So You Want to Be Represented by an Agency or Agent?

Freelance artists have to wear many hats (artist, marketer,
accountant, etc.) and one of the ways in which they can take some tasks off of
their drawing table is with an artist’s agent. As you check out artists’
portfolios, you’ll often find links and bylines that read “represented by
so-and-so”. How does an artist come to be represented? What does their
representation do? What’s it like working with an artist’s agent or agency?

I interviewed several artists who are currently or have been
represented in the past by an agent and asked them these questions and more.
Below we’ll explore their experiences as a represented artist. Consider this
your guide to what it’s like to have an artist’s agent.

What Does an Artist’s Agent Do?

Let’s start with the most basic question you may have: what
is the benefit of having an agent? What do they do?

• Finding Work:
  Agents have access to a network of clients that you, a freelancing artist, may
  not. When an agent or agency looks at a potential artist for their roster, they
  want to make sure that they can be effective in finding work for them and that
  new artists that they represent will be effective at bringing work in to their
  agency.
• Marketing Artists:
  Some agents will send out press releases to current or potential clients about
  their new or current roster of artists. A lot of their work is in promoting the
  artists they represent, work that would take a lot of time an artist may not
  have if they want to keep working and creating art. Additionally, they are
  skillful and experienced marketers, which not all artists themselves are.
• Negotiating
  Compensation: Agents act as a go-between for clients and artists. Part of
  the agreement of working with an agent is giving them a cut of what’s made on
  projects (whether that cut is on all projects for a period of time or on
  projects they’re involved in would be determined by your contract). As such,
  they tend to negotiate fair compensation for the artist, often to industry
  standards, which not all artists may be able to do themselves. Art is a hard
  business, and having someone negotiating your work rates is a big boost.
• Contracts Sorted: Along
  with negotiating payment, agents and agencies will often have the legal side
  taken care of in a way that may be hard for an artist to do by themselves. For
  instance, using a contract template may work fine for you, but what if there
  are terms you didn’t consider to be covered for both artists and client? What
  if you’re working with a client’s contract and you’re not familiar with legal
  jargon? Having an agent can often mean someone has your back so you can focus
  on art and know your rights are covered thanks to their access to a lawyer.
• And More! Seriously
  so much more. From portfolio advice to hitting goals with dream clients, being
  represented can open doors and contribute to a more stable income for a
  freelance artist. Some artists with agents even work full-time in-house
  elsewhere and do their freelancing on the side. It really depends on your needs
  as an artist, the needs of the agency, and the needs of clients. Each
  experience is different, and what may be typical for one agent and artist may
  not be typical for you to experience when represented.

"It makes you feel good to say that an agent is interested enough in your work to take you on, but that's just pride. It’s not necessary to make a career in children’s illustration. But they can help you get to bigger clients, faster." — Josh J. O'Brien, illustrator represented by Beehive Illustration.

What’s the Benefit for Artists in Having an Agent?

We covered some of this above, but let’s dive in a little
deeper. Thanks to the interviews I conducted with several artists, I was able
to get a better perspective on what they have found to be beneficial for both
sides of an artist/agent agreement.

The biggest benefit by far is maintaining a thriving business in
a way that may be difficult for an artist by themselves. Access to an
established client roster, someone pounding the proverbial pavement for new
clients, someone to negotiate good and fair pay for projects, and someone to
have your back legally are all top benefits for the artist.

"The jobs I
got through my agency were generally of a very high caliber. They have pre-existing relationships with art
buyers from big companies and were able to get my work directly in front of the
art buyers' eyes. An agent can't force a
client to hire you, but they were able to show my work to a lot of the right
people and I'm very appreciative for that!" — Laura Tallardy, illustrator, formerly represented by Morgan Gaynin.

Another benefit is the community between the artists
themselves within an agency. Networking may take place between artists, perhaps through something set up by an agent or agency, or perhaps they’ll be called
upon to collaborate on a project. Regardless, there’s a camaraderie that can be
built between artists represented by the same agency, big or small.

The agent or agency in turn continues to thrive with an
impressive artist roster, happy clients, and a percentage of what each artist
makes on their projects with clients. It’s give and take on all sides, and
typically all sides receive some benefit to their business from the
arrangement.

When an artist doesn’t see a benefit to having an agent, or an agency isn’t finding the artist to be a boon to their company, contracts
may end, allowing both parties to go on their way. I think it’s important to
understand that artistic representation isn’t for every artist, and not every
artist is for every agent or agency out there.

"Red Fox is great at promoting work. My agent attends conferences and meets with publishers individually. They have clients coming to them specifically looking for an illustrator. Promotion falls on me as well (as it should).

"Most recently my agent and I talked about going through a post card campaign. The great thing about my agent is she is always available and glad to help in whatever area I need." —Neesha Hudson, illustrator represented byRed Fox Literary

Who Represents Artists?

Well, agents and agencies represent artists. I see you
probably want a better answer to that question, however. Let’s consider some of
the agencies that represent the artists interviewed for this article: Bright
Group International, Lemonade Illustration Agency, Illustration Ltd,
Morgan Gaynin, Beehive Illustration,Red Fox Literary,United Agents, and
Advocate Art.

For some of that list, the agency represents artists
exclusively (like Bright Group International), while others are also literary
and talent agencies (like United Agents). Depending on their size, there
may be one main agent who represents artists with their company’s team, or many agents who carry their own roster of talent accounts
that they personally handle.

Another feature of agents and agencies may be to specialize
in a particular geographic location or type of art. Some agencies will only
work with artists from their country or continent, while others will focus on
international talent. Some agencies will only focus on children’s illustration, while others will take on any talented artists that they feel will be an asset
to their business, regardless of their portfolio’s specialty.

Understanding what
an agency specializes in, who their clientele are, and what the other artists
they represent do helps you to understand if an agent would be right foryou.

"I am represented by the Bright Group International. They are a London based Agency thatalso have an office in New York and work with clients all over the world. Bright representunder 300 artists, so it is much like a friendly community with artists and agents oftengetting in touch on twitter, encouraging each other and even occasionally meeting forparties.

"One of my favorite things about being with an agency (despite the influx ofillustration work!) has been the ability to network with and discover other illustrators whoI can really relate to." — Lucy Fleming, illustrator, represented by Bright Group International

How Do Artists Get an Agent?

The million-dollar question many artists want the answer to:
how does an artist find representation? For some artists, the agent finds them.
Much like freelancing in general, clients, agents, companies, and more may find
an artist through projects they’ve completed, their online portfolios, their
social media presence, or through some other facet of networking. In these
cases, agents or agencies are on the hunt for new talent and likely already feel
that the artist would be an asset to their company and talent roster.

Many artists also submit work to agents or agencies based on
the guidelines outlined on the agency’s website. Often there is a page that
answers how they’d like to be approached (an email with a portfolio link, an
email with images attached, a fax, etc.) and may even note what sort of artists
they’re keen on adding to their talent pool. Additionally, this page may even
indicate that they’re not taking on new talent and your efforts are better
spent elsewhere.

"Advocate Art sent a call-out on Twitter looking for artists inspired by mid-century design. We thought, 'That's us!' so we got straight in touch." — Buttercrumble, the design duo Abigail and Chloe Baldwin, represented by Advocate Art.

If you find, by the way, that you’ve submitted work to an
agent and either are rejected or never hear back, don’t let it completely
discourage you. Your portfolio may not be right for that agent or agency or not
be right for them at that time. Keep working it up and submit again in the
future when you’ve either leveled up a bit or have fresher work to share.

Often agencies have a deluge of submissions and may take a
while to get back to you as well. As such, flooding their inbox weekly would be
a terrible idea. Be patient, grow your skillset and work, and try again in the
future. Or it may be that your particular type of work doesn’t fit in with what
an agent or agency has to offer.Not all professional artists have an agent, of
course. Let’s move on to discussing what sort of work an agency may cover!

"Sort of by happy accident, really. I knew at the beginning of 2015 that I wanted to work with an agent, so I'd be able to get work that I couldn't otherwise get, like in the educational market, and with publishers who only accept agented submissions.

"I'd made a list of agencies I felt would be a good fit for my work, and Bright was number one on the list. After deciding I wanted to spend a bit more time working on my portfolio before I submitted, I wrote out an email to Bright and just saved it in my drafts until I was ready to send. Then, no joke, two days later I got an email from Bright offering to represent me!" — Stephanie Fizer Coleman, illustrator, represented by The Bright Agency

What Sort of Art Is Produced With Agents?

A good deal of artists I interviewed or approached to be
interviewed fit into a few categories: children’s illustration, licensed goods
illustration, advertising art, and editorial illustration. This doesn’t cover
all the types of art produced by artists with agents, but it gives you a good
idea of the type of work clients who seek out the work of represented artists
may be after.

Publishers, magazines, stationery companies, and similar
businesses may source freelance artists from known agents because they don’t
have to spend as long looking for an artist for a project. Additionally, if
someone is looking for a bunch of artists gathered in one place, sure they
could sift through portfolios on Behance or a similar portfolio site, or they
could pop on over to an illustration agency’s website and work with artists who
they know already work with clients in the capacity that they need.

That said, not all work produced while under representation
may fall within these categories. There’s a wide need for artists in the world,
from illustration to design, and the best way to understand what sort of work
agencies represent or what work is produced with them is to check out the
websites of these agencies and see what they do.

"Most of my works produced
under agency representation are children’s illustrations and fashion
illustrations. They are mainly used for editorial or commercial packaging." — Helen Huang, illustrator, represented by Lemonade Illustration Agency

What’s a Typical Project Like?

The most common response I got for this question was that no
project is the same, even if they’re working on something similar (such as a
book or editorial illustration) to something they’ve done before. The process
of acquiring a new project, however, tends to be typical.

1. A potential client contacts the artist or the
   agent. If a client contacts the artist, depending on their contract terms, they
   may have to forward those messages or contact their agent to set up negotiating
   project terms.
2. The artist’s availability will be noted. If the
   job comes to the artist through the agent, they need to make sure the artist is
   available before project terms are settled.
3. Agents will iron out project details: negotiating pay, getting the scope of the project, negotiating contract terms,
   etc.
4. Depending on how the agent or agency works, they
   may continue to act as a go-between for the client and artist or simply check
   in on both as the project progresses. Some artists have little to no contact
   with the client while others work directly with them, each reporting back to
   the agent as needed.
5. Payment for the project comes through the agent
   once it’s finished, possibly weeks or months later. The exact terms are
   stipulated by contracts and vary from agent to agent or project to project.
   Additionally, there’s usually some sort of non-disclosure clause within these
   contracts, so specifics aren’t going to appear within this article.

"I will receive an email from a potential client which I will forward to my agents depending on where the email came from and they will contact the client for further information, or they will receive an email directly and fill me in on the potential job. Then we will talk money, usually going higher to start, and then meeting the client’s budget if it’s too high.

"Once the client agrees to the quote they will be put directly in contact with me to discuss specifics of the project. I touch base with my agents at every milestone so they are aware of where I am at in the project and so they can invoice accordingly.

"Overall, I wouldn’t trade it for anything because I’m able to focus on what I do best, and have people that always have my back in any client situations. Nine times out of ten, the client is awesome and the projects go nice and smoothly, with all parties happy." —Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn, typographic illustrator, represented byIllustration Ltd

Advice for Artists

"Don’t look to an agency as a 'quick fix' for your career – I think that this is critical. I have so many conversations in which it is clear that someone is in a panic, and the artist-agent relationship works best when the illustrator has a concrete understanding of their own business and a general sense of where they would like to go.

"Even with an agent it can still take a year or two to build up a certain momentum, and reputable agencies ALWAYS want to work with someone who is already an established and respected professional." — Kate Kelly ofMorgan Gaynin.

"Stay true to yourselves and don't fight your style! Agencies can be great for getting your work out there but make sure they are the right agency for you." — Buttercrumble

"Show only the type of work you WANT to do. If you show things you’re not happy with just to show a variety, you’re going to get hired for that thing you don’t like. Working with clients, you’re going to be doing repeats of a lot of your biggest hits, so you want to make sure that you play and experiment outside of client work so you don’t stagnate, and so you can continue to grow as an artist." —Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn

"Build your portfolio, and make sure it is specific to the market you are aiming for and the agent you are pitching to. For me, it was all about children’s illustration, so I removed everything from my portfolio that did not represent that. I also removed any of the pieces I wasn’t sure about – if it didn’t represent me at my best, it wasn’t included in my submission." — Karl Newson, illustrator, represented byJodie Hodges at United Agents.

Conclusion

The experience of artists working with agents varies across
the globe, from artistic discipline to artistic discipline. The desire for a mutually
beneficial relationship between artist and agent, however, seems to be a
constant when looking at agencies and the talent they represent. At the end of
the day, both parties are in a contracted business together, and the result is
often fantastic artwork aimed at a variety of consumers.

If you want to be represented by an agent or agency,
you may have to take the first step in putting yourself and your work out
there. Maybe that means approaching an agent or agency with a portfolio of work
samples, establishing a presence online so your work is visible to agencies
seeking new talent, or networking with established artists. Much like other art
careers, the key to getting the career you want varies, and no story is
typical.

The artists I interviewed had a lot to share about their
experiences, which you can find in quotes throughout this article. Their work
showcases the variety of talent represented by agencies as well as the ways in
which artists can boost their business under the wing of an agent. I hope you've found this interesting and inspiring.

Many thanks to the
fantastic artists who took time from their busy schedules to answer my
questions. You can, and definitely should, check out more of their work and
their agencies at the links below!

• Shauna Lynn
  Panczyszyn represented byIllustration Ltd
• Helen Huang represented
  byLemonade Illustration Agency
• Buttercrumble(Abigail and Chloe Baldwin) represented by Advocate Art
• Laura Tallardyformerly represented
  byMorgan Gaynin
• Neesha Hudson represented
  byRed Fox Literary
• Lucy Fleming represented
  byBright Group International
• Karl Newson represented
  byJodie Hodges atUnited Agents
• Josh J. O’Brien represented
  by Beehive Illustration
• Stephanie Fizer
  Coleman represented byThe Bright Agency
• Kate Kelly, Consigliera atMorgan Gaynin