Suddenly Agents Are <p>in Hot Demand
Personal Investment
Monday January 1, 1996
"Call my agent" was once a line reserved for use by the showbiz world - actors, singers, dancers and the like. But no more. Agents are in hot demand by everyone from cartoonists to professional craftspeople.
The exploding demand for agents' services has produced new business opportunities for people with the right skills. Agents across a range of industries say they are overwhelmed with requests from people for representation. Agents for photographers, authors, graphic designers, cartoonists, sportspeople, and craftspeople such as woodworkers and potters, all say their skills are in high demand.
In a highly competitive marketplace, "artists" are looking for something that will give them an edge, get them better contracts and sell more products. They believe agents can help them achieve these goals. In addition, many are tired of doing the "hard sell" themselves and want to hire someone else to do it.
Agents typically get paid by commission, usually between 10 per cent and 30 per cent of a work's price. The role of an agent often involves seeking work for the "artist", promotion, negotiating contracts and financial arrangements and handling payments. They cater for the needs of a growing number of professionals, particularly those within the arts, who no longer want to spend their time hawking their work.
Being an agent is a perfect business for someone who has specialist knowledge of an industry but does not want to do the "hands-on" work themselves. Photographic agents Sally Brownbill and Kerrie Bitmead (see accompanying story) are such an example.
Brownbill is a commercial photographer who now uses her knowledge and natural "sales" skills to sell others' work. Bitmead, on the other hand, spent years managing a photography studio.
The literary field is one in which the demand for agents has skyrocketed. The Australian Society of Authors, which represents 3000 members, says Australia's demand for literary agents has far outstripped the supply. The society's executive-director, Ms Lynne Spender, says the main literary agencies are full and authors are turned away every day. Compounding the already growing demand, some publishers are no longer accepting unsolicited manuscripts, only receiving them through an agent or another contact.
"The more competitive things become the more people want agents," Spender says. "Agents can get a better deal for you. A publisher might offer an author 7 per cent of the retail price. But an agent (acting for the author) may say they won't accept less than 10 per cent. The agent knows that the last three contracts signed by that publisher were for 10 per cent. An individual author doesn't know that."
But Spender is careful to point out that it takes a very experienced person to become a literary agent. Some of Australia's top agents have experience in publishing, law and politics. "These are people who know their way around publishing. You need a lot of experience, contacts and networks," she says.
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (the union representing professionals such as journalists, actors, photographers and illustrators) says it is seeing more use of agents, particularly as technology brings more changes to the industry. Joint federal secretary Chris Warren says: "Technology means a lot more uses can be made of illustrations, photos, words. They can get multiple exploitations out of these materials now. People are looking for professional help to manage this."
Enterprising people from all sorts of professions are seeing opportunities to make a living from selling others' work. One cartoonist, James Kemsley, who draws the Ginger Meggs comics, began marketing his comics directly to newspapers and found that others wanted him to do the same for them at a one-third commission.
Two years later, his business, FunFocus Syndicate, which he runs with two business partners, turns over $250,000 a year, sells to about 50 regional and metropolitan daily newspapers and represents about 95 per cent of Australia's working cartoonists.
The company has now expanded its brief to include writers. "We have started selling a column on cricket by (former cricketer) Geoff Lawson to regional papers," Kemsley says. "They couldn't normally afford to pay Geoff $250 for a column so we charge them a lot less than that and sell it to a few papers, and Geoff ends up getting more for his column as well." FunFocus Syndicate gets about 300 enquiries a year from people wanting to join its books.
Professionals in the craft industry are also increasingly using agents, forming part of an industry trend towards greater commercialisation. The Craft Council of Victoria says the skills of a craftsperson and salesperson do not always go hand-in-hand yet to run a small business, a craftsperson needs both.
Agents can provide a solution for craftspeople wanting to spend their work time creating, rather than selling products.
Council board member Janet England says: "The whole idea is that they need someone who is between them and Myer. It is very difficult for people who are focused on their products to also sell their own stuff. I think a lot more people are wanting representation because a lot have become disillusioned with selling. Most don't enjoy it and a lot are not very good at it."
© 1996 Personal Investment