there are a lot of network effects which make it easier to publish from within academia
One of those effects is the intellectual sponsorship of people in legit academia, particularly professors whom you have an IRL relationship with and can recommend you to the editor. If not in school, I think this only works if you directly build on research conducted by contributors of the journal in question.
I would think in CS this would be easier, because professionalism is young in CS. I think it would be an order of magnitude more difficult in the humanities, where accreditation is far more entrenched.
One of those effects is the intellectual sponsorship of people in legit academia, particularly professors whom you have an IRL relationship with and can recommend you to the editor. If not in school, I think this only works if you directly build on research conducted by contributors of the journal in question.
I would think in CS this would be easier, because professionalism is young in CS. I think it would be an order of magnitude more difficult in the humanities, where accreditation is far more entrenched.