I’d love to be just a bit more optimistic, however my thoughts on what can be done to improve book sales is, generally, "who you know" and "how much money can be put into PR"  

Sure, it's nice to do book readings and book signings but, really, unless you have a nonfiction educational book or one on a pressing subject or unless, somehow, you can get a newspaper or a radio station or television to do "a piece" on you and/or your book, other than those that may wander in, how else do you reach enough people to make or even begin to subsidize your living...

To be able to make a living from your writing?

Of course there's always Facebook and all of those "friends".

Of course if you can afford a "Facebook" Ad, that will reach 5.4 million people, then, yeah, you may make enough money to pay for your ad and maybe a bit more, but enough to quit your day job? In the long run, I think not.

Also, I do believe that the days of paper books are on the way out and, actually, Ebooks will and are the only way to go.

Sorry not to be more or even a bit optimistic, but I truly believe that now, with print copy books it is only "the bottom line” that counts and other than those authors that are known and followed, I do not see how anyone can make a sustained living as an author today.

Mark Lichterman