[SigilBear]

I found a classic, very popular library reference that is in the public domain and has never been converted to an epub. So I decided to jump on it, scanning it, creating an epub and at the same time adding a little content of my own (mostly corrections and updates).

I wondered if anyone could give me some suggestions for selling to libraries. For starters, I know it's important to get some reviews. How do I do that? Could I just contact some librarians and offer them a free copy of my epub in exchange for a review? And is a legitimate review something that only appears in a particular forum (e.g. a publication targeting librarians), or could I ask people to post reviews on my blog?

I've been told that many, most or perhaps almost all libraries don't even purchase epubs. Instead, they apparently subscribe to a service offered by one of two companies, Gale and (I can't remember the name of the other one at the moment). I've also learned that Gale generally doesn't work with self-publishers, only working with commercial publishers. So it looks like I could find myself effectively locked out of the system.

Can anyone shed some light on how this all works? Is there a good chance I could get Gale to accept my book if it's already an established and very popular library reference? Does Gale buy books outright, or does it pay an annual licensing fee or something like that?

Do you think it's likely that some libraries would indeed purchase my epub directly if they learned that it's a very popular reference and won't be available through Gale?

I've also considered the possibility of giving libraries a discount, which would at least help publicize my book. However, I'm not sure if this would create problems with other sellers. For example, would Amazon sell my epub for $50 if they know I'm offering it to libraries for $25?

I'm not asking anyone to answer all of my questions, but any tips that would help fill in the blanks would be appreciated. Thanks.