The one experience I have with going through (a respected technical) publisher is that, relative to self-publishing, the primary benefit was that a lot of people took it as a bit of a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval with respect to book signings, reputational enhancement, etc. But the advance was pretty trivial and the editorial/marketing support was very limited.
It also imposed a lot of restrictions on pricing, length, and free distribution.
Obviously people do well by publishers but IMO it's hard to make a case that they're the vitally important gatekeepers they once were. YMMV of course.
It also imposed a lot of restrictions on pricing, length, and free distribution.
Obviously people do well by publishers but IMO it's hard to make a case that they're the vitally important gatekeepers they once were. YMMV of course.