If you start your company with public domain texts as I have done, you don't have to pay the author for the rights. (karencommins.com)
From what I can see, virtually all of «your» books consist of public domain texts to which you have added some (unknown) amount of original commentary. (madgeniusclub.com)
Alex Catalogue of Electronic Texts An online, easy - to - use library of public domain texts! (educationworld.com)