Paige Wheeler

president & agent

Connect with us!

founder...

Industry veteran Paige Wheeler has worked in publishing for over twenty-five years. After stints in editorial in the UK and NYC, Paige moved to the agency side of the business, repping writers and talent for Artists Agency, establishing Creative Media Agency in 1997, and then co-founding Folio Literary Management in 2006. Paige relaunched CMA in 2014, deciding to pivot back to working directly with clients in a boutique format.

Paige is proud to represent both bestselling as well as award-winning authors, and she has launched the career and built the brand for New York Times, USA Today, Agatha, Rita, Shamus, and other notable award winning and top selling clients. Paige loves to represent commercial and upscale fiction, particularly mystery, thriller, suspense, as well as women’s fiction and romance genres. She also represents narrative and prescriptive nonfiction by authors with a significant platform and new ideas. Paige is ultimately looking for unique stories, fresh voices and snappy dialogue, with unexpected twists.

Paige is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents, the Women’s Media Group, and the Authors Guild. She can be found online at www.cmalit.com.

submissions

https://querymanager.com/query/pwheeler

If you would like to query Paige Wheeler, please send to her first; Paige is not currently accepting pitches that have been previously submitted to another CMA agent.

what i'd like to represent...

Hello fellow book lovers! I’m Paige Wheeler, the founder of Creative Media Agency, Inc. With over two decades in the publishing world, I’ve been on a journey driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for discovering exceptional stories.

My background as an editor, tv agent, and book agent (Agent at Artists Agency; Founding partner at Folio Literary Management) proves I’m passionate about good storytelling. I’ve been honored to work with NYT, USA Today, and PW bestselling authors, and I’m always looking for new talent.

At Creative Media Agency, I don’t just represent authors; I’m here to support and champion their unique voices in every way possible. I’m particularly drawn to projects that stand out – whether it’s upscale or commercial fiction or practical or narrative nonfiction. A high concept and a fresh, unique voice always catch my eye.

My motivation lies in projects that are not only commercially viable but also ones that I can’t stop talking about. I aim to be a genuine cheerleader for each project I take on. I appreciate well-organized, smartly constructed stories with a brilliant and unique voice. If your book is not just a story but a smartly crafted journey, then you’ve got my attention. Here’s what I’d like:

adult

- Women’s Fiction (I’d like great relatable books like Laurie Gilman’s Class Mom, and I want something suspenseful like Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, or a story focusing on that in-between stage for women like All Fours by Miranda July)
- Book Club Fiction (I’d love to see the next The Wedding People , The God of the Woods, Wild Dark Shore)
- Romance
  - Contemporary (I want to be utterly charmed by book like Emily Henry’s Book Lovers (of course); Carly Fortune’s One Golden Summer, or) BK Borison’s First Time Caller).
- Crime Fiction (I’d love to read a manuscript in the vein of SA Cosby’s King of Ashes, God of the Woods by Liz Moore, Holly Jackson’s Not Quite Dead Yet, or BA Parris’ Behind Closed Doors.)
  - Mystery
  - Thriller
  - Suspense
- Nonfiction
  - Memoir (Aspirational such as The Blueberry Years, Under the Tuscan Sun, Black Ghosts, The Lost Girls, Wild)
  - Narrative (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Seabiscuit, Grit, Quiet)
  - Women’s Issues (I want to be inspired by books like Girl Wash Your Face , Brave not Perfect, YOU are a Badass, The Art of Letting Go, Untamed)
  - Business/Entrepreneurship (Rising Together, Intentional, Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office)
  - Practical Nonfiction (Home, Science, Self Help, Parenting, Pop Reference; I want to learn something from projects like Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman or The Let Them Theory)

young adult/children's

- Young Adult
  - - Contemporary (books by Jenny Han, Sarah Dessen)
    - Mystery (like One of Us is Lying, Good Girls Guide to Murder)
    - Dystopian (Hunger Games, An Ocean Apart, Last Bookstore on Earth)
- Middle Grade
  - - Contemporary (Candle Island, The Crossover, Wonder)
    - Mystery (Escape from Mr. Limoncello’s Library, Benny on the Case, Trixie Belden series from long ago)
    - Fantasy (The Library of Ever, Cincinnati Lee, Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls)

I especially love upscale fiction and nonfiction books that tell a unique story or ones in which the author is an expert in their field. I seem to be especially attracted to a story if it has a high concept and a fresh, unique voice–I want that voice to take over the page. If you have a clever plot, that’s a bonus. I want to be fully immersed in the story.

I’m not looking for picture books, short story collections, science fiction, poetry, screenplays and academic nonfiction.

some of my favorite (non-client) authors

BA Paris, Peter Mayle, Kristin Hannah, Daniel Pink, Helen Hoang, Kristan Higgins, Michael Pollan, Suzanne Collins, Pam Houston, Lawrence Block, Megan Miranda, Philippa Gregory, Richard Ford, Emily St. John Mandel, Meg Cabot, Karen White

what kind of writing inspires me?

I’m motivated by projects that are commercially viable and that I’ve totally fallen for and can’t stop talking about. I need to be a cheerleader for a project so my enthusiasm level must be very high. However, sometimes I love books that aren’t commercially viable. That’s when I sadly have to turn away projects.

I like books that are well organized, smartly constructed and have a brilliant and unique voice. It’s even better if I learn something fascinating along the way. Don’t just write a story, write it intelligently.

More specifically, in fiction I look for…

- Plot lines that make sense and are cleverly written
- A fun twist to a tired storyline
- Engaging, believable characters that shine
- Well written, thoughtful prose.

In nonfiction, I like for the author to have the expertise to write the book and the platform to help sell it. The projects should cover a niche that has yet to be addressed and be timely and necessary, or at the very least, interesting.

what I love about my job...

I love to be an author’s advocate. It’s a thrill to make a writer’s dream come true of selling their book. It’s even more exciting to help that person grow their career. As much as I’d love to shut myself off from the world and read, I’m also an extrovert and love meeting with people. This job really fits my personality. Also, the individuals that make up the publishing industry are simply wonderful: they’re smart, opinionated, well-read, and a bit quirky.

where to find me...

Find me on Facebook and Twitter, or check out Manuscript Wishlist or my page on Publisher’s Marketplace.

trade references...

Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR)
Women’s Media Group (WMG)
The Author’s Guild
Romance Writers of America (RWA)
Mystery Writers of America (MWA)
The Agents Round Table (ART)