I know exactly what you mean. And thank you for sharing our experience with a vanity press. I have a book on Amazon that I self published . It's The Marriage Wars by Leeanne Beasley Berry. My friends kindly bought it and I earned 77 dollars. I was thrilled. But after that, nothing. I know it's because I don't market. I have two other books that I havent' done anything with. I don't want to market. You can't get anywhere if you don't. so I feel your pain.