Nikki Carrero is an assistant agent at The Rights Factory who hunts for emotionally charged, diversity-forward commercial fiction — especially dark or paranormal romance, psychological thrillers, and upmarket magical realism featuring characters from marginalized communities.
In brief
Nikki's wishlist skews heavily toward the romance spectrum — from paranormal and dark romance to emotionally devastating YA/NA — making them a strong target for romance writers who want an agent with genuine personal investment in the genre.
Representation of disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ characters is not a box-tick for Nikki — they are disabled and chronically ill themselves, and frame this as a core mission, not a preference.
No sales record is available publicly, but the breadth and specificity of Nikki's wishlist (with named comps for nearly every category) signals a hands-on, reader-first approach typical of agents building their list with intention.
Nikki is an assistant agent still constructing their client list, which is good news for debut and underrepresented authors: they are actively building, not curating a full roster.
Despite a wide genre tag list, several categories are hard no's — historical fiction, romantasy, sci-fi, and all nonfiction — so cross-genre projects touching those areas should not be sent.
Lately
New post coming Wednesday, June 3rd! A beginner’s guide to creating an online presence as an author, whether you’re querying, have an agent, are on sub, already have a book deal, or are published. Stay tuned & subscribe to be the first to read it! nikkigetsliterary.substack.com/p/creating-a...
Check out my new post if you’ve been struggling with finding comp titles for your project during your querying or publishing journey! Hopefully these resources can help you! nikkigetsliterary.substack.com/p/how-to-fin...
Guess what’s coming next Tuesday? A new newsletter! Have you ever felt stuck when it comes to comp titles? I’m hoping I can help 💕 Subscribe early to receive it to your inbox on April 14! nikkigetsliterary.substack.com/publish/post...
Query inbox update: I have finally read through all 500+ queries I’ve received since January (from the two weeks I was open to queries and any/all pitch events). If you have not heard back from me, it’s because you’re in my maybe pile! (Yes, they exist!) I promise to get back to you soon.
I might be closed to queries right now, but if you have a dark romcom/dark romance comped to Lights Out by Navessa Allen, Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver, or Love Me Stalk me by Laura Bishop, PLEASE comment below! I'll send you a private link to query me 💕 #amquerying #darkromance #darkromcom
Nikki published a resource guide on their newsletter aimed at writers who struggle to identify comp titles during querying — a practical, writer-serving post that reflects their background in education and their transparency about the querying process.
What Nikki is looking for
Nikki is particularly drawn to the tonal edges of romance: light dark romance, comedic dark romance, and dark romantic comedies sit in one bucket, while psychologically intense dark romance (think obsessive or morally complex dynamics) sits in another. They want work that commits to a specific tone rather than hedging. All spice levels welcome; single, dual, and multi-POV are all on the table.
Ghost-adjacent and supernaturally tinged romance with warmth and heart. Nikki is drawn to the lighter, emotionally grounded end of paranormal rather than epic fantasy-adjacent worldbuilding.
Literary-leaning fiction where a fantastical or speculative element illuminates an emotional or philosophical truth. Nikki is looking for books that feel grounded and introspective rather than plot-driven — the kind shelved at the literary/commercial crossover.
Romance infused with a magical or speculative layer that remains emotionally realistic. The distinction from straight upmarket magical realism is that the love story is the spine. Nikki named several authors as north stars rather than individual titles, signaling they care more about voice and emotional register than a specific subgenre formula.
Character-driven, twisty, and psychologically layered — Nikki references a broad set of established voices in this space, suggesting they are open to domestic suspense, literary thriller, and unreliable-narrator structures alike. Diversity and marginalized-community representation in this category is a clear plus.
Thrillers where supernatural or unexplained elements drive dread rather than wonder. Nikki looks for atmospheric, unsettling work rather than horror-forward gore.
Commercial romantic suspense with a strong thriller backbone. Nikki named a single author touchstone, suggesting they know the space but are selective about voice and pacing.
Nikki explicitly seeks romance that wrecks the reader — grief, illness, impossible circumstances, and profound emotional cost are all welcome. This category spans age categories (YA through adult), which is unusual and signals genuine flexibility. Characters with chronic illness, disability, or mental illness are especially resonant given Nikki's own experience.
A specific gap Nikki is trying to fill: a younger-skewing mystery driven by a clever, resourceful amateur investigator. The tone they're after is smart and propulsive with strong character voice rather than cozy or procedural.
Horror that leans into comedy — either satirical, absurdist, or darkly funny in execution. Nikki's simultaneous love of dark humor and psychological horror makes this a natural fit, though the specific wishlist entry suggests it's an underserved gap on their list rather than a proven area.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Nikki
Nikki explicitly does not accept emailed queries — submissions sent to their email address will be disregarded. Use the designated online query submission system only.
Nikki requests both a query letter and sample pages in the initial submission — have both prepared and polished before submitting.
Centering a character with a disability, chronic illness, neurodivergent identity, or LGBTQIA+ identity is a genuine differentiator for this agent; if your book features these perspectives authentically, name them early in your query letter.
Match your tone signal precisely: Nikki distinguishes between light dark romance, comedic dark romance, and psychological dark romance — label yours accurately and do not conflate them.
Because Nikki maintains a public newsletter about craft and querying, reading recent posts before querying demonstrates genuine familiarity and may inform how you frame your letter.
Include well-chosen comp titles — Nikki recently published a resource specifically about finding comps, signaling they place real weight on a writer's ability to position their own work in the market.
If your manuscript spans YA, NA, and adult in category, Nikki is genuinely flexible in the romance space — state your intended audience clearly but know the emotional register matters more than a strict age-category label.
Avoid sending anything in the hard-no categories (historical fiction, romantasy, sci-fi, nonfiction) even if only a subplot touches those elements — Nikki states these plainly as non-starters.