How do agencies make their money?

A rep from a PR/marketing agency contacted me offering me their

services. I'm very leary of getting scammed so I have a few

questions:<br><br>

How do agencies like these usually make their money?<br>

What are some of the standard practices for agencies like these?<br>

What are some questions I should be asking them when discussing their

services?<br>

Are there any specific signs to look for to know that it's a scam,

con or rip off?<br>

Should I be expected to pay or front any money for their services?<br>

<br>

Any advice, tips or information would be gratefully appreciated.

By definition, an agent or agency represents someone with a product or service to sell in the marketplace. They make their money in the way of a percentage off what you make. This can run from 10 to 25% and even more. As for honesty, well, it's a crapshoot, so do some background checking. If they don't have a street address, a telephone, and a client's list, be wary. No legit, ethical agent or agency should ever ask you for money. First, get all their terms and ask for a few client's names and numbers. If you decide to go with one, get it ALL in writing. If they are not open and forthcoming, run for the hills like a frightened deer.

Kevin:

 

In addition to what Art said, also ask for references of other photographers the agency work with. Contact these people and ask how they feel the agency is working out for them.

 

As for the accountability part, most serious agencies will not have a problem if you - or your representative - wants to stop by the agency's office to go through the books and look at sales compared to payments to you.

 

Some agencies do indeed charge up front for things like high res storage, scanning, keywording but more and more these charges are becoming a thing of the past. Expect to still pay for things like catalog inclusion if the agency in question still produce a paper catalog and your image(s) are selected for it. These charges are most often offset against earnings though and not commonly charged up front.

 

If they want to charge you anything up front find out exactly what they want and what it's for and post here giving those details and I'm sure people will be happy to chime in and let you know if it sounds legit or fishy...