Paige Terlip is a literary agent with Starling Literary + Media (formerly with Andrea Brown Literary Agency).
Paige represents all categories of children’s books from picture books to young adult, as well as select adult fiction — including thrillers/psychological suspense, fantasy/sci-fi, horror, upmarket fiction, romance, and mysteries, and platform-based nonfiction. Regardless of genre, she is seeking inclusive, intersectional voices and gorgeous line-level writing with emotionally compelling narratives.
Some of Paige’s specific wish list items include:
Horror that dismantles the gender binary (and societal norms)
Stories that examine contemporary issues using horror/speculative elements as the vehicle (think Jordan Peele or Stephen Graham Jones)
Sentient plants or natural settings with a sinister undertone (a la Annihilation)—bonus if it speaks to our climate crisis without being too heavy handed
Occult conspiracies
Cozy mysteries that center BIPOC and/or queer characters
Exploring a magical matrilineal inheritance through a trans POV
Whip-smart protagonists and playful banter with dialogue that makes me literally LOL
Real burgeoning science taken to the next level
Platform-based non-fiction in the pop culture, lifestyle, and health and wellness arena
Accessible non-fiction about neuroscience, sex, and relationships (especially by Queer or underrepresented voices)
Pop science about the natural world with a narrative approach (like Sy Montgomery’s SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS or Juli Berwald’s SPINELESS)
Queer takes on subjects other than queer history (along the lines of Sabrina Imbler’s HOW FAR THE LIGHT REACHES)
Nonfiction that makes me feel something and teaches me new things (a la Bonnie Tsui’s WHY WE SWIM)
About Paige:
Paige has worked at ABLA since 2017. She comes to agenting with a background in marketing, design, and freelance editorial. She has an MA in Children’s Literature and an MFA in Writing for Children from Simmons University, and is currently serving as co-chair on the Association of American Literary Agents’ (AALA) Communications Committee. She is also the founder of COwrite, which offers writing classes and workshops for writers of all levels. If she’s not reading, you’ll find her training for long distance open water swims, re-watching the Great British Baking Show, or hiking with her Husky-Shepherd mix.