writers of the future??

**keatskeatskeats** · January 11th, 2010, 08:35 AM

entered this contest, however I am utterly baffled as to what quarter they are in. I of course tried to post a comment attempting to obtain some succor, but the comment was never approved.

They are announcing 4th quarter results, and a new year supposedly begins on Sept. 30.

Contest deadlines:
December 31st
March 31st
June 30th
September 30th
Contest year ends at midnight on 30 Sept.

9. The Contest has four quarters, beginning on October 1, January 1, April 1 and July 1. The year will end on September 30. To be eligible for judging in its quarter, an entry must be postmarked no later than midnight on the last day of the quarter.

this is a very basic logic problem, so maybe my idiocy precludes me from a victory anyway :x

any help is appreciated.

keatskeatskeats

"because it sounds like skeet skeet skeet"

**kater** · January 11th, 2010, 09:28 AM

Don't know anything about the contest but it doesn't seem difficult, looks like periods for the contests are:

1st Quarter - October 1st to Dec 31st
2nd Quarter - January 1st to March 31st
3rd Quarter - April 1st to June 30th
4th Quarter - July 1st to September 30th - End of contest year, assume new one begins October 1st

Therefore they should be currently in the second quarter contest and you have until midnight on March 31st to post an entry. Is that what you want or am I missing something?

**kmtolan** · January 11th, 2010, 09:50 AM

This contest is still being put on by the "Church" of Scientology, yes?

Kerry

**keatskeatskeats** · January 11th, 2010, 05:51 PM

kater--yea basically, you cleared it up...I was just thrown that they are announcing 4th quarter results..so i guess they have not done the judging on the first quarter.

I sent my sub in during late october, so I was kinda hoping by january I might find some results :P

kmtolan--the contest has a good rep and is about promoting new writers...that is a dream come true if you are new and trying to break into sff writing (at least it is for me).

thanks for the help

**kater** · January 11th, 2010, 07:34 PM

Looks like they work two contests ahead, so the set of results you'll be concerned with should be the next lot - Quarter 1 of this year. Which I imagine will be posted at the end of the current quarter/start of the third quarter. Good luck

**Elixir** · January 11th, 2010, 09:00 PM

I've entered this contest a couple of times. Can anyone tell me if they think it is worthwhile? Is it a credible contest? Is there an influence by Scientology in the judging process?

**kmtolan** · January 12th, 2010, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Elixir

I've entered this contest a couple of times. Can anyone tell me if they think it is worthwhile? Is it a credible contest? Is there an influence by Scientology in the judging process?

I have seen this contest bandied about at science fiction conventions between published authors - and from my observations it is looked on with the same amount of scorn as a writing contest put on by the Nazi Party to honor Joseph Gobbels (minister of propaganda in those days).

Just the same, the contest is absolutely legitimate. It is meant to honor Ron L Hubbard's career as a SF writer. I don't think you have to mention or otherwise support Scientology in a submission.

Is it worthwhile? I guess that would depend on a publisher's bias toward Scientology. Personally, I would feel a lot cleaner submitting to Publish America.

Kerry

**KatG** · January 12th, 2010, 09:37 AM

It's a long established and generally respected SFF contest that was originally started by L. Ron Hubbard. The contest is funded by Hubbard's estate, which is connected to the Church of Scientology but operates independently. Prominent SFF writers have served as judges and authors such as Patrick Rothfuss and Stephen Baxter have won it. Originally the contest involved publishing novels in partnership with publishers as well as short stories, but it seems to be a short story contest now, with winners and finalists being published in anthologies. It's one of the better paying contests for amateur up and comers and entry to it is free. Hubbard's estate makes no real money off of it although the anthologies do pretty decently; the contest's purpose is to primarily promote good will for SFF and Hubbard's fiction, and to discover new writers, many of whom have gone on to publishing contracts (but no guarantees of that, of course.)

**BrianC** · January 12th, 2010, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by KatG

It's a long established and generally respected SFF contest that was originally started by L. Ron Hubbard. The contest is funded by Hubbard's estate, which is connected to the Church of Scientology but operates independently. Prominent SFF writers have served as judges and authors such as Patrick Rothfuss and Stephen Baxter have won it. Originally the contest involved publishing novels in partnership with publishers as well as short stories, but it seems to be a short story contest now, with winners and finalists being published in anthologies. It's one of the better paying contests for amateur up and comers and entry to it is free. Hubbard's estate makes no real money off of it although the anthologies do pretty decently; the contest's purpose is to primarily promote good will for SFF and Hubbard's fiction, and to discover new writers, many of whom have gone on to publishing contracts (but no guarantees of that, of course.)

I think Jay Lake won this contest some years ago. It's legit, and as far as I can tell the contest is not connected with the CoS, now as to the quality of the winning stories . . . that is another matter.

**keatskeatskeats** · January 12th, 2010, 10:39 AM

My understanding of the contest was that it is warmly receptive of a more literary approach to sff, which is the driving reason why I decided to submit. My personal submission, on further reflection, was probably too stylized and glossy for this contest, since I only recently read that KD wentworth is a kind of fan of minimalist prose!

But, more importantly, I feel that Science Fiction and Fantasy are going to constitute the bedrock of postmodern fairy tales, and are much closer to the Great Works of Western Civilization's canon than what is now being published in the traditional areas of fiction, poetry, and (the hugely academicized) realm of philosophy. If you want to write like Homer or Plato or Nietzsche or Chaucer etc etc, I think the only place you can do that now is in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Fiction and Poetry as such are failed artistic forms, and are either relegated to the academy or very tepid Big New York Publishing Houses. But again, SFF will most likely be read alongside Shakespeare in about 200 years from now.

Story Quality: Previous 3rd place winner was Ken Scholes (Lamentation, Canticle) and since "the industry" seems to be in a sort of awe about his writing, I don't think the quality of stories in that contest can be labelled as simply contemptible and easily brushed aside.

All told, I doubt I'll win, but if I can get at least an honorable mention it will look nice on a cover letter to F&SF

**KatG** · January 12th, 2010, 03:37 PM

I don't think the mags will care that much about it, but there's certainly no harm in entering it. It's been around long enough to be its own institution. As for the SF field, all of it is open to literary writing and always has been. Like any wide market, it is open to a wide range of styles and subject matter. The Writers of the Future contest, however, is not particularly respected outside of the SFF category market, because they're ignorant.

**BrianC** · January 13th, 2010, 08:46 AM

My comment about the quality of the stories was intended merely to convey the impression that it is hit and miss, not that all WOTF stories are uniformly of low quality. Some of them certainly are very good, but the overall quality of the yearly WOTF anthologies is, in my opinion, a little subpar when compared to many other anthology series, and I am not speaking just of those Best of . . . anthologies.

**keatskeatskeats** · January 14th, 2010, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by Elixir

I've entered this contest a couple of times. Can anyone tell me if they think it is worthwhile? Is it a credible contest? Is there an influence by Scientology in the judging process?

I would keep submitting as long as I felt like what I was writing was aligned with what the contest was looking for. I initially thought my submission, while not a perfect fit, was still closely aligned with what might qualify as a winning submission; upon further reading, I don't have the slightest chance!

The contest has a forum where the judge openly discusses her tastes and a separate forum where previous winners describe what it is they believed qualified their submissions for honors. I would read these posts and then form and write a story around them. Also, one thing to keep in mind (that I had no idea of) is that the story collection that they eventually publish is marketed to high school students!

I can at least say that I benefited from having a deadline looming in the distance, and am now free to go looking in the dark fantasy market for a few more places to submit my piece. Also hopefully by summer I will be done and can start shopping my completed novel around :OO