Tribe Literary Agency / Wheelhouse Literary Group

AryaT92 said:

When I was considering signing with her she was working closely with Jonathan Clements and seemed to have connections in the publishing industry who she wanted to sub to. I can't give you specifics as I signed with someone else but maybe you should ask her?

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I'm asking for the record, actually, not myself.

See, here's the thing. Agents with connections and sales and experience usually leave a visible footprint. Clements has a footprint. Foulk doesn't. Victoria is quite good at sussing out such information, but what little information that's available for Foulk is...fuzzy.

SeanTPoindexter seems to hint that she does have the sales, contacts, and experience, but he's not being very specific. If you or Sean do know other clients who are willing to share details about Foulk's background, please invite them to post here so that others who are searching for an agent can see and decide for themselves.

Thank you for providing these Arya.
This does support the view that their expertise is with the Christian market

I'm also posting for the record, not because I am represented by Tribe or any of their entities.

Waylander: No problem, it's a simple copy paste from Publishers Marketplace.

Saskatoonistan said:

As is sock puppetry

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Ah, ad hominen. I expected this sooner.

Very clever. You're banking on my intelligence here, flattering...expecting that I will recognize your vauge accusation. By recognizing and denying it, I make it appear true: who else but a sock-puppet would recognize so clearly the implication of being called a sock-puppet? My only viable option at that point would be to ignore the accusation, strengthening it's legitimacy.

Touche!

The only method I have available to prove I am not, as you suggest, a "sock puppet" of the agency (aside from the website I set up a year ago, and the fan-run fan page that has existed longer than Tribe Lit. has been in business) is to simply wait and see if anything written by me gets published.

We will see.

You seem confident

eqb said:

SeanTPoindexter seems to hint that she does have the sales, contacts, and experience, but he's not being very specific. If you or Sean do know other clients who are willing to share details about Foulk's background, please invite them to post here so that others who are searching for an agent can see and decide for themselves.

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I have never claimed that she had the sales. In fact, I have said that she is a new agent and, therefore doesn't have sales. Once again, I am being misrepresented. I am beginning to suspect this is intentional. As for contacts and experience, those have been verified by other posters already.

I will happily (and proudly) discuss my publishing success (if any) with this forum and on the websites I've mentioned before. When it happens. If it happens. If Cari and Clements turn out to be stumbling boobs, crooks, or otherwise ineffective representation of my work, you may rest assured that their incompetence will be broadcast on all the abovementioned forums.

I wouldn't say their inability to sell your MS makes them "boobs, crooks, or otherwise ineffective representation of my work." If they do their job by sending it out to the correct publishers the rest lies on how good your book really is, afterall, they can't write it for you

Saskatoonistan said:

Dude, are you like... Dr. Evil or something? Like a super-villain? That there is super-villain talk... ACK Kryptonite!

Look, I've no beef with you but this IS a bewares and background check dealio and inquiring minds want to know about the agents/agency. Don't be so defensive, sheesh....

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In point of fact, yes. I am a super villain.

All shall come to tremble at the name Poindexter!

;-)

Quite the last name. :

Sean the work you refer to on your website is fantasy.
So far we have established that Mr Clements' expertise is mainly with the Christian market. We have not established what Ms Foulks' expertise is.
The SF/F market is a specialist market (I write fantasy myself) with a set of editors who don't handle much else.
Does this not give you a moment's pause as to whether Tribe possess the expertise to judge your work and the contacts to sell it?

AryaT92 said:

I wouldn't say their inability to sell your MS makes them "boobs, crooks, or otherwise ineffective representation of my work." If they do their job by sending it out to the correct publishers the rest lies on how good your book really is, afterall, they can't write it for you

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Well said, Arya!

What I meant was, I will discuss my publishing experiences as they occur. If my manuscript is turned down for lack of interest despite the passionate and competent attempts of my agent, I will note that. If they are lackluster in their approach, delay submissions, etc., I will note that as well.

However, in the short time I have been signed with Tribe, enormous progress has been made on my behalf and I'm very pleased with the results thus far.

waylander said:

Sean the work you refer to on your website is fantasy.
So far we have established that Mr Clements' expertise is mainly with the Christian market. We have not established what Ms Foulks' expertise is.
The SF/F market is a specialist market (I write fantasy myself) with a set of editors who don't handle much else.
Does this not give you a moment's pause as to whether Tribe possess the expertise to judge your work and the contacts to sell it?

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After personal discussions with my agent regarding her contacts and expertise, I have established them to my satisfaction. Time will tell if my faith is misplaced.

I wish you the best of luck.
Please let us know how things work out

AryaT92 said:

Quite the last name. :

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Indeed ;-) Would you believe my real name is Thor Bloodhammer? I just changed it to Sean Poindexter to get chicks.

It totally works.

SeanTPoindexter:
You are well aware that I cannot discuss which specific markets my book has been sent to. Or, you should be well aware of that. When and if my agent sells my books, I will happily announce this on my official website and the people who run my fan page will likely announce it as well.

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Why would or should I be well aware of that? Submissions to publishers are not confidential information - if you're not comfortable with sharing in a public forum, then I'm sure you could email Victoria in confidence.

SeanTPoindexter:
However, Mr. Clements' credentials are not in question at this time. Why would he go into business with a "clueless amateur"? It strains credulity, and calls into question the legitimacy of that claim

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People go into business with others for all kinds of reasons. I would suggest that the reason people here are concerned is because there's another agency discussed here where an agent with a good and verifiable agent took on a junior partner with no experience and as they got older/withdrew from the business, the number of sales made by the agency began to fall until it became questionable as to whether they could make a commercial sale.

I can't help but notice that the one question you didn't answer was the following:

Do you know with which publishing companies Cari has contacts? If so, are you able to share them?

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Are you able and/or willing to answer?

AryaT92 - thanks for posting that as I think we can all accept that Jonathan Clemens has a proven sales record. The concern remains with Cari's sales record. "Working with" is a term with a myriad of meanings from "being taught about the industry by" to "making the tea for".

MM

waylander said:

I wish you the best of luck.
Please let us know how things work out

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Thank you! I certainly will.

I was posting it in regards to Clements only having expertise in Christian fields.. Anyways, this thread has become no fun for me anymore.

Good luck.

SeanTPoindexter:
As for contacts and experience, those have been verified by other posters already

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Although sales and experience has been verified commendably by AryaT92 and others for Jonathan Clemens, the only information posted about Cari's publishing background is that she's been a "freelance editor" (Caopaux) an "independent agent" (yourself) and that she worked at The Nashville Agency (AryaT92 again).

Given that repeated reference has been made to her publishing contacts, it would be nice to have some idea of what those contacts are - and indeed, several requests have now been made for examples. If you're unwilling to say in public or send an email to Victoria, then hopefully someone else out there can do so.

SeanTPoindexter:
If my manuscript is turned down for lack of interest despite the passionate and competent attempts of my agent, I will note that. If they are lackluster in their approach, delay submissions, etc., I will note that as well.

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Fair enough.

I guess we're going in circles here.

MM

Momento Mori said:

I can't help but notice that the one question you didn't answer was the following:

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In fact, I did answer that question. Just not as directly as you prefer. Allow me to do so here.

I am aware of some of Cari's professional contacts. We discussed them prior to my signing a contract. I do not feel qualified to speak on her behalf. I can only speak for my experience with the agency, which thus far as been positive.

If you're unwilling to say in public or send an email to Victoria, then hopefully someone else out there can do so.

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Why on Earth would I trust someone I didn't know at all with information I don't wish to post on a public forum?

Yes, we are going in circles.

Good luck, and I will keep you posted on my success (or lack thereof) with Tribe Li.

SeanTPoindexter:
In fact, I did answer that question. Just not as directly as you prefer. Allow me to do so here.

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Yes - I only saw after I'd posted so I think our posts must have crossed (you responded while I was still typing).

MM

CaoPaux said:

What do you refer to? All I'm aware of is that Ms. Foulk has declared herself an agent.

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My mistake...I intended to type EDITOR where I wrote AGENT. Sorry, I should have been more attentive to my post.

You referred to Ms Foulk as a freelance editor early in the board. I meant to reference this statement. My apologies for the confusion.