Hi, I'm a publisher and I'm really sad reading some of these replies. Yes we turn a $5 textbook into $500. And yes we don't pay the authors anything. In fact, we routinely work together to make sure they can't even go anywhere else and get paid. Yes, we exploit laws and have lobbyists in every government to protect our interests.
But we are people too! We have feelings! And it hurts to read some of the replies that blame us for being greedy. We are, but it still hurts hearing it. Please do better internet!!