I very much appreciate the insights shared thus far. It has been very helpful to read through all these posts. Not sure I understand why this thread could be deemed a pipedream [except for the fact that pipedreams are probably good - at least they sound good
]. Sure, you may not have all your desires satisfied by anybody who comes through the door, but for someone - like me - who hasn't been in a professional recording environment (dealing with various personnel at various stages), this becomes a great guide so that things are done correctly the first time [allowing for at least ONE person to come in with things to your liking].
Originally I figured I'd mix the album I've been working on, but understanding the importance of the mixing stage, and understanding my inherent mixing limitations - both technically and asset-based, I am much more keen to have this done by someone who knows the deal. As such, this information in the thread is very valuable. It enables me to avoid pitfalls that piss mixers off, and, just generally, helps everything flow better. For instance, if someone designed coverart in RGB instead of CMYK, it would create hell for the printer - this leads to wasted time or a crappy final product (in other words - not so cool). The more help I can give to everybody at every stage, the better off we all are, and the better off the music will be. Now I'll kick the soapbox into the bonfire and cease my mutterings of such theoretical utopian pipedreams.