We cannot wait to read your briny tales of Adventure, Romance, Horror, Mystery, Sci-fi, or even Self-help!

Just kidding! As much as we could all benefit from your pearls of undersea wisdom, no self-help this year. But any of the others would be great! Ocean's the limit.

a. Your protagonist, love interest, or antagonist can be a merperson OR your story may simply be set under the sea (but please make it a little bit magical).

b. While your story can be any length, the judges will only consider the first 2,000 words in making their decisions. If your story is the beginning of a longer work, please provide a short synopsis. (It won't count in the word limit.)

c. Entries are due by September 21st. Finalists announced September 30th. Winner crowned October 7th.

d. Stories can be new creations or not. They can be tales you entered in previous years as long as you've made substantive edits since then.

Prepare for a blue whale-sized splash with this year's panel of awesome and dazzling judges ...

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– Her Salt Kisses series has not only been read millions of times on Wattpad, it is now an Amazon #1 bestseller.

– Her Amazon #1 bestselling and Watty winning YA novel, Mermaids and Vampires Who Love Them, was published by Hachette Audio in 2017. In 2018 it was made into an interactive game on Chapters.

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() - Winner 2015 - Two-time Watty winner who has published stories in multiple anthologies and has an upcoming fantasy novel with Sky Forest Press.

() - Winner 2016 - Her Siren Chronicles trilogy was published by Oftomes Publishing and is soon to become a game on Chapters.

() - Winner 2017. Her story Home School Hair was published in 2016 by Simon & Schuster in the anthology Once Upon Now.

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- A Wattpad featured author who writes fantasy and science fiction with a mix of adventure, action, and sweet romance.

We are wiggling our caudal fins with joy over our celebrity judge this year—the utterly fintastic . She will crown the 2018 winner from amongst the six finalists! Danielle is of course the author of the series, AND is her own fish-tale, Mera: Tidebreaker, is coming out April 2019, published by DC Ink.

1. The six finalists can pick from a range of prizes, including a chapter edit by Britt or Josie, a mer-extravaganza book bundle or a beautiful mer-mug. They will all also receive a simultaneous shout-out on social media from the judges.

2. In addition to these prizes, the winner's story will receive: a mega-splash across the internet on the judges' social media platforms; a golden Under the Sea badge, and an invitation to judge next years' contest.

Tag your stories #UnderTheSea2018, and leave a comment on the first chapter of 's Under the Sea Writing Contest 2018 book, with the link.

Synopses may be posted here or emailed to:

May the cods always be in your favor and may the seahorse be with you!