There's lots. The problem is there's also lots of competent composers out there.
Yes, I've been commissioned and I've worked in video game/film freelance.
Next to none. An unknown in most music fields means nothing. You have to make music that is absolutely top-notch in order to survive. You won't making a living until people know your music and what to play it on a regular basis. Until then you have to find a way to feed yourself without relying on your composition alone.
Yes, lots of them. Just make connections with people you know. If your music is good then people will take notice. A premiere with an influential group or director can do wonders for your networking base. Also, go to concerts in your area and similar to your field. You never know who you might run into!
*bows* A break from the contemporary style will be welcome, I am sure, by many members. I often forget that not everybody writes modern music because, in school, we are chastised for writing anything other than 21st century pieces. That's because I go to a school that teaches New Music only.
Wait, you want to create a competition for a Romantic style piece? You have to make Austentite a judge-no one will want to pit themselves against him in a Romantic-style competition.