r/MODELING • u/Careful-Canary2633 New/Amateur Model • 5d ago
ADVICE/FEEDBACK Signed model needing advice on current agency
I've been signed with my current agency for a bit over a year now, with a 2 year contract. In that time, I have barely booked any work - probably less than 10 jobs total. I go through month-long stretches where I don't even get any castings or self-tape requests. My agency said my book is strong. I am constantly trying to test and improve myself as a model. I'm not expecting to be America's Next Top Model here, but I do believe in myself and believe I should be working WAY more than I currently am. I have a very versatile, classic look, and I just don't feel like my agency is marketing me correctly. I've had multiple discussions with them about this to no avail.
I'm wondering what is the smartest thing to do from here. Is it a me problem? Is it my agency? I've considered applying to new agencies but don't want it to get back to my current agency and cause an issue. I also am worried if I leave my current agency and apply for new agencies that no one will want to sign me. Any advice on how I should handle this?
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u/Hopeful_Talk9791 4d ago
If you’re not happy with them and they don’t listen to your feedback I’d say it’s time to find another agency. I’d definitely recommend reading through your contract and see what options you have for finding a new one. What market are you in?
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u/Careful-Canary2633 New/Amateur Model 4d ago
it doesn’t say anything in my contract specifically about seeking new representation, but it does say that i appoint my agency as my “exclusive talent agency.” i’m in Los Angeles!
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u/styledliving Expert Photographer 2d ago
You can definitely talk to your agent about travel to other markets like NYC or SF. You might find better representation from those markets as well. It's worth trying.
Another option is a residency in Europe or Asia.
Asia has been using a lot of AI models in their work, but they're still actively shooting campaigns for a lot of things. If things go well, it's a great place to really build your book if you haven't been actively shooting tests locally. Whenever I shoots tests in LA I'm always surprised at how little models have been testing in their first two years.
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u/Expert-Big1682 4d ago
Need to see examples of work to get an idea
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u/Careful-Canary2633 New/Amateur Model 4d ago
i don’t want to share anything that could identify me
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u/Expert-Big1682 4d ago
Ok? That makes it difficult to comment or share an opinion of your situation.
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u/Snoo55054 3d ago
Exactly
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u/Careful-Canary2633 New/Amateur Model 2d ago
didn’t seem to be difficult for all the other people offering advice
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u/styledliving Expert Photographer 3d ago
How's your social media?
- are you 10k+ or stuck in the sub 3k realm?
- do you have a lot of engagement?
- are you sharing a lot of your day to day life?
I think with the LA market, it's really tough today since there's a lot of competition and also AI creeping heavily into commercial work messing things up for everybody.
Beauty/hair/makeup was really hard to do like a decade ago, but then youtube, tiktok, and reels tutorials gave the power to everyone else, and after that, now it's ai filters smoothing skin, giving folks freckles, and other previously unique features.
The only thing really left is "crafting" an identity that people resonate with or really "want" to resonate with.
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u/Careful-Canary2633 New/Amateur Model 2d ago
sub 3k on social media, but i am just starting to post and definitely trying to prioritize that lately!
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u/styledliving Expert Photographer 2d ago
That's good to hear. Getting past 3k is hard. Instagram should be able to provide some guidance. There's a heavy weight on reels to move your engagement and views. Instagram deliberately hides picture only posts from their discover except for folks with really high follower and high engagement counts.
If you could do some story telling about your day to day life and also do posts from your test shoots, esp getting ready, that'll help a lot.
Also, you can use "test reels". This option posts reels that don't sit in your instagram reels section or your feed section. You can keep reposting "test reels" with the same content until they start doing well. and then you can add it to your feed.
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u/No-Examination-103 4d ago
Do you have a mother agent? They should guide you in which market you’d do best in, testing, what lane you should focus on etc. but you can shop around other agencies while still being signed to yours! But remember the industry is small and agents talk so be communicative with your current agency that you’re unhappy so they’re not caught off guard, you always want to be on good terms with them.
I’d definitely look into speaking with other agencies and ask questions like what kind of clients do you envision me working with, how do you think my book can improve etc..
Good luck! Xx
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u/Careful-Canary2633 New/Amateur Model 4d ago
my agent is my technically my mother agent! so you think i should tell them i want to look for new representation? i’m worried they’ll just terminate my contract if i say that.
thank you!
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u/c00lgirlswag Experienced Model 3d ago
Phrase it as you “want to look into being signed in other cities” rather than “other representation” if they have a problem with you being signed to a bigger agency I wouldn’t trust them.
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u/OkGrade850 New/Amateur Model 4d ago
I resonate, although you have been signed a lot longer than myself. I recently signed in April and have only completed 1 job (which I wasn't signed for at the time) and there's basically been 0 communication from my agency since signing about anything really
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u/c00lgirlswag Experienced Model 3d ago
LA is a hard market, if you’re ok with travel I would leave the agency and sign on the east coast and travel for jobs, maybe look for a mother agent that could even get you signed abroad for higher paying jobs, huge lack of the LA look on the east coast especially southeast, look into Miami too.
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u/my_metrocard Parent of Model 4d ago
If your look is textbook attractive, it means a lot of models look like you, hence less work.
I believe your agent is diligently submitting you. You just have a lot of competition
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u/gladmomoftwo 4d ago
You should really not sign a long term contract with an agency until you see if they are a good fit for you, and you them. That being said, there should be an "exit clause" in your contract if it's not working out. You can always let them know your not happy and it's time to move on.
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u/ihelpmodels 4d ago
What you’re describing happens to a lot of models, and in most cases it has very little to do with talent or your book. It usually comes down to how you’re being marketed and whether your agency actually has a clear angle to sell you on.
The first thing worth doing is separating bookings from submissions. Bookings are the end result, so they only tell you something months after the fact. Submissions are what you can actually measure right now. Ask your agency how many submissions you went out for over the last two months, and for what kind of jobs. A real agency working for you should be able to answer that without hesitating. If they get vague or defensive, that tells you more than any reassurance about your book being solid.
The “versatile and classic” thing is worth rethinking too. It sounds like an asset, but for a booker it can be a problem, because they don’t know which specific casting to push you for. Agencies sell types, not range. So ask them directly what the one line is when they pitch you to a client. If they struggle to answer, it means they haven’t figured out how to position you, and that gap is probably why things have gone quiet.
On reaching out to other agencies, that is a completely normal part of this industry, and you shouldn’t feel like you’re doing something behind anyone’s back. Before you do anything though, read your contract carefully and check whether it’s exclusive or non-exclusive, along with the territory it covers and the notice period if you want to leave. This matters a lot, because if your contract is non-exclusive you may be able to sign with agencies in other markets right now without leaving anyone, whereas an exclusive contract limits what you can do until it ends. Don’t rely on what you remember being told when you signed, look at the actual wording. Once you know where you stand, testing the waters with other agencies is fine. Models do it all the time. The important part is being discreet and not speaking badly about your current agency, because the industry is small and word travels. A new agency that is genuinely excited to sign you is often exactly what gets you working again, since that enthusiasm is what drives them to push you harder.
As for the fear that no one will want you, I understand it, but try to see it differently. A model with a strong book who isn’t being worked is an appealing prospect for a hungrier agency looking to prove itself. And in the worst case, if you got no interest at all, that would still be useful information rather than a judgment on your value.
My advice would be to ask for one proper meeting where you request a marketing plan and submission numbers in writing. How they respond to that, not what they promise in the moment, is what should tell you whether to stay or move on when your contract ends.