What makes a good agent?

Having a good agent means having a good partnership. Essentially the agent and the artist goes into business with one another.

In my mind a good agent is an advocate for the artist and acts as a consultant while letting the artist still explore their creative. I remember reading once on APE a comment left by a photographer that stated the rep should "carry your karma". It's about finding a rep who is going to match your talents and market them the way you might market yourself.

They are also the business end of the creative as well, maintaining relationships with agencies, art buyers, photo editors, etc. A good rep also realizes that it's not always all about money but about working on amazing projects that build the artist's creative repertoire.