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Thanks for the tips. I sent a more specific inquiry asking for written permission to reprint the entire book.
As for the value of the book, it's a classic reference that has been reprinted many times, at least as recently as 1975. It probably hasn't been reprinted since then because 1) libraries (presumably the primary market) are already well stocked, and 2) it now has competition from a more recent (though still outdated, not to mention poorly written) book.
I'm starting from scratch, writing a much better reference. But I thought it would be cool to practice creating epubs with the original book, which still has some value. The author's research on the origin of state names is notable, for example. His book is plugged on one or two major state symbols websites.
Also, I don't need to sell 10,000 books to succeed. If I could sell just 100 books directly (or maybe 300 through Amazon), I'd be satisfied. It would be nice to raise a little money that I could invest in my second book.
Having self-published a paperback long ago, I know that selling books is a racket, and I'm not sure if I'll even be able to sell 100 books. But I really have nothing to lose except the time I spent working on this project. My paperback was a very expensive disaster, especially after my distributor collapsed due to some major computer blowup.
I also have a Plan B: Give the ebook to libraries free of charge. That would be a great way to publicize my second book, which is really my primary objective.
P.S. If the current publisher isn't able to answer my questions, how do I track down the author's "estate"?
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