ADVICE FROM JENNY KING OUR MOST EXPERIENCED MODEL.

Some of our newer models have asked me to advise them how to get the best from their modelling career. There is so much money to be made in this business, but only if you’re sensible.

Girls who become successful models, that is to say, financially secure with plenty of work, I believe would have made a success of any other career, had they chosen something else. Being great looking certainly helps, but being great looking AND smart is a winning combination. If you act like a bimbo people will take advantage of you, give you no respect, and you will get nowhere.

I was a successful glamour model myself and am now a producer and TV presenter at Cable X Television. I am now happily married but still do the odd shoot if I am ever asked as I enjoy it so much. It’s great fun and gives me a huge buzz. Not to mention the great money.

Everyone likes working with Robin as he is professional, charming and generous. Robin can really boost your career if he takes an interest in you. Don’t be afraid to ask Robin for his advice. He knows a lot of people and is very good at guiding careers and can introduce you to the key people at companies such as Playboy TV.

My advice to all new models is the same. If you want to be successful and make lots of money, follow this advice.

Generally, if you are successful you will also become well known, or even famous, if that is what you want. Accept any work that is offered to you, work hard and always be professional. Always be punctual, don’t stay up all night clubbing if you have an early morning shoot. Keep slim and fit. Take regular exercise. Get medical check-ups at least twice a year. Keep away from drugs and don’t drink to excess.

DO NOT deface your body with large permanent tattoos or piercings. This will almost certainly lose you work. What you consider to be a beautiful tattoo, photographers and others (including future boy friends) may consider an ugly scar on your body. Tattoos are now known as “Tramp Stamps” in the USA as the fashion has changed and tattoos now recognised and the calling card of a prostitute. You may even agree in a few years time and deeply regret having followed a fleeting fashion fad. Temporary tattoos are great fun and quite acceptable.

SAVE as much of your money as possible. Set up a savings plan. Don’t be tempted to spend your hard-earned cash on expensive outfits, holidays, cars or high rents. Modelling can provide a excellent income but it’s unreliable, so don’t be afraid to take part time work while you are waiting for your next modelling job to come along. Many girls do promotion work, or table dancing, or office temping just to pay the rent so that they don’t have to dip into their savings.

DO NOT be afraid to discuss money on the phone before the shoot, or at the beginning of the shoot, before you start work. In fact, don’t start work until you have found out how much you will be paid, by whom and when. Always carry a little invoice book with you (buy from Rymans) so that you can give an invoice/receipt at the end of the shoot and collect your money then and there. Unless you, or someone else, know the photographer it is best not to leave the studio with the promise of a cheque being put in the post to you. Chances are you may never get it. Personally I never start a shoot unless I am happy that I will be paid in cash before I leave. But that’s just me.

Always get a receipt for your travel, for petrol or for any other money you spend in connection with work. Add any agreed expenses to your invoice/receipt at the end of every shoot and collect the cash or a cheque from the photographer or client before you leave the studio or shoot location.

Keep all your receipts and copies of your invoices to give to your accountant when it comes to calculating your end of year Income Tax. As a general rule you will pay about one third of all your earnings in tax at the end of the year, once you have passed the tax threshold, which is about £5,000 per year. Unless tax is deducted before you are paid by some of the larger organisations. I always suggest that you put about one-third of your earnings into a separate Building Society account until you need it to pay your Income Tax. That way you are earning interest on your tax money until you have to pay it.

DO NOT think that you can get away without paying income tax for years just because you’re a girl. Eventually the Inland Revenue will catch up with you and you could get a nasty shock and a whopping great tax assessment.

Once you start to earn great money (over £75,000 per year) you may need to register for VAT. Your accountant will advise you on this. Whilst collecting and paying VAT is a pain it does mean that you can charge and collect VAT on all your jobs and deduct VAT on all your expenses, such at clothes and make-up before you pay VAT to the Vatman.

DO NOT lend money to girl friends, boy friends, or anyone else, unless you are prepared never to see it again. Remember, you never know when the modelling work will come to an unexpected end, possibly leaving you without savings, or worse, heavily in debt. DO NOT let this happen to you. Chances are, no one will lend you money when you are broke, so don’t let other people take advantage of you when you have money in the bank.

AGENTS

A good agent will be a great asset in promoting your career. Speaking to other successful models is the best way to find a good agent. If other models are happy with an agent and the way they are paid, it is likely you will be too. However, some agents may expect you to sign an open-ended exclusive contract with them before they give you any work at all. I would advise against this unless the agent is prepared to GUARANTEE you a minimum amount of work, or money, each month. They almost certainly will not. Should you be persuaded to sign an exclusive contract this should be for a trial period of three or six months only, at the most. This will give you both the opportunity to see how you work together, how much work the agent can generate for you and how promptly you are paid. If you are happy with the agent by all means sign another contract for twelve months at a time. But if you are not happy with the amount of work, or the amount of money, you have earned during the trial period do not hesitate to end the contract in writing and find another agent. Make it perfectly clear that the agent is entitled to commission on any work they gave you during the trial period, but they are entitled to NO commission on work done after receipt of your Recorded Delivery letter. (See below concerning commission on work you find yourself).

I advise models to register with several model agents at the same time as this is the best way to get the maximum amount of work. In this way whichever agent finds you the most work will earn the most commission. Agents deduct 20% from your fee as well as charging the end client an additional 20% on top of your fee. So they make quite a bit of money. Agents all have their own arrangements for paying models but you should be paid no later than a maximum of 60 days after the end of the month in which you did the work. Bear in mind that the agent has to invoice the client and wait to be paid by them. This should take no longer than 30 days. Therefore the agent should pay you between 30 – 60 days after the end of the month. Some agents will pay you before they have been paid themselves, but they usually deduct even more commission from you if they agree to do this, maybe as much as 50%. This is why it is very important that you have savings to live on, or have another job, whilst you wait to be paid.

Beware of agents who do not pay you on time, or give you constant excuses why they cannot pay you. Keep in touch with other models registered with the same agent and compare notes with them if you suspect your agent is not being 100% straight with you. Agents do come and go and some have been known to collect money from clients before vanishing, or going out of business without paying the models. Therefore don’t be afraid to confront any agent who has not paid you for 60 days or more about whom you become suspicious. No well known, well established agents with a good reputation would ever do this. They will always pay the models on time, otherwise they know they will lose their best models.

Should this happen to you I suggest you phone the client, or the photographer in question, to check if they have paid your agent. If they confirm they have, get the details and then pay a personal visit to your agent! Tell them that you will not leave the premises until you are paid the money you are legally owed! Remember, modelling is a business and everyone MUST act in a professional, businesslike manner, especially your agent. My experience in these cases is that only those models who make a “fuss” about being paid will actually get paid. Those who don’t, may get ripped off by dodgy agents. The answer is only to work with reputable agents. Those who have the best clients, and those whose models are very happy with their agent over a long period of time.

Alternatively, find as much work as you can yourself, as well as having agent(s), or not. This way you will earn more money by saving the 20% commission deducted by the agent. The client will also save the 20% normally charged on top by the agent. If you find the work yourself by phoning clients, by sending off your photos yourself, or through your website, you are under no obligation to put the invoice through any agent. However, be very careful if you do sign an “exclusive” contract with an agent as this usually means you must pay them commission even on any work you find yourself. This seems very unfair, so if you do not wish to do this, make sure you remove this clause from the contract.

Don’t hesitate to Email Robin or me if you have any problems with agents as we will probably have experienced the problem before. All the agents listed on our LINKS page are considered reliable and reputable.

Finally, good luck, and enjoy yourself ! This is a great business where you can make lots of money and many good friends.

Jenny xxx

Email me or Amy any time if you have a question or would like advice : amy@glamourmodelstudio.com