Do you have a manager, agent or representative who helps you sign or close deals? Why or why not? If you do have one, how did you find them and how did you know they were the right one for you? These are some of the questions we asked some very talented folks from the community and we’ve shared their responses below.

Francesco Antonio

When I was in the Acting Conservatory at York University in Toronto, Canada, they had a showcase at the end of the year for all of the senior students. We all had to perform 2 monologues and the seats would be full of agents who came to watch, like scouts. The hope was to walk off stage with a talent rep and for me that was huge because this craft, this industry became my obsession and my purpose. I knew that I had to get an agent so I could get auditions and eventually climb my way up to the top. Read more>>

Joe Grah

Signing with an agent can be an exciting moment for any struggling artist. After booking well over one thousand shows nationwide, I can vividly remember that moment. It’s like endless weight lifted off your shoulders for the first time. Working with massive agencies like CAA & the Agency Group was a dream come true for a guy in a young, hungry band making it’s way through the perils of the music business. At the same time, looking back, having control over every aspect of my career was the most rewarding and fulfilling time of my life. Don’t get me wrong, working with agencies like CAA affords you those opportunities that would otherwise be next to impossible. However, having both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road is the most crucial attribute for any start-up business. Read more>>

Edith Simone Morales Sen

I often come across people who do not know how to sign with an Agent/Agency. The answer seems pretty simple but I want to share some steps that helped me. First step for me would be researching all the agencies (from boutique to the big ones) that exist in the field you want to be represented in (modelling/dancing/commercial/acting etc.) Read more>> 

Dav Yendler

I signed with my literary agent in a roundabout way. Typically an agent will help you score a interest in a project, but I was able to entice my agent because someone was interested in me! I was pitching out my graphic novel TSILYA- about my Soviet mathematician sniper grandmother- to various publishers across the country. A friend of mine put me in touch with an editor at an established publishing house while I was simultaneously trying to convince my agent to sign me. After a few back and forths with the editor, I was able to secure definitive interest from the publisher, and leveraged that interest into signing with my agency. Read more>>

Heather Brockman Lee

To create a career in children’s publishing, a literary agent can be an enormous help. A lot of publishers prefer to work with agented creators, and some won’t take submissions from un-agented writers and illustrators. When I was starting out in children’s illustration and beginning to query agents, I decided to try for 100 rejections. Working in publishing, rejections are a constant so it is good to get used to them right away! I queried agents for a year, while also continuing to build my skills, refine my style, and enter contests. Almost one year later I had offers from three different agencies had only gotten to around 30 rejections, which was a lot better than I expected! Read more>>