It's very sad for the publishing industry. If they cannot find a system that allows authors to make a reasonable amount of money, they're not going to last long considering that it's much more convenient and less stressful to just publish your book online, if you're gonna do it for free (and is just as good for your reputation if you do it right).
I've made a reasonable amount of money from my book, and it's not all that popular. It wouldn't qualify as full-time work for me, but since I've written it I've had a steady stream of additional income. No complaints.
