A sort of quick-draw sketch of what they have to offer. There is nothing simple about the traditional publishing business, and that also holds true for epublishing. At the traditional end of the business, big publishers are routinely gobbled up by the giants as a first course before lunch. The afternoon snack is usually an author or two. In this league, market position reigns, pipelines are sacrosanct, and distribution is king.
Brand names carry the day, quality is often a relative concept, and middlemen are everywhere.
Epublishing is a different animal altogether, although not necessarily of a simpler ilk. Epublishers typically range from tiny to miniscule in relation to their New York brethren. Swallowing up their competitors is not yet an option, usually because funding is, at best, marginal. Authors are still a valued commodity among epublishers somewhat. Market position is only a dream, pipelines are virtually nonexistent, and distribution is really a dribble.