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Not having electronic files for a back list book isn't much of an excuse for not having an ebook. A couple of years ago I started to buy some out of print authors with the intent of scanning them and turning them into ebooks. At the time it seemed unlikely that they would ever appear as ebooks.
Using cheap, consumer type scanners (i.e. a Canon MP280) I could scan a book in about two hours or less. A quick run through ScanTailor to deskew, split and trim the images. Run the images through Abby Sprint (came with the scanner) and I have an rtf file ready to edit with Libre Office. Putting the scans with the text side by side to proof and correct save the file as html, run the html through notepad++ to clean it up and then load it into Sigil to create the epub. Total time for a 160 page paperback is usually less than 30 hours. And I do a damn good job. Better than many of the publishers. I have a Harlen Ellison book that I bought that has execrable proofing. I would have been ashamed to produce anything that bad.
A few years ago I scanned a series of SF anthologies that I had really enjoyed when they came out in the 80's. I sent the scans and files to the editor. He thanked me and said that he might be able to get them out in print again as ebooks. I'm sure there are many rights issues with old anthologies but I would like to see some of those stories out again.
I sometimes think that the publishers would rather not see back list books become available because their current offerings would suffer in comparison.
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