I wrote that calling publishers 'middlemen' implies that they add no value to the end product.
"Navigating bureaucracies, advertising, shipping, placing the product in stores and generally connecting producer with consumer" add no value to the end product.
Repackaging and translation for local markets do add value to the end product, but those aren't activities one thinks of when mentioning 'middlemen'. Those services would typically be performed by a localization consultant, hired by the importer.
Merriam-Webster defines 'middleman' as:
An intermediary or agent between two parties; especially : a dealer, agent, or company intermediate between the producer of goods and the retailer or consumer
An importer is higher up the chain, acting as an intermediate between the manufacturer and the distributor.
"Navigating bureaucracies, advertising, shipping, placing the product in stores and generally connecting producer with consumer" add no value to the end product.
Repackaging and translation for local markets do add value to the end product, but those aren't activities one thinks of when mentioning 'middlemen'. Those services would typically be performed by a localization consultant, hired by the importer.
Merriam-Webster defines 'middleman' as:
An intermediary or agent between two parties; especially : a dealer, agent, or company intermediate between the producer of goods and the retailer or consumer
An importer is higher up the chain, acting as an intermediate between the manufacturer and the distributor.