Interview with Nikki Carrero, Literary agent at The Rights Factory

Nikki Carrero is an avid reader, writer, and dog mom who grew up in Vermont before relocating to Massachusetts for college, and she's been there ever since. Nikki has a background in bookselling, publishing, social media and digital marketing, event planning, and education as a high school English teacher. She previously worked as an Agency Assistant, Editorial Assistant, and Social Media Manager at The Rights Factory before being promoted to Assistant Agent in 2025.

Hi Nikki, for how long have you been working as a literary agent, and what genres are you looking for?

"I officially became a literary agent in September 2025. I represent an array of genres - fiction, including but not limited to romance, thriller, young adult, new adult, grounded speculative, etc."

What querying advice would you give authors looking for a literary agent?

"Have people outside your family and friends read your work, get genuine feedback and critique from them, and edit from an audience's eye at that point. Then, do your research.

Don't jump on the first agent's offer. A good agent for a specific author may not be a good agent for you. You need someone who works for you. No agent is also sometimes better than a bad agent."

Why are some books easier to sell to publishers than others? In other words, what are publishers looking for in a book?

"Some books are exactly what the publisher is actively seeking. Some are ones they haven't seen yet but would love to (so, they are more unique). Every publisher wants something different, though."

What advice would you give someone who desires to become a literary agent?

"Be prepared to do the work. Be prepared for rejection, starting from scratch, and learn. It sometimes takes years to become successful as a literary agent, but being complaisant will never get you anywhere. Also, make sure to network and learn from others. That will be your best strategy!"

You can reach out to Nikki on her website: https://nikkigetsliterary.wixsite.com/nikki-carrero