Thanks, schoonerbabe and wordz. The poetry client looks like she is trying to publish novels, not poetry. Astle's bio does say he has done some subsidiary rights work, plus a (brief?) stint with a New York Agency, but no company names are given. He lists three books as "forthcoming," and they are with respectable independent presses (Overlook and Sourcebooks), but I don't see any larger houses listed yet although his website is copyrighted 2006-2008. Three forthcoming books with independent publishers--that's it for two entire years of work as an agent in NYC. Has ten clients, and no actual recorded sales (I would think that these would be featured on his website). He's interested in a project of mine and offers a one year contract with a 30 day opt-out. I was rejected by about fifteen A-list agents before I stumbled across Astle, who liked my verbal pitch but the not written proposal or sample chapters. Says, too, he has sub-agents and is "training readers." Sub-agents and still no recorded sales? Looks like someone who may have some level of competency but just doesn't seem to be performing. Am I being paranoid?