Ten Tips for the professional model

Ten top tips for every model to know

By Monica Stevens, a professional independent model from Tampa Bay, Florida

© Copyright 2004 Independent Modeling. All rights reserved.

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Over the years, the models on staff at Independent Modeling have seen lots of E-Mails asking for modeling advice and some tips. We give our advice and opinions (oh, do we ever give our opinions, too!), and for the most part most take our advice and listen to what we have to say. After seeing some of the same questions asked many times, we finally compiled a tip sheet for the top ten. What does it take to be a successful model? Well, that really depends upon your perception of success. In general, however, it can be agreed that most models want to book a wide variety of work and not only make a living by modeling, but use modeling to open doors into other careers after modeling.
Here are our tips for being a successful professional model. Please note that there are opinions in these tips, but regardless if you agree with our opinions or not these tips will help you if you keep an open mind and consider everything addressed here in this article.

1. Do Your Homework.
Research before jumping into anything. The more that you know about someone before you meet them, the greater your advantage. By preparing and learning, you will position yourself to negotiate from a position of strength, which can lead to favorable business terms.

2. Avoid Model Scams.
Learn the behavior patterns and get the tools. Independent Modeling has the best model scam definitions and scam fighting tools around, and they can be used at no charge. The irony is that scams are not that hard to figure out and avoid. Communication tempered with knowledge is the key. Clarify terms, verify all references, take your time and make educated decisions, and use a little common sense. It is very, very important to check all the references that are brought up when you converse with another party, as many scams operate by misrepresentation, and will make up or embellish experience in order to lure you in. If they lie to you about their references and experiences, what else will they do that is dishonest? Additionally, models who are scammed and then misled into helping the scam swindle more models damage their reputation and professional credibility when the real professionals find out. You should also check into what they say if they claim ownership and make sure that they are not copying what others are saying. If they steal from others, they will steal from you.

3. Make Friends.
Network with real professionals, and try not to make enemies of them. Work on your communications skills. Many great connections are lost through breakdowns in communication and misunderstandings. It's ok to stand up for yourself when you need to, and it doesn't matter if you make unethical parties unhappy, as there is very little that they can do for you that the real professionals can. Be fair to your professional friends and respect what they do. If you are working on anything that is a conflict of interest or could be perceived as infringing on their rights, make a strong effort to keep the lines of communication open and get their blessing. Do not steal from your friends or disrespect their work, or they will lose all respect for you and your credibility will suffer. There are no shortcuts in this business, and those that take shortcuts do not have a career for long. Pay your dues, work hard, and network . There are a lot of politics in the modeling industry, too, and often it's who you know and their professional respect for you that can make the difference.

4. You Are Your First Interest.
Who better to look out for your interests than you? Unless you are the self destructive type, this can be the advantage that you can use when competing for those modeling jobs. Model managers are out and agencies are limited. In the past, a model agency was the only real way to book work and some models hired a manager to help them in their business affairs. That is no longer the case. While it is a little more work to book work on your own and operate independently, it is in your best interest to do so. Agencies are great tools to get leads, but not the only source. Work with several and get go sees on your own. For every job that you book independently, you make more money, save the company booking you money, and make a solid industry contact that may continue to book you in the future.
One of the reasons that agencies are regulated so heavily in Florida is the potential for abuse of models. Know the laws. In Florida (you will have to check other state laws if you are not in our state), for example, their money cannot be made from booking models into work unless they are licensed through the state, and that license makes the conflict of interest of making money by developing model portfolio tools and doing model photography illegal. In the same vein, a model manager cannot make money booking models into work unless they are licensed as an agency or working under the license of an agency. Isn't the point of managing a model making money by booking them into jobs, though? If it can't be legally done, where is the motivation to follow through on the promises of booking the model into work after the manager has made money from model photography and selling them tools? Can you see the paradoxes evident in these examples? It is not hard for the model to manage their own career and book their own work, and it is perfectly legal. With resources such as Independent Modeling's Professional Model Bureau, which makes models professionally accountable by providing references, businesses are more than happy to book models without an agency. Besides, after the agency sends the model to a go see, it still comes down to the model selling their look and booking the job.

5. Know Your Stuff.
The more that you know about the modeling industry, the better. Here is that "knowledge" thing again. You can learn from experience, but you'll make mistakes that might make your career harder down the road or cripple it altogether. It is better to study everything you can find on modeling and learn from the mistakes of others, rather than handicap your career potential by making yourself a target.
How do you discern the bad information from the good? Learn to cross reference. If the information is coming from reputable sources and more than one source is essentially saying things along the same lines, it is an excellent possibility that the information is good. Web sites and books are a great place to start. You can then start networking with established professionals and learn from them. Don't burn your bridges, though. Give credit to those who you learn from.

6. Time Or Money? Why TFP Is No Longer Worth It.
Aspiring models might think that it's a great idea to use TFP's to build a free portfolio, but in practice it is often more trouble than it is worth. Most professional photographers have a lot of time and money invested in their career and are too busy making money from their photography to mess with TFP offers. Sometimes, a professional photographer may offer a TFP for a special project or a look that they need, but this is the exception to the rule. More often than not, TFP's are offered by amateur photographers who are trying to build their book and work toward becoming professional. TFP's aren't all bad; if the photographer has talent and does good work, it might be worth it, but also this is also an exception to the rule. Professional models need professional photographers that can bring out their marketable looks, and it is unlikely that a TFP is going to do that. In some cases, TFP's can teach models bad habits, too. You get what you pay for.
One more thing about TFP's. Glamour and nude TFP's are risky. The more the risk, the more the photographer in question should be PAYING you. If you must do nude and glamour work for your glamour portfolio, make sure the photographer makes money doing photography, has good, verifiable references, and has commercial work in their portfolio.

7. Create An Effective Portfolio And Tools That Sell Your Look.
1. Commercial 2. Fashion 3. Glamour. As a rule of thumb, categories must touch one beside it for it to mix. Get it? 1 & 2 mix. 2 & 3 mix. 1 & 3 DO NOT mix. Models who try to use glamour images in their portfolio or on their comps to try to book commercial or catalog work deserve what they get, and their photographers or managers who advised them to do so need to leave the business. Why can't they book work? If you have to wonder, hit those books and return to this article at a later date.
The model must be aware of the differences in different kinds of photography and the different looks that their portfolio needs. For more on portfolios, Independent Modeling has several articles specifically about how to build one.

8. The $19.99 Free Modeling Web Site.
A free modeling web site for $19.99? Not quite as weird as it sounds. An effective modeling web site would consist of at least four main web pages; one ABOUT the model with a bio, their RESUME, an online PORTFOLIO with several of their pictures, and a CONTACT section. Web designers charge upwards of $100.00 per page and a design fee to make a web site, so the simple basic site just outlined would cost around $500.00, and that does not include the costs of hosting and updating it. Updating includes content changes, scanning and uploading new pictures, and more. Hosting can cost at least $10.00 per month for server space.
Keep that thought for a second. Keep on the same page so we can explain something and keep you from thinking what you probably already are. Remember the model scouting scams? Well, I know of legitimate model photographers who scout their own models, and that is not what I am talking about. The model scouting scams that I am referring to are real scams. What happens is these so-called model scouts go around walking up to anyone and everyone and tell them that they could model. They tell them to come to their office for an evaluation and consideration of a modeling career. When the aspiring model goes, they are hit with a web site portfolio listing that costs over $600.00 and with a maintenance fee of $20.00 to $25.00 per month. They are told that agencies go to their site to find new faces.
Guess what? This is not really a model "web site". The "model" has their picture placed in a database along with thousands of other average or below average people who should not be models. Even if they had potential as a model, it doesn't work since their profile is lost in a sea of other profiles, and that is beside the fact that no agencies really go there to look for models. The model would be better off uploading snap shots to a free model networking site instead of wasting their money. For more on model scouting scams, see our article on Independent Modeling, which will explain this scam in detail.
So, now that we have that cleared up, isn't $500.00 a long way from $19.99? Yes. Yes, it is. That's why the model can save all that money and spend $19.99 on a book that teaches them HTML and basic web design. It's easy, and it can be learned in one weekend. You'll even get an FTP program such as Cute FTP or WS-FTP to upload and download files from your server account. The money that the model saves from maintenance costs alone more than pays for the book and the time, and the model can even get web server space for free if they use free services such as Geocities. Books on HTML and web design are available at you local bookstore or at Amazon.Com. Independent models would be wise to learn how to do this. The more independent that you are and the more skills that you learn, the more your modeling career will benefit. Don't put yourself in a position where you have to rely on others and have them manage you in some way.

9. Cover All Your Bases.
The smart independent model leaves nothing untouched. The really good independent models who book lots of work and make a living through their career use everything that they can. They promote and market themselves to businesses and advertising agencies, work with as many model and talent agencies as they can, and network with professionals in the industry. The schedule of the independent model must be centered around getting that next go see and booking more work when they are not already booked.
The model needs the best tools in order to promote and market themselves, too. Invest the time and money into getting those tools. Work with the best photographers and look for value, being a blend of fair rates and quality. Many models get portfolio photographs for under $500.00, and it's hard to get cost effective beyond that.
After you have worked booked jobs and have experience working with professional photographers, do not drop the ball. Keep in touch with all of them on a regular basis. You never know where your next job lead will come from.
Don't underestimate modeling web sites, either. Modeling resource and online magazine web sites like Independent Modeling and professional networking sites like One Model Place are the ace cards in a model's careers, and such sites will enhance any career.

10. You Are Those You Associate With.
Most importantly, build and maintain the integrity of your credibility. The old saying that you are who you associate with is true. Even if you are not doing anything wrong, a bad perception of your professionalism because you associate with unethical people will hurt your career. Stay away from model scams, as they will take much more than your money. They will rob your professional reputation. In some cases, an aspiring model, out of ignorance, will get scammed by a model scam and then become convinced that she was never scammed by the smooth con artist that scammed them. He will tell them that others talk bad about him over jealousy and because he is better than they are, and he will spin it to make it look to the model as if they were not scammed. The model can become blinded by emotions, and then get help the con artist scam more models. In other cases, a model can book work with a company with a bad reputation, and that association will cause others to avoid booking them into jobs. It happens every day, and that is why models MUST clarify the intentions of so-called professionals and verify all of the references that they give before they work with them and become associated. The model who is selective about who they work with will have an easier time building a modeling career. Those who don't bother checking anything and jump at every go see that comes along are professionally irresponsible, and will cripple or destroy their career.
You owe it to yourself to find real professionals and associate with them.

-IM-

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The agency way is no longer the only way of having a professional career as a model. There is no arguing against common-sense and proven business practices. Modern professional models think for themselves, network, and book work both as independent models and by using agencies as one of many sources of jobs. This is the future of the modeling industry.

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