Author: Madeleine Morley / Source: 99U by Behance
Three designers weigh in on the pros and cons of hiring an agent.
In our newest design debate, Alva Skog, Erin Aniker and Yuko Shimizu explore whether it pays for an illustrator to hire an agent. Ready, set, debate.
1. Having an agent means that you can concentrate on what you do best.
Alva Skog, freelance illustrator
I was considering going freelance straight after university, but the prospect of doing everything on my own was scary. Towards the end of my last semester, I emailed a bunch of agencies with my portfolio and I was lucky that my current agent, Jelly, got back to me.
I had always found it difficult to price my work. Before having an agent, I was concerned that I didn’t know how much an illustration was worth, and I didn’t quite grasp licensing. There’s so many things that you have to think about when you price an illustration: Where is it going to get used? How long will it get used for? Now, my agent does all of that thinking for me.
When a client contacts me with a commission, I direct them straight to my agent. My agent talks to them, and makes sure that the budget matches my time and labor. They usually up the price too, which is something I always found difficult to do on my own. If it’s a big commission, my agent deals with all the client feedback—so I don’t need to stress about that side of things. My agent also writes up contracts, invoices for jobs, and then chases invoices to make sure I actually get paid. All of this means that I can concentrate on what I do best: illustrating.
“There’s no doubt about it: social media, and the growth of online and offline creative communities has allowed freelancers to promote themselves and get their work out there, which has changed the role of an agent.”
In addition to all the obvious admin pros of working with an agent, there are lots of things Jelly have done for me that I didn’t expect. They’ve been extremely supportive of the fact I’m a recent graduate; we talk a lot about what kinds of commissions I would like to do in the future, and how I can make that happen. For example, we’ve been working closely to shape and broaden my portfolio. When I signed, I mostly had portraits; now we’ve been getting together more cityscapes and large scenes filled with lots of people. Working with an agent gives you a support system to explore new ways of working.
An agent, of course, also brings in bigger clients. I’m currently working with Apple, and that came through Jelly. I wouldn’t have been able to handle a big project like what I’ve done for Apple on my own! It’s been extremely helpful to have someone guide me through the process.
2. You learn invaluable skills through representing yourself.
Erin Aniker, freelance illustrator
I’ve been acting as my own agent and it’s been working out pretty well for me. But…over time, the admin and invoice-chasing has ground me down a bit. The more clients I get, the more time consuming that side of things is becoming. If the right agent approached me and we were a good fit, I would definitely consider signing with them.
Sending out emails and updating spreadsheets is definitely not what…
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