Staff

SAM HIYATE is keen to discover new voices and help writers prepare their works for market, and to help them build lasting careers. In the past two decades with THE RIGHTS FACTORY his hundreds of book deals have resulted in several bestsellers such as MORE, the memoir by Molly Roden Winter, THIS ONE SUMMER, the graphic novel by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, non-fiction such as HEALTHY AF (DITCH THE DIET) by Oonagh Duncan and THE MYTH of CAPITALISM by Jonathan Tepper and Denise Hearn, and fiction such as GIRLS IN WHITE DRESSES by Jennifer Close and THE ADULT by Bronwyn Fischer.

Morinobu Yoshida is a publishing professional from Yokohama, Japan. After working at a publishing house in Tokyo for five years, he decided to dive into international publishing and began pursuing the publishing certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. With his passion to promote the global exchange of cultures and ideas through books, he currently works as a rights assistant at the Rights Factory, while working as a freelance editor/copyeditor and also a kitchen assistant at an awesome Indian restaurant in downtown Toronto. He has a taste for literary fiction, literary journalism, and history books.

Nikki is an Agency Assistant and Social Media Manager who brings a background in publishing, event planning, marketing, social media marketing, and education. Driven by her love for the written word, Nikki has shifted careers to make books her entire personality. She has previously held positions as a social media coach, personal assistant to various authors, social media manager at a publishing house, and has interned at other agencies on her journey to becoming an agent herself.

Nikki’s love for books began when her grandmother used to bring her to the bookstore as a kid to pick out new books. She hasn’t stopped reading since and is currently building her own personal home library. While she started reading mystery novels, her tastes have expanded to include thrillers, romance, romantic suspense, magical realism, women’s fiction, contemporary young adult, memoir, and literary fiction.

Selena Mercuri is a writer, publicist, editor, book reviewer, and social media manager based in Toronto. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Toronto and studied Publishing at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she received the Marsh Jeanneret Publishing Award. Her work has appeared in The Fiddlehead, The Literary Review of Canada, Room, Prairie Fire, The Ampersand Review, and The Seaboard Review. She is the recipient of the 2023 Norma Epstein Foundation Award for Creative Writing and was a finalist in the 2024 Hart House Poetry Contest. Selena is an MFA candidate in Creative Writing at the University of Guelph.

Kris McCormick (she/they) is pursuing double master’s degrees at Rosemont College (Publishing and Creative Writing) and is based in Philadelphia. She was previously the graduate assistant for those departments and was in charge of non-credit programming and communications, facilitating creative connections between authors, students, and community members. She was also the Fiction Editor at the Rathalla Review and a Reviews Writer for Philadelphia Stories. Guiding and supporting writers as they share their stories and voices on their terms is her greatest passion.

Vishaka Sriram is an agented author currently on submission. Her novel, "The Art of Wrestling Tigers" was shortlisted for the Searchlights Best Novel Opening 2021 award. She’s interned with Orca Publishers, HarperCollins India and Penguin Random House India. She has a Master’s in English Literature, a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia and a Master’s in Publishing from Simon Fraser University. You can find her baking at midnight and making bizarre origami creatures.

Caroline (she/her) is excited to enter a new chapter of her career with The Rights Factory. She has fostered a lifelong love of fiction through studying English at the University of Toronto, working in bookstores, joining book clubs, and engaging in her own creative writing. Her diverse academic background and work experiences in different fields provide Caroline a unique perspective that she is eager to apply to editorial work.

Alana holds a BA in English Writing from Long Island University and is currently pursuing her MA in the Literatures of Modernity program at Toronto Metropolitan University. As an avid reader with an appreciation for storytelling in all its forms, she is passionate about supporting writers in bringing their work to life. Her academic background and editorial interests reflect a deep commitment to helping writers, and she is thrilled to bring that passion to The Rights Factory as she continues to grow in the publishing industry.

Myfanwy is a graduate student at Toronto Metropolitan University and is excited to learn from the team at The Rights Factory. She has had a lifelong love of literature and writing. She is eager to start this new chapter in her life.

Entering the publishing world with an MA in Film Studies and an undying love of storytelling, Victoria recently completed her Publishing Certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. She loves nothing more than helping writers sharpen their ideas, which she has found a place for as an editor. She is interested in working with authors who write middle grade, YA, children's, graphic novels, science fiction and fantasy genre work, and general nonfiction. She also has a particular interest in educational content.