What We Believe
It used to be that writers had editors to watch their backs, but over the past century the literary agent has risen to stand by the writer, to help them birth their literary works, to polish them until they are ready for submission, and to help authors find the best publishing homes – eventually leading their works to widespread markets and audiences.
This is what we do at TRF. Whether you are a debut author just finishing your first novel, an expert, teacher or journalist working on a narrative non-fiction or prescriptive work, someone with a memoir or great life story to tell, or a graphic novelist, we’re interested in hearing from you – if you haven’t heard from us first.
Every agent at TRF is looking for work they can get excited about, in every genre and category. If you’re in the market, we encourage you to look at the agents here and see if one of them seems like the perfect business partner for you.
Film & TV
A strong story in book form is the perfect – and most common – raw material for film and TV adaptation. Selling great stories into other media is something we explore actively, with close ties to film and TV agents across the entertainment landscape, locally and internationally.
Origins
The Rights Factory was founded in 2004 with a handful of clients and a massive search for new talent in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. We now have nine different agents and represent hundreds of clients from around the world.
Editorial Feedback
We are an editorial agency and we will be tough on your work, because we are committed to developing your project until it is absolutely ready to take to market. Along the way, we will champion you across the industry and media and make sure what you wrote is seen by the best editors, and we will provide you with professional insight to help your project become the best book it can be, for the audience that will love it.
About Us
Staff
Sam Hiyate
President
Since 1990 Sam has worked at literary magazines, small presses and with New York Times bestselling authors, editing and representing everything from debut fiction, memoir and narrative non-fiction to graphic novels. He has taught writing and publishing privately since 2000 and also at various universities. His most recent project is an online magazine, Don’t Talk to Me About Love, exploring love in literary and artistic works.
Anne Sampson
Social Media Strategist
Anne was previously a Digital Marketing Content Creator at Schmooz Media, a Publicist at PRH Canada, and a former assistant at The Rights Factory.
Talya Pardo
Editorial Assistant
Talya Pardo is a Montreal native whose life has been entirely defined by reading. Having been identified as an avid bookworm from an early age, she devoted the last 25 years to children’s librarianship with an MSLIS specializing in Children’s Literature, working in both the private elementary school and public library sectors. Currently making a slight career shift, she is looking forward to expanding her literary professional world into editing, and is thrilled at the opportunity to learn from and work with The Rights Factory. While her heart lies in reading fantasy and science fiction, her personal reading list also happily includes historical fiction, supernatural, self-help and spiritual reading (and okay, maybe the occasional romance).
Shannon Duncan
Editorial Assistant
Shannon earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and also holds a Bachelor of Education and a BFA in Theatre and Women’s Studies. For over a decade she has worked as an editor, teacher, and copywriter while leading a double life as an organic farmer in various back-to-the-land and artists’ communities in the US and Canada. She is passionate about collaborating with writers and amplifying diverse voices. She cares for a large garden and her two young children in Strange, Ontario.
Jennifer Chevais
Editorial Assistant
Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Jennifer's first memory of obsessively reading dates back to when she was 9-years-old; she devoured every Nancy Drew book she could get her hands on before moving on to reading her mom's fantasy books on the sly (her mom knew). Jennifer moved to France after art school where she worked as a freelance Acquisitions Reader for Black Moon, an imprint of Hachette Jeunesse, as well as a freelance translator for Hachette Jeunesse's foreign rights department. Now that she's back in Canada, she's thrilled to be diving deeper into the editorial nuts and bolts of publishing with The Rights Factory and their authors; the world needs more books!
Monique Thompson
Editorial Assistant
Monique Thompson is a Toronto-based freelance writer, editor, and (sometimes) reviewer. She is in her last semester of the publishing program at Centennial College and has published stories and videos for the publication during her time at Toronto Observer in the Journalism program.
Her passion lies with writing and editing articles and occasionally some videography work.
She has interviewed well-known individuals in the journalism world such as Ivy Knight, food writer and critic; writer and current editor of Harrowsmith Magazine, Signe Langford; Sub-Lt. Rodney Carew from the Royal Navy as a part of Remembrance Day; Piya Chattopadhyay, host of CBC's Out in the Open; and award winner and filmmaker of Black Bodies, Kelly-Fyffe Marshall.
She is currently in her last year of the Publishing Program at Centennial College.
Kaitlin Sooklal
Editorial Assistant
A hopeful graduate of the publishing program at Centennial College, Kaitlin has always had a deep love of reading. While her first loves are fantasy and historical fiction, science fiction, young adult and classic literature also make frequent appearances on her reading list. Eager to make the shift from student into working professional, Kaitlin’s quest to find her next great read has led her to The Rights Factory as an intern, where she is keen to learn more about the business and hopefully find her place in a world as obsessed with books as she is.
Victoria Nicolauo
Editorial Assistant
Victoria is graduating this spring from Centennial College’s publishing graduate program. She holds a B.A. in Art History and Political Science from the University of Toronto and works as a freelance sports reporter. Her obsession with books began before she learned to read. She still has every copy of The Babysitters Club book series (including super specials and super mysteries). She is passionate about storytelling and amplifying underrepresented voices.
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