Getting out of the agent’s slush pile.

Portfolio review season will soon be upon us. Autumn is the big season in with several opportunities for photographers to meet with and show their books to people who can get them work.

(A partial list will be posted here later).

In my many years as an artist rep, I would receive weekly unsolicited inquires from photographers and illustrators seeing to be represented by my agency.

It was not a happy task to dump the sometimes-handwritten inquires into the circular file with only a form letter in reply. As a creative person myself, I understood how much emotional energy and hope was invested in even sending me the inquiry. And I hated to have to say no.

I wish I could explain to every artist who sought the services of an agent, just what’s involved in selecting an artist to represent.

I wish I had then, what I came across today: this well written and informative article by Michael Bourne: “A Right Fit:  “Navigating the World of Literary Agents.”   I would have included a copy of the article along with every rejection note.

His advice that “it truly is who you know” is spot on. You must get out there and meet people. Almost every artist I ended up repping came via a personal referral.