The Poynor Group (Jay Poynor)

spike · Mar 15, 2006

Has anyone heard of, or had dealing with The Poynor Group or Jay Poynor?

I'm having trouble finding any info on him.

DeadlyAccurate · Mar 15, 2006

What I've found so far:

http://art-entertainment.press-worl...-s-novel-represented-by-the-poynor-group.html

This author appears to be represented by him: http://www.ericaorloff.com/contactme.htm

Oh, and Preditors & Editors lists him with a $.

spike · Mar 16, 2006

thanks!

HapiSofi · Mar 16, 2006

If Jay Poyner were the Hollywood player he pretends to be, he wouldn't have cheap-*ss advertising all over his front page and an unmodified default website design. He's got a no-value-added business model. And if he's having to list appearances in two different Who's Who compilations as major credits in his bio, he's not an insider.

Looks useless to me. Did you say he charges for his services? Can't think it's a good idea.

victoriastrauss · Mar 16, 2006

I've been getting questions about the Poynor Group for several years, and have never been able to discover much about them. However, I've seen the occasional deal report at Publishers Marketplace, so they do have sales--though I can find too little about their track record to be able to evaluate it.

- Victoria

DeadlyAccurate · Mar 16, 2006

I decided to put my Google Fu to the test.

Here's one I found.

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/paper_cuts/default.asp

Jo-Ann Power's MISSING MEMBER, first in the mystery series, Me and Mr. Jones, featuring a forty-something Congresswoman who discovers her party's Whip dead in her inner office chair, to Marcia Markland at St. Martin's, for publication in Fall 2006, in a three-book deal, by Jay Poynor at Poynor Group/Orloff Literary Agency (world).

I noticed two things. One, it's the Poynor Group/Orloff Literary Agency. Erica Orloff is the author I mentioned above. Two, St. Martin's isn't exactly tiny.

Kasey Mackenzie · Mar 16, 2006

Huh. Wonder if this agent just got lucky more than anything...I would think if he's consistently making sales to big publishers that, even if he chooses not to have a web presence, more would be KNOWN about him. Especially by Hapi and Victoria.

CaoPaux · Mar 16, 2006

Am I the only one to read "Missing Member" and think Bobbit?

*ahem*

Anyway, I get the feeling that Jay is an agent in the (what I perceive is) Hollywood form of consultant/facilitator. Looks like he's closed some big deals recently, though. At least, in tandem with Orloff.

http://www.google.com/search?q="Orl...fe=off&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-34,GGLG:en&filter=0

RoccoMom · Mar 16, 2006

Lorena?????

right there with you, Cao :.)

HapiSofi · Mar 17, 2006

How many sales are we looking at over how many years?

CaoPaux · Mar 31, 2006

Here're the PM/L announcements Google finds on assorted blogs:

Lori Avocato's OPEN WIDE, three books that follow investigator and former nurse Pauline Sokol and her cast of sidekicks as they investigate "medicine, mayhem, and murder," to Erin Richnow at Avon/Morrow, in a nice deal, by Jay Poynor at The Poynor Group (world). (PM 11/03)

Jo-Ann Power's MISSING MEMBER, first in the mystery series, Me and Mr. Jones, featuring a forty-something Congresswoman who discovers her party's Whip dead in her inner office chair, to Marcia Markland at St. Martin's, for publication in Fall 2006, in a three-book deal, by Jay Poynor at Poynor Group/Orloff Literary Agency (world). (PM 8/04)

Three more books in Lori Avocato's mass market mystery series featuring a sassy 30-something ex-nurse turned medical insurance fraud investigator, to Erin Richnow at Avon, by Jay Poynor at Poynor Group/Orloff Literary Agency (world). (PL 10/04)

Lori A. May's action-adventure/thriller, THE PROFILER, about a young FBI agent assigned to a serial killer case that brings her closer to solving her father's own mysterious death, to Natashya Wilson at Silhouette Bombshell, by Jay Poynor at Poynor Group/Orloff Literary Agency. (PM 3/05)

Gemma Halliday's SPYING IN HIGH HEELS, for publication in September 2006 and KILLER IN HIGH HEELS, due September 2007, to Leah Hultenschmidt at Dorchester, by Jay Poynor at Poynor Group/Orloff Literary Agency (world). (PL 10/05)

And there's inference of sales here.

:Shrug:

GemmaHalliday · Apr 16, 2006

Hi there,

I’m the Gemma Halliday listed above. Jay was my agent for just over a year. I’d be happy to answer any specific questions you have about his agency off list. You can email me through my website www.gemmahalliday.com or at: gemma halliday at gmail dot com (without the spaces)

And, until recently, Jay was working with Erica Orloff, so the agency was called the Poynor/Orloff agency. Erica is a multi published women’s fiction author, based in Florida, who did most of the acquisitions and editorial stuff for the agency and Jay, who is based in NY, did the sales end. But Erica’s writing commitments became too much last year, so she had to scale back the agency work and I believe it’s just Jay handling all aspects now.

Gemma

NovelistInNYC · Apr 16, 2006

Good luck, Gemma.

GemmaHalliday · Apr 17, 2006

Thanks!

CaoPaux · Nov 19, 2007

I'm finding a couple more sales to Dorchester, and a television option deal. Here's his PM page, FWIW.

MsJudy · Sep 28, 2008

Anything more recent?

I couldn't find the Poynor group on Querytracker, which makes me wonder if there's something I should know about them.

CaoPaux · Sep 29, 2008

http://www.querytracker.net/agent.php?agent=779

Here's his latest deal (PM 2/08):

Erica Orloff's THE MAGICKEEPERS, about a rogue clan of Russian magicians who escaped Tsarist Russia, and who now hide their true identities in modern-day Las Vegas, and their battle against dark enemies to reclaim relics stolen from them by Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to Lyron Bennett at Jabberwocky, in a three-book deal, by Jay Poynor at The Poynor Group.

MsJudy · Sep 29, 2008

Thanks, I figured out the problem. Even though Poynor reps kids' books, querytracker filters them out unless I select "all" for genre.

I wouldn't mind a 3-book deal, so I guess I'll query them!

happywritermom · Nov 14, 2008

I just spoke with Jay Poynor on the phone moments ago for more information about querying him. He seemed kind and professional. I sent him a query immediately after. I let you all know what I hear.

happywritermom · Jan 24, 2009

It's been more than two months since I sent my query and first 25 pages. I nudged him about a week ago with no results. You'd think he could at least reply to the nudge with a rejection. I'm not as impressed as I first was.

ILSinTexas · Jul 8, 2010

Bumping up this thread. Any new info on Mr. Poynor?

CaoPaux · Feb 7, 2011

His AQ page: http://www.agentquery.com/agent.aspx?agentid=790

Last reported deal on PM was for Feb '09.

Transatlantic · Nov 29, 2012

On QT, out of ca. 160 recorded subs to Mr. Poynor since Jan 2011, only two people have recorded replies (both rejections) - the last one in December 2011.

CaoPaux · Apr 3, 2015

PM page is gone, and last sale looks to be back in '12. Anyone have recent contact with him?

Nightlark · Sep 21, 2015

Listed as deceased

I queried him on 8/5/15 and received no response. I was looking through my query tracker today, I noticed he is currently listed as deceased.

https://querytracker.net/agent.php?agent=779

I thought it odd that QT automatically took him out of my outstanding queries list. Thankfully I only had about 8 out, so it was easy to compare with my spreadsheet, and figure out what was going on.

Rest in peace, Mr. Poynor.

The Poynor Group (Jay Poynor)

Mostly Ignored

Absolutely Fazed

Mostly Ignored

Hagiographically Advantaged

Writer Beware Goddess

Absolutely Fazed

One Hit Wonder?

Mostly Harmless

Hagiographically Advantaged

Mostly Harmless

GemmaHalliday

Finally signed by an agency!

GemmaHalliday

Mostly Harmless

Mostly Harmless

requiescat in pace

Mostly Harmless

Should be writing!

Mostly Harmless

scribbler of many mediums