Amazon and Kindle

[Trustmeimadoggroomer17]

I've read alot about people sending their books of to agents ect ect... Just wondering why aren't people putting them straight on amazon or kindle then advertise yourself.?

Im starting to write my first novel and wondering how Togo about it really

I put mine on Kindle. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches, everyone needs to do the research and decide which will work best for them.

Personally, I prefer the traditionally published route.

I want an agent to deal with business side of things.
I want an editing team to get the work in the best shape possible.
I want the publishing house to do the publicity.

I also prefer the traditional route. Getting your book noticed is difficult enough with the backing of a publisher. I would hate to be on my own. Plus I want to write, not do marketing, layout, etc. I benefit massively from the publisher's experience and my books are far better than they would be if I'd done them alone. Deep down I probably also like the approval of being published by a big publisher!

Also, I write for children and not much sells on Kindle for the age groups I write for. Getting into bookshops and supermarkets is super important for sales. If I did it myself I'd have to pay an illustrator, editor, etc plus pay for a print run and all the risk that entails.

Agents sell all sorts of foreign rights for their clients. You won't be able to do this for yourself. Trade publishers get your books into bookshops and although most books are bought online now, a high proportion of them are bought online following selection in a real bookshop.

There are all sorts of reasons to take either route. But you're more likely to sell more books if you have an agent.