10 tips to find an agent
Courtesy of the Stage - Stuart Piper
I’m approaching my 10th year of agenting next year, but when I started I remember how hard it was when having to knock on many doors that seemed bolted shut.
It didn’t help that this industry’s behind the scenes activity was, and still is, shrouded in a degree of secrecy. I had to learn by trial and error the correct etiquette and I didn’t always get it right. But it led me to operate without a curtain over the Wizard of Oz mechanics of agenting, which led to to publish Cole Kitchenn’s client list online back in 2005 when I only had 10 clients, back when few other agencies had websites at all.
In keeping with that spirit, here follows five dos and don’ts for those readers starting out and looking for just a smidgeon of guidance…
- Do keep your cover letter brief, edit out the bullsh*t, and let the agent simply see the bare bones of the facts at a glance
- Don’t open with a bad joke.
- Do send your submission and wait a week before one gentle nudge to ensure the safe receipt/draw attention to the approach.
- Don’t turn up at the office with a CV in hand. I’m pretty sure that’s always an awkward moment. And don’t chase more than once.
- Do send them an example of work – be it a showreel, a home filmed scene or song even if just recorded around a piano.
- Don’t pretend you know the agent better than you do – over familiarity can lead back to that awkwardness.
- Do put on a show if you have to. Don’t grab attention by phone harassment or door stepping, grab attention by doing something brilliant. A showcase, a fringe play, a screening of a self made short, a concert. We agents know how hard it is to achieve one of those things, and respect it.
- Don’t send presents. Over the years I’ve received all sorts of weird and wonderful packages, but I’ve never signed someone because of a lollipop or an envelope stuffed with confetti.
- Do sell yourself, rooted in truth. Imagine how an American actor would introduce themselves, and own it. We Brits are often too self effacing.
- Don’t lie. Like any relationship, a good one is built on trust.
