There are indie authors whose names aren't generally known who are making a living from their ebook sales, which is a very unusual thing for tradpub authors (making a living from their books). The big problem for me is that it's hard to know which writers you'll enjoy when their names are all new to you. However, there are some review websites springing up that can be very helpful to find things you'll enjoy. And at $1.99-3.99 per book, you can afford to take some chances on someone new. And don't forget, Andy Weir published "The Martian" as an indie book. There are some gems out there.
True. My wife knows a woman who makes a very good living by
writing churning out (truly atrocious) Harlequin-style e-bodice rippers.
The real problem is editing/editors -- a function that's being fulfilled to some extent by writer's groups. Some editing efforts are better than others -- Andy Weir's book apparently went through dozens of reader-inspired revisions before it hit the big-time, and it is much to his credit that he put in the significant effort that implies.
Books by "lone wolf" writers - those who lack people to provide aggressive feedback, or the patience to revise - tend to be pretty bad. The exploding-aliens style of science fiction tends to be particularly bad in that regard, IMO. Every alien seems to have chitinous skin and black gore for blood.....