 |
For
All Our Visiting Artists
We get a lot
of requests from artists, whether illustrators and photographers,
for information on getting a representative, and we have some advice
for you to aid you in your search.
Our reps generally
work in the commercial fields, especially advertising and publishing.
Some specialize in certain areas, such as selling illustration for
children's books, or photography for fashion, still life (product
shots), and editorial (magazines). Some even represent talent in
the film industry, such as directors and animators.
Reps tend to
go through cycles of taking on talent. They'll tend to take on new
talent in one period, and spend a year or possibly more developing
them. Promoting talent is a very big part of their work; any artist
who is serious about wanting to sell their work would follow their
lead. Artists who
consistently send promotional material to reps have a better chance
of crossing the period when reps take on talent. Reps may keep images
on file
for years before they decide they want to approach an artist.
However, it's
rare that an artist can get representation straight out of college.
Most reps look for a track record of some sort, and an artist who
is 'in
tune' with current and changing trends.
A
Few Tips for Aspiring Artists
- Always work
on developing your art. Look at a lot of magazines and trade publications,
and attend trade shows to see what the art buyers are interested
in from year to year.
- Sell your
own work and build up a client list of your own. We frequently
recommend the books published annually by Writer's Digest on every
market out there, such as the Photographer's Market and the Artist's
Market.
- Advertise.
A lot of reps go through the directories, such as American Showcase,
the Workbook, the Black Book, and RSVP (to name just a few) to
look for unrepresented talent that they may be interested in.
An advantage to advertising in these publications is that advertisers
get reprints they can use for promotional mailings.
- Build a portfolio
of images that can be circulated to clients ('tear sheets' from
magazines and color copies of your work that has already been
sold, as well as tests). It is often necessary to tailor portfolios
for clients depending on the type of job they are buying art for,
so you should ask a lot of questions about the job so you can
show them just the images that are likely to pique the art buyer's
interest. Always follow up on returned portfolios, especially
if your work is not selected -- ask the client who got the job
instead and specific reasons their work wasn't what the art buyer
was looking for. Reps can also review these portfolios if they've
expressed interest from promotional mailings. A rep can give pointers
on how to develop style, how to change the selection and order
of the images in the portfolio to make it stronger, and tell artists
if they're using a style that art buyers are no longer interested
in. You shouldn't, however, send an unsolicited portfolio - always
send promotional materials first, and call a week or so later
to see if the art buyer or rep is interested in seeing more. You
should also get an account with a shipping company and a messenger
service, as you will often have to pay to send portfolios.
- Do regular
promotional mailings, such as postcards and collections of reprints,
to existing clients, potential clients, and to reps. Be creative
in the packaging as well (spend a little extra for beautiful or
unique envelopes, for instance) because anything that helps your
campaign stand out from others in the deluge of promotional materials
that art buyers and reps receive, helps.
- Be aware
of legal issues. Once a job is done, an art buyer may have restrictions
on how you can use their own images; some will not even allow
their use for self-promotion, so always be aware of the rights
that are being sold (our Do-It-Yourself Photographer's Rep Kit
has a lot of information on this).
- Be professional
and ethical. You are basically in business for yourself and books
on these subjects are plentiful.
- Keep trying.
Being in the right place at the right time isn't just luck, it
requires being alert and persistent.
As you may have
gathered from the above, three things that will help you are funds
for promotion, patience, and a thick skin. This is a highly
competitive business, and it will take time, sometimes years, to
become established, but the rewards of being in business for yourself
and also being
creative can be great.
Good luck!
|
|
