How to Become an Illustration Agent
I think it's fair to say anyone interested in becoming an illustrator has heard of an Illustration Agent. They are some of the industry's unsung heroes, and many illustrators believe they haven’t made it until an agency represents them. However, have you ever thought of using your knowledge of the art world to become an agent yourself? I realized this path was a possibility a few months ago when I was encouraged to apply for a role as a Junior Agent at an agency that had recently rejected my portfolio. I’d never considered the career of an Illustration Agent before but I certainly have the education for it. I would be doing what I’m already doing as a freelance illustrator just for others and I enjoy helping other people and watching them succeed. So I went to the internet to find out how exactly one becomes an Illustration Agent. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any information online on how to get a job as an agent. So I tried a more direct approach and asked some Illustration Agents about their careers and tried to put together what someone needs to become an agent.
Where to Start
Like many jobs in the creative field, I had a feeling that becoming an Illustration Agent wasn’t going to be a straightforward path. The agents I interviewed also confirmed this. Hannah Shilland the Director and an Agent at Brilliant Artists started with an Art History Degree and spent a few years working in galleries before switching to being a Photography Agent and later an Illustration Agent going on to start her agency. Matthew Pettitwas, an Artist Agent at Big Active, ran a print and publishing studio and found his way in by starting as a part-time agent. James Hughes, an Illustration agent at Folio, was originally trying to make it as an illustrator. He switched gears when he realized he had a passion for connecting illustrators he’d gotten to know with the right clients. He even attempted to form his own agency before deciding to learn the job from the ground up. Kat Irannejad, Director of Totally Reps one day found a job listing looking for agents and thought the job sounded perfect for her. While there may not be some university degrees or courses that can put you straight on the path to becoming an agent having a passion for the creative industry and working with artists is your best starting point.
What the Job Entails
We know that agents are often doing the paperwork for illustrators and finding them jobs, but what exactly does an agent do on an average day? Well firstly emails, lots of emails. Agents are the middlemen, they pass messages between the illustrator and the client. The active jobs take priority, ensuring information is passed back and forth between the client and illustrator promptly. They’re also passing feedback to the illustrator and sometimes softening the more hard-to-swallow criticisms. They send emails to potential clients showing off the work of the multiple artists they have under them. Develop marketing strategies to get their artists more visible. Writing newsletters and social media posts. Reading contracts and negotiating for the benefit of the illustrator. Chasing after payment and doing admin work for the illustrator. Having meetings online and in person to pitch to clients. It's a busy job handling multiple projects at once and can often lead to overtime. Social interaction can also be limited as quite a few agencies have gone to work from home after the pandemic.
What Skills Do You Need to Make It as an Agent?
So I asked these agents, what skills are essential to being a great Illustration Agent. The most common answer was organisation. ‘Good organisational skills go a long way too when you’re managing a lot of things at once’ says Matthew. Kat brought up the need for social skills. She explains ‘Being somewhat social is a plus too- you have to be comfortable yapping away on a call or meeting folks in person- so it's [probably] not best for an introvert.’ Hannah mentioned the idea of ‘being a nosy parker/good detective’ when it comes to finding potential clients and how important it is to have the patience to read through contracts thoroughly. James explains the importance of being a good writer and being able to communicate effectively. Communication is what you’ll be doing the most as an agent after all. Another common trait was a passion for the industry, you have to care about your artists and enjoy doing the job. ‘You ultimately have to be 'into' it- it can't just be a job you clock in and out of- or something you're doing just with a sort of transactional mindset. Artists are smart, and most can sniff out agents who are more authentic and love what they do’ says Kat.
What Looks Good on an Illustration Agent Resume
Okay, you have a passion for the illustration industry and think being an agent sounds awesome, but where do you go from here? What can you put on a resume to entice an agency into hiring you? The resounding answer I got from these agents was to get experience! Having a degree in an art-related field is a starting point but experience is what attracts someone hiring an agent. Job experience in PR, magazines, publishing, advertising or illustration is great because, through these kinds of jobs, you learn to promote and understand how clients and illustrators fit into the industry. You should also get started as soon as possible. ‘I think just getting started as soon as you can is the main thing. I don’t know if anyone is an amazing agent right out the gate, I think being a good agent takes a lot of time and experience and learning’ says Matthew. Kat recommends keeping up to date with agencies you are interested in on social media as they will post job openings. Hannah suggests cold emailing your CV to agencies you’d like to work for. ‘You might not get a response (people are busy!) but it will be good experience for being an agent, and it is a numbers game’ she explains. At the time of writing this Folio is looking for a new agent and James shared a common trait for the CV’s not selected for the next stage of the hiring process. Most of these applicants were illustrators and animators who seemed to be only interested in using the job of an agent as a stepping stone to further their careers. While there is a cross-over between illustrators and agents James emphasises, from a hiring perspective, most agencies want someone interested in making a good career out of being an agent. So don’t be half-assed when applying to an agency, they can tell.
Hopefully, this little article has given you insight into what it takes to be an Illustration Agent. It was certainly a fun and informative experience for me. I’d like to once again thank Kat Irannejad, Matthew Pettit, Hannah Shilland, and James Huges for taking time out of their busy days to answer my questions. After reading through this, what do you think? Is becoming an Illustration Agent right for you?