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Model Submissions: Navigating Modeling Agency Websites

Having a hard time trying to find info about how to submit yourself through an agency's website? Most sites for modeling agencies make it easy to find this information, while others seem to make this difficult, resulting in a "hide-n-seek" of sorts.
Here are a few places you can look on an agency website if you're having trouble getting the details you need to know in order to prepare your modeling submission:

Contact Page: This is the first place you should check if you can't locate submission info on an agency website right away. Oftentimes, they'll list the requirements and ways to submit on the contact page, or provide the email addresses of the specific person/people you need to email your photos and information to. Open call details are also posted on the Contact Page for some agencies.

About: Sometimes agencies will sneak a link into their agency bio that will take you to the page where you'll find the details about model submissions.

The Website Menu: If an agency website has a drop-down menu, start hovering your mouse on all the tabs until you see something that refers to a model submission.

Scroll Down on the Homepage: I've visited agency websites where you have to scroll down to the very bottom of the homepage and in tiny font it will say something about model submissions.

There are also different names/terms that agency websites use. Common terms you'll want to be on the lookout for include but are not limited to:
  •  Casting
  • Model Submissions
  • What We Look For
  • Want to Join [Name of Agency]?
  • Become a Model
  • Want to Become a Model?
Still can't find what you're looking for? Or do you only see a random email address/addresses listed? Then you'll more than likely have to send your photos and a brief message of introduction with your stats/measurements and contact info to the email address provided. Unless it says otherwise, make sure the subject line of your email has your name and "New Model Inquiry" or "Model Submission" in it so that your email doesn't get sent to their junk/spam folder.

I think in some cases, agencies make it hard on purpose for prospective models to find the instructions for submitting themselves. Why would they do such a thing? I don't know the answer for sure but a few reasons that automatically pop into my head have to do with preventing mass overload of submissions. Agencies already get bombarded with tons of submissions and by making it difficult for new people to find out how to send in their info, it keeps the volume at a more manageable level.

Another reason might be because they want to see who is really serious about wanting to sign with them. A potential model that really wants representation will search the website until they find what they're looking for, while others that are serious but might be on the lazy side would get discouraged if they don't get results right away. It may sound silly but when it comes to agencies, they want individuals that will go above and beyond to get results and those are the types of people they want on their team.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Dania, I just had one quick question- if a reputable agency really wanted me, would they pay for me to get to shoots? This is what my mother thinks any agency should do and I'm not too sure if that's how it works/if it's completely out of line for her to mention that to any agency. The last thing I want to do is come off as rude. Thank you!
March 19, 2012 at 1:24 PM
Dania Denise said…
Hi, Anonymous! You'll find the answer to your question in its own post, titled "Answering a Reader Question #337." Thanks for reading!
March 19, 2012 at 11:19 PM
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