Siyahi
Siyahi is a Jaipur-based literary consultancy founded in 2007 by Mita Kapur, representing 150+ authors and providing manuscript editing, publisher matchmaking, and global rights management through sub-agents in 10+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersJaipur, India
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Siyahi does
Siyahi is a literary consultancy and author representation agency founded in 2007 by journalist Mita Kapur and headquartered in Jaipur, India. The firm represents a roster of 150+ authors, offering services that span author representation, manuscript assessment and editing, publisher matchmaking, and global rights management. Its business model rests on three revenue streams: commission on negotiated book deals with publishers, fees for manuscript assessment and editorial services, and participant fees from its Writers' Retreats program (priced at INR 150,000 per attendee per edition).
The agency has built a 15+ year track record as one of India's pioneering English-language literary consultancies, with working relationships with major publishers including Penguin Random House India and HarperCollins India. It extends its reach internationally through sub-agent partnerships across 10+ countries, enabling global rights sales without the cost of building foreign offices. The firm has also begun representing film and TV adaptation rights, opening a new monetization lane beyond print publishing.
Siyahi operates as a 1-10 person, founder-controlled, bootstrapped professional services firm with no external funding. Its retreat program and curation role at literary festivals such as Mountain Echoes and Lit for Life function as both brand-building and pipeline-development activities. There is no disclosed technology platform; the value proposition is the founder's network, editorial judgment, and publisher relationships.
Siyahi firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Siyahi
- Legal name
- Siyahi
- Website
- https://siyahi.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Siyahi is a Jaipur-based literary consultancy founded in 2007 by Mita Kapur, representing 150+ authors and providing manuscript editing, publisher matchmaking, and global rights management through sub-agents in 10+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Siyahi industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary Agency Services
- NAICS
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115), Book Publishers (513130), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930), All Other Publishers (513199)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Publishing & Submission Prep Workshops (Query Letters, Agents, Journals) (EDAMAMAI), Translation & Localization Services for Indie Authors (MPAJAJAN)
Keywords
Where Siyahi is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jaipur
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Siyahi business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Author Representation & Publishing Rights Management: Siyahi represents over 150 authors, managing their publishing rights including sub-agents in USA, UK, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Korea, Brazil, and Germany. Revenue is derived from commissions on book deals and rights sales to publishers.
- Manuscript Assessment & Editing Services: Siyahi offers professional manuscript assessment and editing services for a fee. Assessments evaluate plot, pacing, character development, language, marketability, and narrative strength. Editing is charged by page count and includes tracked changes. Both services are delivered within three months of payment.
- Writers' Retreats: Siyahi runs intensive multi-day Writers' Retreats at premium venues (e.g., Samode Haveli, Jaipur). Participants pay a program fee that covers accommodation, meals, and mentorship. The Chapter Five retreat cost INR 150,000 per person inclusive of twin-sharing stay, all meals, full programme, and applicable taxes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Full retreat programme including mentors, venue stay, meals, and all sessions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Siyahi product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Siyahi is a literary agency that represents 150+ authors, managing the full publishing lifecycle from manuscript assessment and editing through publisher matchmaking, translation and international rights sales, and post-publication promotion. It supplements agency representation with paid manuscript assessment and editing services, residential Writers' Retreats, and the curation of literary festivals and events.
Product overview
Siyahi is a literary agency founded in 2007 by CEO Mita Kapur, offering a comprehensive suite of services for authors throughout their publishing journey. The core offering combines literary agency representation (connecting authors with publishers), Writers' Retreats (intensive residential programs at Samode Haveli, Jaipur), and Literary Events curation. Supporting services include Manuscript Assessment and Editing (professional evaluation and detailed editing with tracked changes), plus a Manuscript Submission Platform for new authors. The company represents over 150 authors and manages rights across multiple territories through sub-agency partnerships worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Literary Agency Representation Full-service literary representation for authors covering manuscript editing, publisher matchmaking, career management, and post-publication promotion. Currently serves 150+ authors across mythology, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children's literature.
- Writers' Retreats
Companies that use Siyahi
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Siyahi technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Siyahi partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Penguin Random House IndiacoreSiyahi places represented authors with Penguin Random House India, one of India's leading publishers. The agency has facilitated multiple book deals with PRHI, including Diana Chambers' The Star of India.
- HarperCollins IndiacoreHarperCollins India is a key publisher partner for Siyahi-represented authors. Ananth Padmanabhan, CEO of HarperCollins India, serves as a mentor at Siyahi's Writers' Retreats, directly bridging craft and publishing industry.
- Mountain Echoes Literary FestivalminorSiyahi has been a conceptualiser and programming partner for Mountain Echoes Literary Festival, a major literary and cultural event spanning 2010–2019.
- Lit for Life / The Hindu's Festival of LiteratureminorSiyahi served as a programming partner for Lit for Life, The Hindu's Festival of Literature in 2011.
- The HinduminorSiyahi was a programming partner for The Hindu's Festival of Literature (Lit for Life) in 2011.
- Morarka FoundationminorSiyahi partnered with the Morarka Foundation to present 'Mantles of Myth: The Narrative in Indian Textiles', a cultural event linking literature and art.
- Film & Television Production HousesminorSiyahi works with film agents and directly with leading independent and mainstream production houses to pitch dramatisation rights and adaptations of its authors' books.
- International Sub-Agents (USA, UK, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Korea, Brazil, Germany)coreSiyahi has sub-agents in USA, UK, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Korea, Brazil, and Germany to represent and sell translation and publishing rights on behalf of its authors internationally.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Siyahi competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- InkWell Management: US-based literary agency representing a broad roster of authors with strong international co-agent partnerships. Directly comparable to Siyahi in author representation model and rights brokering.
- The Wylie Agency: New York- and London-based literary agency representing literary fiction and non-fiction authors with strong international rights focus. Directly comparable business model to Siyahi, especially in the cross-border rights representation space.
- Writers House: US-based full-service literary agency representing authors across genres. Comparable to Siyahi in providing end-to-end author representation including rights management, though at significantly larger scale.
- Aitken Alexander Associates: UK literary agency with notable representation of Indian and South Asian authors including Aatish Taseer. Comparable to Siyahi in its strong ties to the Indian literary market and crossover with international publishing.
- Curtis Brown: One of the oldest and largest literary and talent agencies in the UK, representing authors across fiction and non-fiction. Directly comparable to Siyahi in core function as a literary agency, though operating at much greater scale.
- Andrew Nurnberg Associates: International literary agency with offices across Asia and Europe, brokering translation and publishing rights. Closely comparable to Siyahi in its author representation model and international sub-agent network, though larger and more established.
- Red Ink Literary Agency: India-based literary agency representing Indian authors and brokering rights domestically and internationally. Most direct geographic peer to Siyahi within the Indian market, competing for the same author pool.
Broad incumbents
- William Morris Endeavor (WME): Global talent agency representing authors alongside actors, directors, and creators. Overlaps with Siyahi in book-to-screen adaptation pitching but operates as a much broader incumbent in the talent representation space.
- Penguin Random House India: One of India's largest trade publishers and a key commercial partner of Siyahi for placing represented authors. Overlaps as a buyer of literary IP but not a direct competitor, serving as a publisher rather than an agent.
Emerging players
- Looking Glass Literary: Smaller, newer literary agency focused on Indian and South Asian voices. Comparable to Siyahi in geographic focus and author-representation model but represents an emerging entrant rather than an established player.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Siyahi social profiles
Digital presenceSiyahi financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Siyahi leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Siyahi funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Siyahi M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Siyahi
What does Siyahi do?
Siyahi is a literary agency that represents 150+ authors, managing the full publishing lifecycle from manuscript assessment and editing through publisher matchmaking, translation and international rights sales, and post-publication promotion. It supplements agency representation with paid manuscript assessment and editing services, residential Writers' Retreats, and the curation of literary festivals and events.
Is Siyahi a public or private company?
Siyahi is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Siyahi founded?
Siyahi was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Siyahi based?
Siyahi is headquartered in Jaipur, India, in the Asia region.
How does Siyahi make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Author Representation & Publishing Rights Management is the primary driver. The others are manuscript Assessment & Editing Services and writers' Retreats.
Who are Siyahi's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are InkWell Management, The Wylie Agency, Writers House, Aitken Alexander Associates, Curtis Brown, Andrew Nurnberg Associates and Red Ink Literary Agency. Broad incumbents are William Morris Endeavor (WME) and Penguin Random House India. Looking Glass Literary is listed as an emerging player.
Does Siyahi have an API?
No public API is recorded for Siyahi.
What industry is Siyahi in?
Siyahi's product category is Literary Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAK, Literary Arts & Writing Organizations, with a secondary code of EDAMAMAI, Publishing & Submission Prep Workshops (Query Letters, Agents, Journals). Its NAICS code is 7115 and its SIC code is 2741.