The modeling industry is full of people who will tell you just about anything that they think you want to hear in order to get what they want.
The industry is also full of people who are, in fact, honest, trustworthy, worth working with, people who mean what they say, and are also willing to help you attain your goals. The hard part is differentiating between the two. Again, your most valuable asset is your brain.
Is a photographer promising you tear-sheets and published photos?
Photographers cannot typically guarantee you tear-sheets unless they are working on their own personal project. Usually they are working for someone else, such as a publisher, who makes the final call.
Whether you make it into print or not can almost only be determined after your shoot and depends on the quality of types of photos taken. There are, however, exceptions to everything, so use your common sense.