One of the most known and respected vehicles for supporting new illustrators is the world-acclaimed, free-to-enter global contest called L. Ron Hubbard's Illustrators of the Future, now in its 23rd year. Created by best-selling author L. Ron Hubbard, the merit-based Illustrators of the Future Contest was initiated to discover and encourage talented beginning illustrators of science fiction and fantasy. Winners of the Contest appear in the best-selling annual anthology, receive cash prizes, and attend an all-expenses paid gala awards ceremony and illustrator workshop. A grand prize illustrator winner also receives five thousand dollars as the Gold Award winner.

The Illustrators of the Future Contest is that break non-professional illustrators can use to launch the career they’ve dreamed of.

Contest judge and book cover illustrator of The Chronicles of Narnia, Cliff Nielsen, tells winners, "You have to keep getting your work out there in front of as many people as you possibly can, you can't sit around hoping that you will be discovered without promoting your work constantly."

"Because you don't have to speak English to illustrate, we see entries from many, many countries every quarter", says Joni Labaqui, the contest director. A recent survey shows entrants are from every continent on Earth including 40 states in the US with multiple contestants from the United Kingdom, Australia and Russian Federation, as well as Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Jordan, Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Taiwan, Pakistan, Kenya and South Africa.

"Since going on-line several years ago, we have seen great expansion, with entrants sending in stories from 147 different countries in the course of the contest's history." If you’ve ever thought of becoming an illustrator, no matter what you do in life, you have a golden opportunity to make it happen, no matter where you live.

To learn more, including details on how to enter the contests, visit the website at http://www.writersofthefuture.com