabeth Ticknor of Monroe, MI; John Coming of Columbus, OH; Azure Arthur of Dallas, TX; Lazarus Black of Bellingham, WA; Em Dupre of Naples, FL; NV Haskell of Florence, KY; Desmond Astaire of Marquette Heights, IL; Z.T. Bright of North Salt Lake, UT; Michael Panter of Stockholm, Sweden; Brittany Rainsdon of Blackford, IN; and Finalist Rebecca E. Treasure of San Antonio, TX. 
The illustrator winners: Natalia Salvador Cabrerizo of Granada, Spain; Jerome Tieh of Baltimore, MD; Arthur Doweyko of Vero Beach, FL; Zaine Lodhi of Lakewood Ranch, FL; Xiaomeng Zhang of San Francisco, CA; Nick Jizba of Omaha, NE; Brett Stump of Bolivar, MO; Annalee Wu of Stevenson, MD; Ari Zaritsky of Buffalo Grove, IL; James Zaccaria of Woburn, MA; Tenzin Rangdol of Silver Spring, MD; and Majid Saberinejad of Marburg, Germany. 
In addition to the contest judges, several celebrities and VIPs were in attendance to congratulate these new authors and show their support, including: Nancy Cartwright, Timothy Woodward Jr., Steven L. Sears, Kate Linder, Deborah J. Whitcas, Lee Purcell, Jade Pettyjohn, Jeff Pomerantz, Winner Twins - Brittany and Brianna, Natalie Burn, Neil Kaplan, Cheyanna Zubas, Jack Andrad, Jim and Tamra Meskimen, Brandon Larkins, Liz Fuller, Massi Furlan, Tyrone DuBose, Chris LeVine, Meghan Noone, Rafael Cabrera, Gia Salazar, Carla Mansour, Ernest Pierce, Yuri Brown, William Marquart, Hana Giraldo, Amanda Rea, Ck Bolado, Mahpara Khan, Naomi Achu, Lisa Cole, Isaac Anthony Levi, and Barbara Sanchez.
The judges are the backbone of the contest. They are renowned professional authors who want to help discover and nurture these new artists into the field. Judges include Orson Scott Card, Brandon Sanderson, Jody Lynn Nye, Nnedi Okorafor, Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert, Jody Lynn Nye, Larry Niven, Robert J. Sawyer, Katherine Kurtz, Eric Flint, and many others. 
About The Contests:
Following the release of his bestselling Science Fiction novel, Battlefield Earth, L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future Contest (www.writersofthefuture.com) to provide a means for aspiring writers of speculative fiction to be discovered. The companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was created in the following years.
The contest is free to enter, and the stories are judged blind to give each author a fair chance at winning (no matter their color, race, gender, or age–a truly level playing field).
Winners retain full rights to their work and are given cash awards (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place receive $1,000, $750, and $500, respectively). Grand Prize Winners receive $5,000. The winners are flown out to Los Angeles for an exclusive workshop given by Contest judges.
The Grand Prize winners are announced at the Gala Awards event, where each winner is presented with a trophy, followed by their book signing.
The Writers of the Future Award is the most prestigious award of its kind. It is most successful and influential for aspiring creative talent in the world of speculative fiction. The Writers and Illustrators of Future contests have produced 38 anthology volumes and awarded upwards of $1 million in cash prizes and royalties. There have been 440 writer winners who have gone on to publish more than 1,150 novels and nearly 4,500 short stories. They have produced 32 New York Times bestsellers, and their works have sold over 60 million copies.
In the illustrators' contest, there have been 358 winners, who have gone on to produce over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art, and visually contributed to 68 TV shows and 40 major movies.
The Anthology
The winning stories are illustrated and published in the annual L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future anthology. The volumes have been described by critics as a perennial “glimpse of tomorrow’s stars,” “the bestselling science fiction anthology series of all time,” and a “must-have for the genre reader.” 
This year's collection is a great example:  Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/161986763X
In addition to the diverse winning stories, covering everything from time travel to magical realism, the bonus content is worth the price of the book: 
There are three short stories by David Farland, Frank Herbert, and L. Ron Hubbard:
“A Word of Power,” original flash fiction by David Farland: When Fava, a Neanderthal shaman, discovers the men of metal driving away her mammoths, she must find magic powerful enough to save the herd. (Inspired by the beautiful cover art.)
"The Daddy Box," a rare short story by Frank Herbert: An abused boy finds an alien artifact that gives him the strength to reshape his life and stand up to his violent stepfather. (I think everyone will want one of these—clever.)
“The Professor Was a Thief” by L. Ron Hubbard: Grant’s Tomb—missing! Pennsylvania Station—missing! The Empire State Building—missing! New York City is disappearing piece by piece. (This was actually one of L. Ron Hubbard's personal favorites of his early short sci-fi.)
The non-fiction essays with art and writing tips by Diane Dillon, Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and L. Ron Hubbard:
“Boos and Taboos” by L. Ron Hubbard: L. Ron Hubbard challenges the restrictive “taboos” of writing for publications that bind stories in formula straitjackets. Urging writers to flout by-prescription storytelling, he describes his own conspicuous success in doing that, with a final, telling reflection on creative energy, sales—and writing stories that will be remembered.
"The Single Most Important Piece of Advice" by Frank Herbert: This was his last essay. It was written to fulfill what he saw as a paramount obligation to his art and craft—he provided the single most important piece of advice he would give a beginning writer.
"Teamwork: Getting the Best Out of Two Writers" by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson: Together, Brian and Kevin have written over twenty novels and numerous short stories, primarily expanding Frank Herbert's Dune universe but also on their original SF epic, the Hellhole Trilogy. Here they share the pitfalls and successes of their process and how they make it work.
"The Third Artist" by Diane Dillon: Leo and Diane Dillon chose to blend their talents, working together as one artist—the third artist—beginning a career that spanned fifty-four years. As an interracial couple, they dedicated their career to being inclusive of all races and cultures to reflect the world we live in.
So far, the early reviewers have said:
“It’s a binge read. Just one more, you think, and the next thing you know the entire book is gone! 
“The illustrations alone make Writers of the Future Vol. 38 worth every single penny and minute spent! 
“My favorite line from any book ever (pure gold): ʻEveryone’s got a story to hide, and I enjoy stealing it out of them.ʼ” —The International Review of Books, Gold Badge
“This anthology includes last year’s WotF winners, which is reflected by the overall high quality of the stories. This anthology contains thirteen original stories that are described as powerful, unpredictable, nicely crafted, appealing with many twists, an engaging balance, one successfully re-invents time travel stories, and another pulls the reader in from the mystery's opening and zips along until the shadowy end.” —Tangent Online
“Captivating, compelling, and exceptionally well-edited. It delivers.” —OnlineBookClub.Org
Conclusion
If you are an author and have not yet made your first professional sale, I recommend submitting your story to Writers of the Future. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Also, read the anthologies. See what is winning. Learn from the articles. That is a great way to get an edge on the competition.
If you are looking for the next great read or a new author to follow, give this one a shot. These anthologies don’t disappoint. Always original and diverse, and who knows, you might just discover your next favorite author.
Quick Links
List of Writers of the Future & L. Ron Hubbard books https://galaxypress.com/l-ron-hubbard-books/
Contest Social Links