How to Get Signed With an Agent
An agent can help you take your career to another level. Getting an agent is a common prerequisite for those who want to experience success in the entertainment industry, including actors, writers and athletes. However, hiring an agent is not as simple as hiring on a lawyer or manager. In many cases, you have to follow a specific process if you want to get signed to an agent's roster.
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Instructions
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Create a database of potential agents in your industry. You can start by finding out the names of agents or other professionals in your industry. You can also use a service like AgentQuery for authors or the Sports Agent Directory for athletes to compile your list.
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Ask your colleagues and close contacts for referrals to agents in your field. In some cases you can use this person as a reference when you contact the agent to inquire about his services.
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Sign up with an artist's organization or professional union. In some cases they can refer you to reputable agents or provide you with a searchable database. For instance, the Screen Actor's Guild has a "Find an Agent" service.
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Attend networking events within your industry. Make the investment in high-profile events to increase the chance that you'll meet and speak to important industry contacts who can suggest or refer you to agencies.
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Send a formal query letter to all the agents on your list. An agent query letter is a single-page business letter that discusses your work briefly. It contains four paragraphs: an introductory paragraph to grab the prospective agent's interest, a synopsis or summary of what you offer, your biography and a closing.
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Meet with interested agents who reply to your queries. Come prepared with your portfolio or examples of your work. Do research on the agent and agency before meeting. Market your work as well as your skills and know what you would like to gain as a result of the meeting. Dress professionally as if you're attending a job interview. If you receive specific instructions from the agent on what to bring, make sure you meet each requirement.
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Choose an agent out of the interested options after careful consideration of their qualifications, client list, past work and proposals for getting you work or for selling your work to interested buyers. Hire a lawyer to review the contract before signing.
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Tips & Warnings
Be wary of an agent who asks for a fee in advance of providing a service. Confident and professional agents know that can get you work and receive pay based on your earnings from these jobs.
