Heacock Hill Literary Agency

What is your problem?

I am represented by Catt. She is fabulous but because she's so fabulous, she's super busy. I and her other clients have many many projects that she's representing.

She just negotiated a book deal for me and is representing me for a major merchandising deal for a previous book. *shrug* I don't know why you think she doesn't exist.

I also don't understand the derision around here. You'd be lucky to have them represent you. My career is soaring because of the agency.

The questions surrounding this agency are not centered on Catt, but on Tom Dark's behavior while representing this agency.

One does have to question though whether Catt is aware of his "on-line" personna or not.

Hi pam. If you are repped by Catt, then can you confirm that the person using the name Catt LeBaigue on this forum is in fact, the real Catt LeBaigue?

Here's the problem. Someone posted some negative comments about Tom Dark, which really weren't that bad in themselves--just one unhappy person. Then someone calling himself Tom Dark posted some very odd and not very helpful rejoinders. Then someone else calling herself Catt LeBaigue posted some equally odd comments in a style so much like that of "Tom Dark" that people began to wonder if the online Catt might actually be "Tom Dark".

It was then suggested that someone who knew how to contact Catt LeBaigue (i.e, you) could contact her and confirm that she is in fact posting on this forum as Catt LeBaigue. I'd think that a literary agent would want to know if someone is posting on a forum under her name, especially if the posts were of a nature to turn writers off to her agency. As it is, I think that whatever is going on in real life that the forum "Tom Dark" and the forum "Catt LeBaigue" are probably the same person.

If Catt and Tom both know what happened, then nothing more needs to happen.

Were those posts removed? Because I can't see them...

Yes, apparently they were removed. I don't know the circumstances, but some of them were quoted in later posts so you can get the general idea, and see that the general style of "Tom Dark" matches that of "Catt LeBaigue." I believe there were also some quotes from Tom's e-mails to his unhappy author which I think were also removed.

pam said:

I am represented by Catt. She is fabulous but because she's so fabulous, she's super busy. I and her other clients have many many projects that she's representing.

She just negotiated a book deal for me and is representing me for a major merchandising deal for a previous book. *shrug* I don't know why you think she doesn't exist.

I also don't understand the derision around here. You'd be lucky to have them represent you. My career is soaring because of the agency.

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Pleased to meet you. My handle here is HapiSofi, and I was born yesterday.

Hi, Hapi. I'd like you to meet my friend Pam. She's been a member here for around four years; she writes childrens' books.


The weird part about this whole deal is this: Heacock Literary is completely real. They've been in business for decades. Catt LeBaigue is a member of AAR, with all that implies. She lives in the LA area.

About a year ago, maybe a little more, "Tom Dark" entered the picture. He lives in New Mexico. Very shortly after he came aboard, we started getting weird reports (starting with calling himself an AAR member, which he is not and never has been).

Then we got three posts here, purportedly from Catt LeBaigue. One of them was quite conciliatory. Two other posts were in a style that closely resembled Tom's highly distinctive writing, and, more interestingly, came from the same IP that Tom posts from (hundreds of miles away from the LA area).

Since then, quite recently, someone who has Catt's username and password has come by and deleted all three of the purported Catt posts.

So the mystery deepens.

Some have suggested that "Tom Dark" is positioned to intercept/delete/alter/forge Catt's email. Hence the suggestion that a friend might call her on the phone (or otherwise contact her in a way that cannot be intercepted) to let her know that something distinctly odd is going on.

Thank you, James, for speaking up for me. I appreciate it. All I know is that Catt works closely with Tom, but I know little else except what I've experienced. I've looked through the posts and feel that everyone whipped what was said into a huge storm that didn't need to be. In fact, Victoria Strauss totally missed what Catt was saying about some agencies keeping their authors in the dark (and Heacock doesn't do that.) I know many authors who've dumped their agents because they didn't tell them what they were doing. That was all she was saying. I think there's a lynch mob mentality going on here--that was obvious by the insult made to me by HapiSofi.

I want to underscore the validity of the agency. That's all I'm going to offer at this point. You can look up the book deals the agency is involved with in PM and Publisher's Lunch. All I can say is that Catt is very professional and savvy. I must say, though, that when someone is maligning your character, it's hard to stay cool...I was pretty upset by what HapiSofi said to me and it took a while for me to come back here with a clear head. Obviously, what he/she claimed about me was totally unfounded and without provocation.

I wish you all well with your writing endeavors.

pam said:

I've looked through the posts and feel that everyone whipped what was said into a huge storm that didn't need to be. In fact, Victoria Strauss totally missed what Catt was saying about some agencies keeping their authors in the dark (and Heacock doesn't do that.)

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To be fair, Pam, the posts have been deleted. So you've only read what little remains of the quoted excerpts. There's quite a bit missing, actually. Without that context, it's a bit hard to determine what didn't need to be. But I do understand your frustration and anger.

pam said:

In fact, Victoria Strauss totally missed what Catt was saying about some agencies keeping their authors in the dark (and Heacock doesn't do that.) I know many authors who've dumped their agents because they didn't tell them what they were doing. That was all she was saying.

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I don't think I missed the point. The implication of the statement made by "Catt" (and I put the name in quotes, because I believe that the post I was responding to was not from Catt, but from Tom Dark posing as Catt) was that it was common for reputable agents to not let clients in on submission information. I argued that it wasn't common. I stand by that statement.

- Victoria

Nope

About a year ago, maybe a little more, "Tom Dark" entered the picture. He lives in New Mexico. Very shortly after he came aboard, we started getting weird reports (starting with calling himself an AAR member, which he is not and never has been).

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EXCUSE ME FOR BARGING IN ...but I just have to step in and clear this up.

TOM lives IN with CATT at HER big pricey ranch style house in the CANYON up in the 818 area code, dig?

nokiauser1 said:

EXCUSE ME FOR BARGING IN ...but I just have to step in and clear this up.

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You're still here? Didn't you flounce a week ago?

How're you coming on boxing up your computer and sending it back to the manufacturer?

Actually, I have been wondering for a long time if Tom Dark might be an alias of Catt LeBaigue, but the whole thing is too speculative, and my speculation isn't going to help anyone who's looking for an agent. Catt is a real agent, she sells real books. Tom has not sold books, and some people have issues with his style. That's pretty much enough for me.

I've been following this discussion, occassionally adding comments, fascinated by much of what has been posted (including my own inane attempts at humor.) And since the discussion refuses to die -- when we writers get our teeth into something; boy is it hard to let it go -- I wondered about the verity of the old saying: "There is no such thing as bad publicity."

I'd kill to know if this discussion has resulted in an avalanche of queries to the Heacock Agency or does their in-box now echo hollow?

BTS: The saying, "There is no such thing as bad publicity, concludes with "except your obituary."

BTS = BTW; me typing on too much coffee.

Given the ratio of writers to agents, I have to conclude that any agency in need of this this kind of publicity is...odd. All reputable agents have to do is start a blog - they don't even need a website, per se - and they get deluged with queries.

Tburger said:

Given the ratio of writers to agents, I have to conclude that any agency in need of this this kind of publicity is...odd. All reputable agents have to do is start a blog - they don't even need a website, per se - and they get deluged with queries.

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I wasn't suggesting that Tom Dark posted here as a means of publicizing his services. In fact, I'm guessing he wishes the entire thing would disappear, not just the parts that have been deleted. I was just thinking out loud when I wondered if this thread, which certainly isn't good publicity, will, in fact, turn out to be a boon for the agency much like the uptick in record sales that ensued after Michael Jackson was charged with crimes against a child. As a writer, I find life's ironies most curious.

Repunzel said:

I wondered about the verity of the old saying: "There is no such thing as bad publicity."

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This idea works well in Hollyweird, but not in publishing. It's very hard to come out from underneath bad press because trust and ability are major issues in this business.

Repunzel said:

I've been following this discussion, occassionally adding comments, fascinated by much of what has been posted (including my own inane attempts at humor.) And since the discussion refuses to die -- when we writers get our teeth into something; boy is it hard to let it go -- I wondered about the verity of the old saying: "There is no such thing as bad publicity."

I'd kill to know if this discussion has resulted in an avalanche of queries to the Heacock Agency or does their in-box now echo hollow?

BTS: The saying, "There is no such thing as bad publicity, concludes with "except your obituary."

Click to expand...

I was considering querying Heacock, but after reading this thread, there's no way.

All I can say is that I really don't think this entire post should be deleted--- Holy CRAP if I was considering querying this place I'd definitely want to see this....absolutely remarkable. I really and honestly can't believe it. This is nightmare inducing stuff!

Check out Heacock's website. As of yesterday 11/3/09, the owner has retired and Catt LeBaigue and Tom Dark have set up their own agency in honor of Heacock called Heacok Hill - see www.HeacockHill.com, and they're open to new submissions and taking e-mail queries only - don't sent them attachments. I'm sending a query today to Catt as she seems the most experienced. Good luck, writers - make sure you review their website first.

Oops, misspelling, it's called Heacock Hill.

Charlys. There's an act of bravery. Or something. ;-)

(This thread is a nightmare.)

I don't think it necessarily means much--Rosalie Heacock, the founder, seems to have been at least semi-retired for a while. They may just have decided it made sense for them to separate their assets or otherwise function as a different legal entity.

Wow. Stumbled on this thread and wasted the last half-hour reading it from first post. Maybe not "wasted." Entertaining and...weird. Clearly Mr. Dark is a...different...kind of literary agent.