Model salaries and selection processes of the model booking
The process of a model booking is obviously the basis for a successful career as most models will only get paid for a job that they have actually got and that was confirmed by a booking. Only very few models get some form of basic salary from their agency and even if they do, it is a very small amount of money compared to the salaries that are otherwise possible. To be able to realise a booking, models have to fulfill different requirements first. Which kinds of requirements depends on the respective employer who is working on a campaign. If female models are in demand for a number of photos in a clothing catalogue, a good look that fits with the employer's identity is the most important part while other factors that may be important for other jobs are only in the background.
Especially for jobs that are only about photos, a beautiful face and most of the time a good-looking body that goes along with it are the most important factors, especially if clothes are supposed to be presented. To make any model booking possible, it is helpful that the model is on file with a model agency. Depending on the type of the respective job, there are some agencies who specialise in referencing unique models. If experience shows that some models are a good fit for shootings but are not as well-suited to catwalks, it makes a lot of sense to search for an agency that specialises in photo jobs. In this case, chances to get a model booking are slightly higher than by being on file with a different agency that has models for all different kinds of jobs. However, one should not generalise too much.
The process of a model booking itself is basically always the same. First of all, a client searches for an agency that he wants to use in order to find the model he needs. Especially in the international model business, it happens quite often that clients are not only searching for a one-time job but rather for follow-up jobs as well, therefore working with the same agencies. As soon as the agency knows what kind of requirements the client has for the model regarding the respective job, it can choose models who fit in with these requirements. After selecting them, the models introduce themselves to the client and in the course of a selection process, the client will then decide to work with one or several models. These will then be booked and paid for, usually by the agency.