Thing is, the gatekeepers are typically there to make money, and they know their market.
So when you take their place and try to sell directly to the market, you typically find out what was motivating the gatekeepers, and much the same results shake out.
So, for example, you find that fan-fics are FAR easier to crowdfund than original works, just as it's easier to sell a publisher on a sequel to a successful work.