Well, lets see...1 publisher didn't pay and licensed our title in countries they didn't have rights to, we sued, just recently won and now get to try and collect. Another went bankrupt with 250k of our cash. Accounting tricks from a 3rd publisher that we couldn't afford to go after...that pretty well did it.

There are 2 great foreign publishers and 1 domestic distributor I wish we had used:

Auran in Australia
Halcyon in Germany
Tri-Synergy in the USA

Best advice is only enter into agreements with people you really trust and who you know the background of. Contracts are only as good as your ability to enforce them...and you can never afford to enforce them.

Make your title before you ask for their money; a completed game is the best possible leverage you can have for negotiating.

That said, I'll do it again. Particularly with the above publishers/distributors. It's a great industry and a great feeling when people enjoy playing your game.

Best Luck.