I emailed a couple of agencies with a question

My biggest concern about my practice is my lack of a concrete tone of voice. I already mentioned that I've looked at some agencies but that I didn't want to contact them with a portfolio because of this, so I emailed Heart and Central Illustration Agency to instead ask about the importance of style/tone of voice. They got back to me the next morning:

They both say pretty much the same thing, that a style is a must for agency representation. But the emails were still useful and encouraging - Tess from CIA reminded me that most illustrators they sign have been in the industry for years so have had more time to develop their practice and Helen explained why a 'style' is so important, as well as recommending a book that I now intend to read.