Wahida Clark and Editor Depart

by Taylor Nix
August 2009

After months of diligently working together, establishing a permanent brand and producing optimum reading material, national bestselling author and publisher Wahida Clark—creator of the Thug Love series and commander in chief of Wahida Clark Presents—has parted ways with her longstanding editor and assistant Tobias A. Fox.

It was after an employee meeting that Tobias would arrive at the conclusion it was time for him to leave and explore his own ventures. However, according to Clark, Tobias did not leave empty handed: he deleted several files and documents from her office computer; he stole manuscripts along with publishing contracts and a Rolodex filled with a considerable amount of contacts.“Tobias left with the office key and didn't return it. He didn't answer or return any of my phone calls, so I sent him a text and still nothing. I had to call him from someone else’s phone to reach him. It was obvious he was trying to avoid me,” Clark explains. “He started calling up my employees stating that ‘he made me.’ He also called up my authors and tried to get them to basically leave my company and follow him. And he even went up to a few prisons to visit and talk it up with authors who were in the mix of signing with me. All this along with emails he sent to my other authors as well.”

In an email provided by Wahida Clark, Tobias writes the following to an author signed to Wahida Clark Presents:

"Hey you! Okay, here's your updated contract. I can do this all day. Seriously, just keep in mind that they know longer have the original contract on file. All you have to do is take the signature page from the contract that you have and add it to the attached updated contract. Don't worry, either way you're going to be okay. We got each other's back."

We contacted Tobias A. Fox for his side of the story and here is what he said:

"This false accusation is not only ridiculous, but seems to be snowballing into a more serious matter. Once this is no longer a court matter I will gladly share my side of the story in its full detail . . . It's very unfortunate that [our] relationship has come to this . . . I should also add that if Wahida Clark doesn’t want to get sued for defamation of character she should let the courts deal with this matter."

Read our follow-up story:

[ Tobias Speaks Out ]

Related features/articles:

Wahida Clark: Video Exclusive
Copyright Infringement: Keisha Ervin vs. Wahida Clark
Wahida Clark Interview with Jarold Imes

Questions, comments and concerns can be sent to: taylor@urbanbooksource.com

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Feed Up with Madness :

Posted 794 days ago

Wahida is one of the most talented women I know! She operates one of the most successful and organized houses out there. It's a shame we can't trust employees. She will get pass this! Many in Indie publishing deal with this issue, it's becoming common. The thing to do is step up your game with true professionals and not homies.
Therone is soooo full of himself. The true professional would not have taking someone else's discussion and post 68 responses about himself! People who speak the truth do not argue with uneducated people. Therone is defending himself because he has to convince himself he has arrived! Selling 200 books does not make one a New York Times bestseller. By the way, Wahida Clark IS a New York Times bestseller. Editors come a dime a dozen, Wahida can re-group as a much wiser woman.

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