The Watty's shortlist is dropping soon. Here's what we know so far from community chatter...

Note: The following is based on publicly available information on the Wattys website and in the listed rules. Any speculation is based on discussion in public forums, which we will source where possible. Fanficable does not have any sources within or affiliation with Wattpad.

What is the Shortlist?

Wattpad's annual Watty awards announce the shortlist before announcing their final winners. The shortlist is effectively a list of finalists from which the winners will be chosen. In previous years, finalists (aka "shortlisters") have been notified by email or Wattpad message before the announcement is made publicly.

When Will I Know if I'm on the Shortlist?

The official Wattys rules say that shortlisters for the Wattys with be notified by email "on or about" Monday, October 2nd. In past years, they have not stuck firmly to the schedule as described in the rules. So while October 2nd is the rough date given, they aren't necessarily on schedule.

The shortlist is set to be announced on Monday, October 16th, so it's possible that finalist will be notified up to that date. (Based on what we know of Wattpad HQ's work schedule, we suspect all notifications will be sent before the weekend—by Friday, October 13th.

Shortlist Announced: Mon, October 16

Have Shortlist Emails Already Been Sent?

Community chatter on Reddit and Discord suggests that shortlisters may have been sent emails.

In a now deleted Reddit post, one user implied that emails had been sent around October 5th. The poster (whose identity and source are unconfirmed) said that emails has been sent out to shortlisters.

The original poster deleted the post after community backlash to sharing the inside information. They did, however, clarify that they had some information behind their claim:

"I can’t say how but I do know (at least for the first round) of shortlist emails have gone out."

This is the only person we could find clearly claiming that the shortlist emails have been sent. Others seem to be getting their information from this post. In previous years, there have been several leaks, and this is just one. That said, it would not be surprising if at least some (if not all) shortlist emails have been sent at this point.

When Are the Winners Announced?

The Watty winners will be selected from the finalists in the shortlist. Wattpad's rules say that the winners will be selected "on or about" Monday, October 23rd. (But again, Wattpad HQ is known for falling behind schedule.) Once selected, they could be notified any time over the next month between October 24th and November 24th. The winners will be officially announced on December 1st.

Winners Selected: Mon, October 23 (approximated in rules, may not reflect actual schedule)

Winners Notified: No later than Fri, November 24th

Winners Announced: Fri, December 1

Have you entered the Wattys this year? Share your story in the comments...