Glad to share, eigenbom.
Basically I imagined a publisher could do these things, which I *could* do but would prefer not to
I totally get it. As an indie, you're already tackling a ridiculous amount of work. Even more so for you because you're handling code + art.
Still, let's look at what you want to pass off to a publisher:
marketingIf a publisher is willing to spend some money, fair enough (but get the exact responsibilities in writing). This is probably/hopefully something they're good at.
Then again, what (likely?) may happen is they just throw up a few banner ads and press releases. Stuff you may have to provide the content (art, feature blurb, screen shots, press kit, etc) for anyway. If you took the sales % that you have to pay out to the publisher, and just use that yourself to buy some ad space, it might easily go just as far or further without too much work.
demoing and promoting the game in the states (I live in australia)Tough one.
You're missing out big-time passing up any opportunity to demo the game yourself, and watch people play it. You'll learn more about your game doing that than almost anything else. Also, people will respond far more positively to meeting the developer than some publisher suit.
Personally, I'd prefer not to demo the game at all at a trade show, if I (or a trusted co-worker) couldn't be there myself.
distributionYeah, they
should be good at this.
The only downside here is losing the opportunity to make these contacts yourself, which will be valuable in your own future career as an indie.
interviews and general promo stuffMost media, and especially indie sites, aren't going to be too interested in talking to a publisher. They want to talk to the folks who made the game.
I know I'm painting a dismal picture here. And there's so many hours in the day. Another option might be to bring in another team member who can help with other tasks to free up some of your time. Maybe an engineer who can handle setting up all the builds for your various distribution platforms, and/or any ports (mac, linux, whatever). Alternatively, hire a business guy who can handle contracts, accounting, general numbers stuff, and help with community and marketing (but try to do the interviews yourself).
This way, you still maintain ultimate control over your game and finances.
I'm going to be cautious about who I sign up with (if anyone) and will be very mindful of the contract.
Alright, here's the last bit of doom and gloom I'll cast out today.
Rule #1: If it isn't in writing (contract), it means NOTHING.Many publishers will make all sorts of promises while talking, emailing, skyping, or whatever. They'll reassure your every concern. They'll act like your best buddy.
Don't buy it.
They might be lying. They might be telling the truth, but circumstances change when the shit hits the fan. The publisher could get into financial difficulty or even go bankrupt. The guy who made all the promises might not even work at the publisher a few months down the road. Get everything in writing. If you have a concern, and they say, "no problem, don't worry about it", your immediate response should be "Great! Let's put that in the contract".
Ok, rant over.
Apologies for taking up so much space in your project thread.
If you do self-publish, just make damn sure your game is stable and well tested before you release. This will allow you to switch gears into marketing and distribution mode once the game is ready for release. There's always going to be some fires to fight, but you don't want to deal with a buggy mess and handle a game release at the same time. I know this is obvious, but it can't be stressed enough.
