Illustration Agent and lack of work

Rachel Horne

Hi everyone, I've been with my agent for over a year now and have had very little work through them. I asked them about it at one point to which they replied a long list of what their clients were looking for, none of which really fitted with my work...I'm just wondering whether there's any point in staying with them. Have any of you left an agent for this reason but then gone on to get work with a different one? I'm just feeling a bit deflated and am not sure whether it's a question of my work not being right or just an ill-fitting agent...Thanks for any thoughts you have on this. Sorry if it's been covered before, I did a search but had trouble finding anything matching this specific point)...

Nyrryl Cadiz

@Rachel-Horne hi Rachel! I can totally relate. I was previously with Advocate Art Agency but I wasn’t getting the type of projects I wanted. The pay was also low. So I decided to leave them last March.

I felt very scared after leaving them. I tried applying to agencies immediately after but no one seemed to be interested. I questioned my decision and had severe doubts. I thought my stint as an illustrator was over.

But I reworked my portfolio and I am proud to say that I will be signing with a better agency just in a few days.

I guess what I’m saying is that you’ll never know if you don’t take the plunge. Things will get better. Don’t be afraid to take the leap.

Rachel Horne

@Nyrryl-Cadiz Thanks for replying. Yeah, it's a bit of a leap of faith and it is strange that it almost feels better to have an agent getting you nothing than no agent at all. Well done for keeping at it and finding a new agent. I think this will probably be what I'll end up doing to...

Asyas_illos

@Rachel-Horne your work is wonderful, you have a very beautiful portfolio! I don’t have any experience with agents, but I’d say don’t waste any more time on them there is someone else out there that will serve you better!

NessIllustration

@Rachel-Horne It could be worth staying with them, it depends. The long list they sent you was like an action items list, of all the things you could do to get more work with them. You say none of it fit you work, do you mean that you didn't have those topics in your current portfolio, or did you mean that it's not the kind of work you want to do? That's going to be the make or break.

For example, when I joined my last agency they asked me to add some topics that I didn't have before, like a nativity scene, animals, etc. They're not my favorite topics ever but I was fine adding them and it did help me get work through them. That's a reasonable compromise. However when I switched my market to surface design, they could not provide much work in that field and wanted me to take gigs in publishing or editorial instead. That was too far out of what I wanted to do, so I ended up leaving my agency last May.

Figure out if there's anything on that list of things they sent you that you'd be okay adding to your portfolio, even if it's not your favorite. If it's too far out of your comfort zone, then that's a good indicator that the agency is not a good fit at all.

Good luck!

Rachel Horne

@Asyas_illos aw thanks so much that's really nice to hear and thanks for the encouragement xx

Rachel Horne

@NessIllustration Thanks for your reply. What you say is actually really interesting and made me stop and think about it. To be honest it wasn't a really long list but just a few things about what their clients were looking for and I think you're right, it was just things that didn't really fit with what I wanted to be doing - illustrations of famous people for example...I think maybe it is just a question of a poor fit with the actual agency although I'm not ruling out revisiting my portfolio a bit too! Did you find another agent or are you looking for one?
Thanks again

NessIllustration

@Rachel-Horne I had a cooling off period of 6 months which ended in November, so I'm just starting my search for a licensing agent! Unfortunately there aren't that many agencies that specialize in licensing and they're all very competitive, so I've gotten a lot of "lovely art, but no available places right now" type answers. I'm in no hurry though, since I am finding my own contracts in the meantime

About that list, although the topics may not inspire you at first glance, it's worth taking a minute to think about it and see if you can find a spin on it that gets your creative juice flowing! For instance, the famous people topic also doesn't really do it for me, BUT I might spin it so I can draw inspiring historical figures like Frida Kahlo, Ada Lovelace or Jane Goodall. That could be fun!

Anyway, best of luck hun! Your art is fabulous so it really must not be a fit if your agency can't find you work. Your art feels very poetic, indie and quirky (not unlike Lee's art!) and that's very trendy in picture books right now. You should be drowning in work. I heard the junior agent at CAT agency is looking to fill some places right now, maybe try them!

Rachel Horne

@NessIllustration Yeah I must admit, you don't hear much talk of licensing agents but it's great that you're able to find your own work in the meantime!
Like you said it's probably worth having a think about the famous people slant, I suppose it's just not what I'd steer towards naturally.
Thank you sooo much for your lovely comments and for the little tip. One last question and then I'll leave you alone I promise, do you think it's ok to contact another agency whilst I still have my current one? I don't think I have a cooling off period with mine though I should maybe check!

Lee White

Your work is awesome and if your agent isn't getting you work and isn't coming up with a SOLID plan to get you work, then it may be time to leave. A solid plan includes a discussion on 1, 3, and 5 year goals and how to achieve them. Then a "to do" list to get to that point and what will happen at each stage. I have left 3 agents in my career and getting ready to sign with the 4th. Fingers crossed.

Overall I think agents take on far too many artists and then are left with little time to actually do the work that is required by each.

NessIllustration

@Rachel-Horne Honestly we have to look out for ourselves and do what's best for us. I'm sure agents wouldn't be happy knowing we're looking for another agent, but we're not in the business of making them happy Check your contract to make sure what it says there about leaving, and make sure any other agent you're talking to knows you're currently signed and looking for their cooperation for a transition.

However, before pulling the plug you could try talking to your agent one last time to see if you two can work out a plan like Lee said.

It's true many agencies take on too many artists, and these days especially there are many agencies that just display your portfolio on their website and don't do much legwork to actually find you work. Illo Agency is a very large agency with lots of artists, so they strike me to be this type. Smaller boutique agencies with a small roster of artists usually spend more time with each artist and are a lot more hands on. It is exceedingly hard getting into those because the places are so limited, however your work is top shelf so this isn't unreachable for you as long as you find the right timing when a spot is vacant.

Rachel Horne

@Lee-White Thanks so much Lee!! It's reassuring to hear, I was just beginning to think that my work wasn't up to scratch. I agree about the huge number of illustrators taken on by agencies and I think Illo probably fall into that bracket. Thanks for the advice and good luck with your new agent!

Rachel Horne

@NessIllustration Thank you Ness - I think that's probably the case for me. I don't know, I think I will look around elsewhere all the same. Thanks for all your advice, it's much appreciated! PS: great YouTube channel by the way