Emailing NYC Model Agencies for Representation
Agencies review hundreds of digital submissions every week. A clear, direct submission email gets your photos seen by open-call bookers. This checklist covers the format, materials, and follow-up rules for requesting an initial board interview.
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Standard Subject Line Format
Scouts sort incoming email by height, location, and division. Use your full name, height, city, and representation status directly in the subject line. Avoid clever phrases, emojis, or vague requests for coffee.
Format it as: Submission - Full Name - Height - City - Direct Booking or Representation.
The Four Mandatory Digitals
Agencies only require four clear shots to decide on an interview. Include a headshot, a profile shot, a waist-up shot, and a full-length body shot. Shoot these against a white or neutral wall without filters, heavy makeup, or studio strobes.
Keep file sizes under 2MB each so the email does not bounce or get flagged as spam.
Current Vital Statistics Block
Bookers need exact dimensions to match you to client boards. List your height without shoes, bust, waist, hips, shoe size, eye color, and hair color. Type these as plain text lines rather than attaching a graphic card.
Measure your hips at the widest point around the buttocks, not the pelvic bone.
Single Public Link for Video
Agencies want to see how you move before booking an in-person test. Provide an unlisted YouTube or Vimeo link showing a simple walk toward the camera, a stop, and a smile. Do not add background music or video transitions.
State your name, age, height, and current city directly into the camera before walking.
Ten-Day Follow-Up Protocol
New York agencies operate on tight seasonal schedules around market weeks. If you do not hear back within ten business days, reply once to the original email chain with a one-sentence inquiry. Do not call the agency front desk to ask if they opened the message.
Send new polaroids every six months if you are rejected, rather than weekly follow-ups.
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