In brief, a manager manages your career.
This includes tangible acts, like setting up meetings, giving notes and feedback, and assisting with deal negotiation, as well as the more abstract, like helping steer your career’s direction.
Managers, unlike agents, are not required to be licensed by the state. They usually have fewer clients than agents, and often take more personal and less business-focused roles in their clients’ careers. Managers, are allowed to take producer credits on their clients movies, which agents are not.
Like agents, a manager typically receives 10% of a client’s earnings. A manager should never ask for an upfront or flat fee.
In his First Person post on johnaugust.com, Justin Marks discusses his experience and provides a detailed account of what a manager does.