PostEaseWhat a manager does
A talent manager typically handles brand outreach, negotiation, and coordination on behalf of a creator, in exchange for a percentage of the deals they help close. The real value is less about access to opportunities a creator could never find alone, and more about time saved and negotiating strength on deals a creator is often already capable of landing themselves.
Know your own numbers before signing anything
Understand your own value first: engagement rate, past deal rates, audience makeup. With those numbers in hand you can evaluate whether a manager is adding something beyond what you could achieve independently, rather than taking a percentage for work you could reasonably do yourself.
A right-sized manager matters more than a well-known one
A manager whose existing roster and relationships are a genuine fit for a creator's specific niche and scale tends to deliver more real value than a larger, more prominent agency where a smaller creator gets comparatively little attention.
Get the terms in writing, specifically
The percentage taken, which deals it applies to, the length of the commitment, and how to exit the arrangement should all be in writing before starting. A vague or informal arrangement tends to cause problems once real money and real deals are involved.