About

Driven by 精彩故事 — brilliant stories with a clear voice, strong direction, and global potential.

Iyagushi Literary Agency is a UK-based international rights and licensing agency working as a Co-Agent and licensing facilitator, connecting East Asian pop-culture IP with publishers across Western markets.

We work closely with rights holders, partner agencies, and publishers to position each title strategically; aligning format, audience, and publisher focus to ensure the strongest possible placement.

At the same time, we believe in balancing creative integrity with commercial outcomes.

Our Mission

To bring East Asian stories to readers across Western markets through strategic licensing, thoughtful market positioning, and transparent rights management.

What We Do

Represent East Asian IP across Western markets as a Co-Agent and licensing facilitator

Match each title with the most suitable publishers based on format, audience, market potential, and rights availability

Structure and manage licensing deals, contracts, and royalty frameworks

Provide market insight, publisher feedback, and long-term strategic support

Why Iyagushi?

✔ Specialist focus
We focus on manga, webtoons, light novels, and East Asian illustrated storytelling, combining format expertise with strong market positioning insight.

✔ Understanding of global markets

We understand how East Asian IP is received editorially, commercially, and culturally across Western markets, with a core focus on English-language and European publishing.

✔ Collaborative and transparent approach
Clear communication, structured deal management, and consistent reporting form the foundation of long-term partnerships.

✔ Quality over volume
We prioritise strong titles with clear positioning and long-term value, rather than high-volume submissions.

About the Founder

Iyagushi Literary Agency was founded by UK-based rights and licensing expert Mercedes Anaeto.

Building on a strong multi-year foundation in the publishing industry, she transitioned into dedicated rights management and immediately set an outstanding track record—closing over 100 international rights deals within a single 12-month period. This drove strategic partnerships and revenue growth across East and Southeast Asia.

This high-volume, hands-on experience has forged a profound understanding of how stories cross cultural borders and successfully establish themselves in new markets.