The eligible entrant was any amateur writer who had not professionally published more than three short stories or more than one novelette, or who had not yet professionally published a novel. The rules were simple. The quarterly prizes were handsome: 1st Place-$1000, 2nd Place-$750, 3rd Place-$500. There was no entry fee and the entrant retained all rights to his story.

The guiding principles and high standards of competition, defined by Mr. Hubbard at the Contest’s inception, have been stringently observed since the first quarter began on January 1, 1984. The very nature of the competition established both the Contest and the resultant anthology as the premiere showcase for beginning writers in the speculative fiction genre. No less important is the encouragement and acknowledgement of aspiring writers everywhere.

Significant ideas never remain static. And so it is with the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of The Future Contest. Word of the Contest spread from writer to writer, instructor to student, father to son, reporter to reader, friend to friend, professional to amateur. Based upon the success of the first year—which ended on September 30, 1984—the Contest was renewed for another year and became the “Writers of The Future Contest.”