Jon Cockley,
Co-founder, Handsome Frank

handsomefrank.com

What role do you play as an agent?

Our role as agents is to promote our illustrators, increase awareness of their work and find suitable commercial partnerships for them. Once we find an agreeable project, we're responsible for negotiating the terms and fees, project management, liaising between the client and the artist and handling any logistic or financial issues that arise, during or after the process.

 
What are some common misconceptions illustrators have about agents?

I think there's a misconception that you need an agent in order to be a freelance illustrator. That's really not the case, and certainly in the first stages of a career, I'd suggest representation might not be the right move. Having an agent is essentially a time / money transaction. Aside from the 'signal boost' your work receives and access to their client relationships, in simplest terms you give them some of your income in return for more time to work on your art. A good agent will take away a lot of the mundane  and time consuming aspects of being an illustrator. If you're a really busy artist, receiving lots of enquiries and you need someone to handle them for you, this really makes sense. If you're just starting out and you have time to do these parts of the job for yourself, perhaps you don't need an agent yet.

What are the main benefits of representation?

As I said above, it gives you back time to do what you actual enjoy doing, and the part of the job you're good at, being an artist! If you have an agent to handle paperwork, logistics, finances, project management, finding clients etc, you have more time to focus on your art, which is the reason you wanted to be an illustrator in the first place!

Are there situations when an artist is better off without an agent?

I believe it's about finding the right fit. I've known very talented artists who've been with agencies that have found them very little work. That doesn't mean the artist or the agent is necessarily doing anything wrong, they might just be the wrong fit for each other. It's important for an artist to really understand who their agency is working with and what type of work is being commissioned. 

Can you give us some insight into typical rates of commission?

Sure, we charge 33% on all projects with the exception of editorial where we charge 25%. Unlike many agents we don't insist that our artists run all of their projects through us though. If a client contacts them directly and it's someone we don't know, our illustrators are welcome to keep that project themselves. However, if they decide they would like our involvement, we reduce our commission rate to 25% (and 20% editorial) to reflect where the project came from. Many of our artists refer all leads back to us as they value our input and the time it saves them. 

What makes you want to represent someone?

First and foremost it's always about the work. We're looking for work that is eye catching and has a unique, ownable style to it. Something that 's recognisable and distinct, which are clients can really build around. Because of the markets we work in (often luxury, high-end) we're looking for a certain finesse and sophistication, can you imagine the art working with premium brands, does it exude quality. Once we're confident we've identified someone with a style that we think is going to be commercially successful, we're keen to see depth and range in subject matter. Can this person draw more than just a few limited things, is there variety to the potential uses of the work. 

Beyond this, we really want to know about the person behind the work. Amazing work is one thing, but we need to understand where it comes from and the process. We need to know whether it's commercially viable and whether it can be done under tight time constraints. We need to know whether the artist is open to being collaborative and taking art direction. Perhaps most importantly of all, we need to understand the person's attitude and work ethic. Great work will get you so far, but we need to represent artists who are dedicated and professional.

What’s the best way for artists seeking representation to approach an agency?

I think you should really do your homework. Establish which agency you think is the right fit for you, then contact them in an original and eye catching manner and tell them why. Easy! 

What should an artist look for in an agent or agency?

Integrity, professionalism, reputation. Talk to people. Talk to the artists on their books. Talk to people who've worked with them. Find out what people think of the agency, because if you sign with them it reflects on you! 

How do artists and agents know when it might be time to breakup?

Truly one of the worst aspects of the job and not one we relish at all, it does happen from time to time though. I think for me it's a very symbiotic relationship between artist and agent. If it's not working for one of you, it's really not working for either of you. Sometimes it's just not the right fit, or a style may come to be outdated, or an agency might change direction and it just no longer works. Good, straight forward, honest conversations are always the best option. Usually, both parties know when it's time to move on.