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The book I'm working on is titled State Names, Flags, Seals, Birds, Flowers, and Other Symbols by George Earlie Shankle. It appears that it's one of just two standard library references focusing on state symbols. Shankle's book is a classic, but it's horribly outdated; first published before WWII, it doesn't even discuss Alaska and Hawaii.
The second book, though much more recent, is also horribly outdated. Both books have a number of enormous flaws. I've spent a lot of time researching state symbols, beginning in the 1980s, and would give each book a C at best.
One thing that blows me away is the images. Both books have pictures of nothing more than the state flags and seals, and they're almost unbelievably crappy pictures - even in the newer book. The flag pictures aren't even in color!
The first book (Shankle) is in the public domain. It's sold by Amazon - but only the print version. I've found no evidence that an epub version exists yet. Mine will be finished in a couple weeks. Even if competition emerges, I think I can hold my own because my book will serve largely to promote my second book, which will be the definitive state symbols reference. I can also support my books with my websites, though they need a lot of work.
In summary, I think I've stumbled onto a unique opportunity. I'm extremely optimistic that my book will be well received; the only problem is navigating the maze so I can connect with libraries. I don't foresee any major problems selling my books via Amazon and iBooks. The second book will probably have a very large potential market, but I suspect the first book, largely because of its age, will appeal primarily to libraries.
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