Winners announced in international contest called
"The American Idol for Writers and Illustrators." Who are the new writer
and illustrator winners for the contest year of 2006 that just ended?
If you think the chance to win on a show like
American Idol is steep, try writing or drawing. Each
year, tens of thousands are turned away by the publishing
industry. It's a brutal weeding out process that causes
many creative talents to stop their dreams dead in the
tracks.
But there's one
entrant-friendly contest that's been called the "American
Idol" for writers and illustrators. That's because
it gives instant worldwide recognition, cash and coaching
to fledgling writers and illustrators. It's the worldwide
L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Contest,
now in its 23rd successful year and it's free for all
entrants and age groups.
"Beginning
writers and illustrators are driven by the same things
that you see of the contestants on American Idol,"
says John Goodwin, President Galaxy Press, contest book
publisher. "They've got passion, creative drive,
and a dream: they just need a break."
This year's winners
to date (see list below) come from around the globe
including the Ukraine, France, Canada and throughout
the United States.
"You could
call the Writers of the Future Contest 'The American
Idol for Writers'—long before there was ever an
American Idol," says USA Today and New
York Times bestselling author and contest judge
Kevin J. Anderson (Dune prequels, Star
Wars, X-Files). "It's amazing to
me that a good 60 to 70 percent of the winners go on
with successful careers in writing, and several have
become bestselling authors themselves."
Each year, Galaxy
Press awards all winners with cash prizes, free travel
and accomodations, week-long professional workshop and
guaranteed publication in their bestselling annual speculative
fiction anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers
of the Future. Grand prize winners for writing
and illustration will be announced at the annual awards
ceremony to be held later this year in August after
the fourth quarter winners are selected.
Throughout the contest's
23-year history, more than 500 writers and illustrators
have been recognized as winners, according to Galaxy
Press' Goodwin. Writers have gone on to publish over
300 novels and 3,000 short stories. Former Writers of
the Future Contest winners with works listed on the
New York Times bestseller list include: Stephen
Baxter, Jo Beverly, Leonard Carpenter, Nancy Farmer,
Karen Joy Fowler, Robert Reed, Dean Wesley Smith, Sean
Williams, Dave Wolverton and David Zindell. In addition
to Kevin J. Anderson, well-known contest judges include
national bestselling authors such as Orson Scott Card,
Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Tim Powers,
Robert Sawyer, Robert Silverberg and K.D. Wentworth.
Inspired by bestselling
author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, the merit-based
Writers of the Future Contest was initiated 23 years
ago to discover and encourage talented beginning writers
of science fiction and fantasy. The contest was later
expanded to include illustrators whose winners have
also gone on to successful illustration and design careers.
The 22nd Writers of the Future anthology (Galaxy
Press, 2006) features the works of all winners and has
been consistently on science fiction and anthology bestseller
lists throughout December and January.
WINNERS
FOR THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS:
FIRST QUARTER
WRITERS OF THE FUTURE
First place: Jeff Carlson of Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Second place: Tony Pi of Toronto, ON, CAN
Third place: Corey Brown of North Palm Beach, FL, USA
ILLUSTRATORS OF THE FUTURE
Bryan Beus of Provo, UT, USA
Bogdan Stetsenko of Kiev, Ukraine
Lars Edwards of Arlington, MA, USA
SECOND QUARTER
WRITERS OF THE FUTURE
First place: Kim Zimring of Decatur, GA, USA
Second place: Douglas Texter of Minneapolis, MN, USA
Third place: Damon Kaswell of Eugene, OR, USA
ILLUSTRATORS OF THE FUTURE
Artem Mirolevich of Brooklyn, NY, USA
Corey Loving of Country Club Hills, IL, USA
Amelia Mammoliti of El Dorado Hills, CA, USA
THIRD QUARTER
WRITERS OF THE FUTURE
First place: Stephen Kotowych of Toronto, ON, CAN
Second place: Aliette de Bodard of Paris, France
Third place: Karl Bunker of Jamaica Plain, MA, USA
ILLUSTRATORS OF THE FUTURE
Randall Ensley of Gales Ferry, CT, USA
Marcus Collins of Pasadena, CA, USA
Peter Town of Sacramento, CA, USA
For
more information go to www.writersofthefuture.com.
