Signed with an Agent but Not Booking Yet

You have an agent. The auditions are coming in. You have had a callback or two, perhaps even a hold on a role. But months have gone by and you have not booked a single job, and now you are worried your agent will drop you.

This is normal. It is what the first year with an agent looks like for most actors. This page explains why, what counts as progress, and what you can do in the meantime.

How long does it take to book? #

There is no fixed time. Some actors book in their first month. Many take a year or more, even with several auditions every week. Some book a lot at the start, then nothing for a long time, then a lot again.

Working actors book roughly one job for every 20 to 100 auditions. If you have had 40 or 50 auditions and no job yet, you are not behind. You are inside the normal range.

Read more here: You'll Never Fail and Audition if you have this Mindset.

What counts as progress #

A booking is not the only result that matters. These are all good signs, and your agent sees them as good signs too:

• A callback. Casting has looked at everyone and wants to see you again. For most roles that puts you in the last handful out of a hundred or more.
• A hold. Also called a pin, a pencil or an option. The production asks you to keep the dates free while it decides. You are one of the final two or three.
• Casting asks about you. A casting director contacts your agent to ask about your availability, or mentions you for another role. They have remembered you.
• The auditions keep coming. Casting directors only keep calling in actors whose work they rate.

If you are getting these, you are doing the job well. The booking is a matter of time and of fit.

Why you can do everything right and still not book #

The final choice is rarely about who gave the best audition. By the last round everyone is good enough. The decision is then made on things you cannot control:

• your height or age next to the actor already cast;
• whether you look too much like another member of the cast;
• a change to the script, the budget or the dates;
• a producer or a broadcaster who wants a known name.

None of that says anything about your ability. Read more here: After the Audition is Over.

Will my agent drop me? #

It is unlikely while the signs above are there. An agent earns a commission only when you work, so an agent who keeps sending you out still believes you will book. The auditions themselves are the proof.

Agents do not usually let an actor go for coming close. They let actors go for other reasons:

• sending self-tapes late, or not sending them at all;
• being hard to reach, or slow to answer;
• turning down many auditions;
• being unprepared or unprofessional in the room;
• out-of-date headshots and showreel.

All of these are in your hands.

What you can do #

• Be reliable. Answer your agent quickly. Send every self-tape on time. Tell your agent in advance about any dates you are not available.
• Keep your self-tapes at a high standard. Good light, clear sound, a plain background, lines learned. Read more here: How to Self-Tape an Audition.
• Get an outside opinion. Ask an acting coach or a teacher to watch two or three of your recent tapes. A small, regular fault is easy to fix once someone points it out.
• Keep training. A class keeps you sharp between auditions and gives you something new to tell your agent.
• Keep your material up to date. New headshots when your look changes, new scenes on your showreel when you have them.
• Keep looking for work yourself. An agent is one source of auditions, not the only one. Tell your agent about anything you find and anything you book.

Read more here: 15 Essential Audition Tips.

Talking to your agent #

You are allowed to ask how things are going. After about six months, ask for a short call or meeting. Keep it practical:

• Is there anything in my tapes I should change?
• Is my headshot and showreel getting me the right kind of audition?
• Has casting given any feedback you can pass on?
• Is there anything else you would like me to be doing?

Ask what you can improve, not why you are not booking. Your agent cannot answer the second question, and nobody else can either.

Do this once or twice a year. An agent looks after many actors, and an actor who asks for reassurance every week is hard work.

When to be concerned #

• The auditions stop completely for several months, and it is not a quiet time of year.
• Your agent stops answering your messages.
• Your agent asks you to pay a fee to stay on the books. A genuine agent is paid from commission on the work you do.

If your contract is close to its end and you are unsure whether it will be renewed, you can speak to other agents. Read your contract first so that you know what notice you have to give.

Read more here: How to Find a Talent Agent: A Simple Guide for Actors.

You and your agent on enCAST #

If your agent has a profile on enCAST, the two of you can connect your profiles. Read more here: Agent-Actor Connections and Talent Agents on enCAST.

In short #

Callbacks, holds and casting directors asking about you mean it is working. Stay reliable, keep your standard high, and give it time.