On Wednesday, Toronto-based storytelling platform Wattpad announced submissions for its 12th annual Watty Awards have opened — and that the eventual grand prize winner will receive a book deal with the company's publisher, Wattpad Books. The contest accepts submissions in 10 languages and 14 different categories, including fantasy, romance, science fiction and historical fiction. The 2011 "teen fiction" winner The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles, then-15, was read more than 19 million times before being acquired by Netflix, and was later released to commercial success in 2018. The original story was written by a 15-year-old on the Canadian story-sharing platform Wattpad. In May, South Korean internet conglomerate Naver completed its acquisition of Wattpad for a reported $600 million US.

Source: CBC News July 07, 2021 16:57 UTC