Advice on submitting to portrait agencies

[Michele Rushworth]

There are lots of tips in the business and marketing sections of this site. Check there for a wealth of ideas.

[Peggy Baumgaertner]

I see your question has not been adequately answered to this point. I will try my best to at least provided you with a little additional information.

(I have been a member of most of the national portrait agencies, but am currently not represented by any of them.)

How to submit work:

Each of the portrait agencies has their own method of portfolio evaluation. Because of the burgeoning numbers of portrait artists submitting, they have been forced to standardize their methods. Some will do portfolio review once a year, some once a month. You can easily call any of the agencies and ask for a copy of their portfolio review requirements.

How to get the agencies interested in you:

As stated earlier, the agencies are not interested in a diamond in the rough. They want a polished stone in a pretty box. They want a consummate professional. Even if you are a consummate professional, if they already have 30 artists in your price range and are not adequately supplying those artists with work, they will not be interested in adding another. If however, they have had an artist who has "drifted" up into a higher price range, they might have an opening for a new artist. The agencies take on maybe 3 to 8 new artists a year. Ten years ago when I asked this question, Portraits South was receiving 350 portfolios a year. I can only imagine the staggering number they receive today.

Being in an agency is no guarantee you will get work:

If you are submitting to the agencies to fill your schedule with commissions, you could be very disappointed. Even after being accepted by the agencies, I might get one or two (or no) commissions in a year. This is not the way to go if you think the agencies will get you work that you cannot get on your own. You need to have a solid portfolio, a solid body of work, a solid professional persona, a solid personal cliental, in other words, a solid career before going to the agencies.

Getting Noticed:

Winning one of the top portrait awards might get the agencies to take a look at your portfolio, as will being published in one of the major magazines. This is one of the reasons to become a member of the various portrait societies like the Portrait Society of America, American Society of Portrait Artists, or the regional groups like Portrait Society of Atlanta or the various ASOPA sub groups like NYSOPA or Connecticut SOPA. There is much networking at the conventions held by these groups, and representatives from the various agencies might be in attendance.

Commissions:

Be aware that the agencies take a 40% commission (at least...) for work they generate, and that all secondary commissions are also at 40%. They also require the artist to supply them with promotional material. When I was with Portraits South I needed to provide them with 15 portfolios with 12 - 15 8x10 photographs in each portfolio (...do the math, that's 225 8x10 glossies I had to provide to Portraits South...), as well as to replace those photographs with new photos of new paintings, and provide a sample portrait which needed to be replaced approximately every year. Portrait Brokers charges a promotional fee to each of the artists it represents and provides the clients with color reproductions of artist's work, and also needs sample portraits every year.

Working with the agencies can have a very significant upside. I had a great relationship with Portrait Brokers. They were very kind to me, I loved the camaraderie of being with the other artists, and there was definitely a certain cachet to being a member of that group. But it is not the place to start in your career. It is not the place to go if you are having trouble getting commissions.

When I found I was fully booking out commissions from my own contacts, I resigned from agency representation. I like keeping my own books, being the first to contact the client, controlling my rate of completion and number of portraits, and I spend my advertising dollar to garner client interest rather than agent interest.

Peggy

[Michele Rushworth]

Thank you so much, Peggy, for posting this! Your suggestions will go into my "marketing" file.

[Linda Nelson]

Peggy, thanks so much for taking the time to share your experiences. For me it is especially helpful to have your comments, knowing your career & great skill, and as you are in the same "region".

Much appreciated....thanks again