Tamanna Bhasin is a Toronto-based literary agent at The Rights Factory whose editorial eye and personal investment in diverse, underrepresented narratives make them a destination for BIPOC, South Asian, LGBTQ+, and genre-bending fiction across MG, YA, and adult categories.
In brief
Tamanna came up through editorial work and literary journals before joining The Rights Factory in 2020 — their taste skews literary-commercial hybrids rather than purely genre or purely literary.
The wishlist is strikingly broad, but the through-line is clear: Tamanna wants stories centered on marginalized voices, with particular depth in South Asian literature, BIPOC narratives, and LGBTQ+ fiction across every age category.
No confirmed deal record is available in the source material, so Tamanna's sales history cannot be independently verified — weight the wishlist and stated preferences heavily when deciding whether to query.
The sheer range of listed sub-genres signals openness to pitches that blend categories (e.g., historical romantasy with BIPOC leads, or literary MG with speculative elements) — hybrid concepts are likely welcome.
Query status is unverified; writers must confirm the current state of submissions directly before sending.
Lately
Tamanna's public profile emphasizes that their editorial background — working across literary journals and editorial internships before joining The Rights Factory — directly informs how they evaluate manuscripts. They approach agenting with a line-level sensitivity to prose as well as a commercial eye for positioning.
What Tamanna is looking for
Tamanna is actively hunting adult romantic comedies, category romance, historical rom-coms, steamy rom-coms, romantasy, and contemporary romance — especially when the leads are BIPOC, South Asian, or LGBTQ+. Regency romance and time-travel romance are also on the list. The common thread is emotional intelligence and a sharp wit; think sparkling banter and genuine heart rather than thin meet-cutes.
Tamanna wants adult speculative fiction with literary sensibility — literary science fiction, cozy fantasy, epic fantasy, contemporary fantasy, and magical realism all appear. BIPOC-centered SFF and LGBTQ+ SFF are particular priorities. Character-driven science fiction and feminist SFF are also flagged, suggesting Tamanna responds to genre fiction where the interiority of the protagonist matters as much as the world-building.
Tamanna's YA appetite is expansive: commercial YA, literary YA, high-concept YA, contemporary YA, YA fantasy, YA historical fantasy, YA magical realism, YA sci-fi, YA romance, and humor YA all appear. LGBTQ+ YA and BIPOC YA are explicit priorities. Upmarket YA — work that straddles commercial appeal and literary depth — seems especially well-suited to what Tamanna is building.
Literary MG is a stated sweet spot, including MG fantasy, MG contemporary, MG mystery, MG adventure, MG sci-fi, and speculative middle grade. Tamanna also lists middle grade graphic novels, which is a notable gate-open for author-illustrators working in that format. The same values apply: diverse casts, marginalized voices, and found-family dynamics are recurring signals.
Tamanna is drawn to accessible literary fiction, domestic fiction, upmarket women's fiction, and book-club-ready commercial fiction — especially when it centers complicated female relationships, dark female friendships, or diaspora narratives. South Asian literary fiction fits squarely here. The emphasis is on stories that linger emotionally rather than plot-driven commercial work.
Tamanna welcomes historical fiction set from the 1800s onward, with a clear preference for periods that are of genuine narrative consequence to the story rather than decorative backdrop. Historical women's fiction, historical mysteries, and character-driven historical narratives are all in scope. BIPOC and South Asian historical perspectives are a particular draw.
Cozy mysteries, amateur sleuth narratives, BIPOC mysteries, literary noir, whodunits, domestic suspense/thriller, and paranormal thrillers are all listed. Tamanna's editorial sensibility suggests a preference for mysteries where character and atmosphere carry as much weight as plot mechanics.
Tamanna is interested in classic retellings featuring BIPOC characters, Shakespeare retellings, fairytale retellings, and fiction rooted in mythology and folklore — provided the source material is handled with genuine craft rather than surface-level allusion.
New adult is listed, but given the breadth of Tamanna's YA and adult interests, it is likely most compelling when it carries a clear commercial hook and centers a marginalized protagonist. Writers in this category should lean into what distinguishes their work from standard adult contemporary.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Tamanna
Address Tamanna directly and by name — they are the agent reviewing submissions, not a general slush inbox.
Lead your query letter with the identity and interiority of your protagonist, not just plot mechanics. Tamanna's editorial background means prose quality and character depth will be evaluated from the first page.
If your book centers a BIPOC, South Asian, or LGBTQ+ protagonist, say so clearly and early — this is a core pillar of what Tamanna is building, and burying it is a missed opportunity.
For genre-blending work (e.g., historical romantasy, literary cozy mystery, speculative MG with BIPOC leads), lean into the hybrid description rather than forcing the book into one box — Tamanna's wishlist explicitly rewards cross-category concepts.
Historical fiction writers: make clear in the query why the specific historical period matters to the story. Tamanna has flagged that period should be of consequence, not decorative — demonstrate that you understand the distinction.
For middle grade graphic novels, note clearly that you are submitting as an author-illustrator (or with an illustrator partner), as this format requires a different submission package.
Include comparable titles published within the last three to five years — Tamanna's taste runs contemporary, and older comps may signal you are not current with the market.
Verify the live submission status before sending — the current state of Tamanna's query inbox is unconfirmed in publicly available sources.