You do have to be at least 18 years old to participate in the contest portion of Writers Camp, due to the fact that we are unable to sign contracts with anyone under 18, and so that winner would not be able to win a publishing contract. Having someone else who is older submit on your behalf does not solve that issue, unfortunately. If you are going to be 18 by the time the contest wraps up on April 19th, feel free to submit to the contest, but if it's going to be a few months or years, we're planning on putting together many more Writers Camps that you'll be able to participate in. And, regardless of age, please take advantage of the community aspects of the contest. The novelists here on the forums are great and happy to give out critiques, support, and advice, and many Tapas readers are also happy to do the same.