How to Get Repped
Written by Drew Melton (Founder, Closer&Closer)
After my last blog post about representation, I received an influx of artist applications to join our roster. There were some good ones, some great ones, and some that got lost in the shuffle. Thank you for reaching out and sharing your work.
As I was brainstorming topics for my next installment, I knew there was one question I could give a particularly insightful response to: “What can freelance artists do to get noticed by reps?” — for most freelance artists, getting repped is a bit of a mystery. So I put together a list of my top 3 suggestions for artists who want to get repped. Here they are:
Be hungry.
The number one trait I look for in artists is a desire to grow. If you’re actively seeking out feedback and opportunities to better yourself, then I know you’re someone I want to work with. Especially at the beginning, you should be taking lots of jobs and making lots of work in an effort to develop your craft. The process of creating a lot of work will help you to quickly figure out what you like and don’t like to do, which will guide your portfolio and therefore your future work. If you’re a young artist and you reject tons of jobs because they’re not 100% perfect, or because you don’t want to deal with client feedback, then that’s a red flag for me. As you get older, you earn this right.
Email often.
If you want to be repped by a particular agency, email them repeatedly. They usually won’t respond, but they do see your emails, and emailing them more than once doesn’t make you a nuisance. Add them to your contact list and send them new work about once a quarter. You’ll stay at the forefront of their mind and, hopefully, if you’re a good fit, they’ll know who to call the next time they’re looking to add to their roster.
Post to social media (lots).
Oftentimes, artists get self-conscious about posting frequently to their social media. The truth is, you’re probably not posting enough. Social media has become an important tool for marketing yourself, finding work, and getting noticed, so treat your social media as a business. Find a scheduling app, schedule your content, share your process, share old work, and look for opportunities to collaborate with other artists. Basically, do anything and everything you can to put yourself out there on socials, and I promise, reps will notice. (If you need more social media advice, click here to hear from our very own Marketing Coordinator, Andrea)
About Drew Melton:
Drew Melton is the founder and agent at Closer&Closer. An illustration and animation agency that represents remarkable illustrators, animators, and designers from around the world. He is passionate about helping artists take their careers to the next level.
