How I found an agent & how an agent found me
Two different stories
I had all things I needed:
✏️12-15 pieces of illustration work I was pleased with
✏️ a list of Illustration agencies I wanted to approach
✏️ a brief polite email introducing myself that I could adapt for each agency
✏️ a list of the submission guidelines for each agency I was approaching
And off I went, attaching jpegs and emailing out to the world like a champion...
I had two agencies send me really nice no thank you emails.
One agency sent me a contract straightaway and set off all the red flags. The email didn’t have my name on it and it arrived so fast it could only have been an automated response. What was this? No discussion? No wanting to see more work? If no one else wanted me why were these guys so keen?
One agency got in touch and asked me to travel to meet with them. That sounded better. I was in a queue with about 20 other illustrators filing in with our portfolios for a 5 minute chat. When I got home they sent me a contract. I signed it. They asked for quite specific portfolio pieces. I made them.
One day I got a mass email (without my name) informing me the agency was parting ways with 100 artists and I was one of them. It went on to say I must have noticed I wasn’t getting any work. It might as well have been signed off with “see you later, loser”.
I was ashamed. Who was I to think I could be an illustrator?
Months later I picked myself up.
I realised I had all the things I needed:
✏️ a day job
✏️ art materials
✏️ an internet connection
I took online illustration classes. I did a #100dayproject where I drew children each day. I joined in the #ColourCollective challenge on twitter and posted those images to instagram. As I made new work I updated my website. I was building a whole new portfolio of work.
Then one day I got an email from an agency (one of the ones that had said no thank you the first time).
Would I be interested in discussing representation? They had seen my work on instagram, attached to the email was a screenshot of an image that had particularly liked.
We had a meeting over Skype (it was the olden days, before Zoom). They gave me a test brief and the weekend to send them back the piece. They liked it. They would like to represent me.
This felt right.
Looking back I realise that I wasn’t ready the first time. But when me and my portfolio were both ready things started falling into place.
Once I signed with an agency it wasn’t suddenly rainbows and unicorns and pots of gold but it was a small stream of tiny paying jobs that built slowly over several years. I’m trying hard to keep that stream growing.
It’s not essential to have an agent in order to get illustration work. I knew I would struggle to make contacts and find work by myself so it seemed the right course of action for me.
If you’re looking for representation the two best things you can do are:
✏️ keep making work
✏️ keep making that work visible
Even though social media is sometimes annoying keep posting your work. Submit your work to agencies via their websites, following their guidelines.
Agents look for illustrators all the time, they need them.
Keep making work.
All my posts are remaining free and open for the foreseeable future! If you fancy getting me a cuppa tea that would be amazing! Totally up to you, we’ll still be friends!
It’s so helpful, healthy and encouraging to hear these behind the scenes stories of the twisting paths that brought people to the present moment. Thank you for sharing this, Nanette.
So honest, I love this. Yes illustration careers are wiggly lines with lots of hiccups on the way.