Last spring Amazon began discouraging customers from buying books published by Hachette. Hundreds of writers are now banning together. They want the Justice Department to investigate Amazon for illegal monopoly tactics.

EXCERPT FROM JOINT LETTER TO AMAZON BY AUTHORS UNITED: “Amazon is involved in contract negotiations with the publisher Hachette. About six months ago, to enhance its bargaining position, Amazon began sanctioning Hachette authors’ books. These sanctions included refusing pre-orders, delaying shipping, reducing discounting, and using pop-up windows to cover authors’ pages and redirect buyers to non-Hachette books. Russell Grandinetti of Amazon has stated that the company was “forced to take this step because Hachette refused to come to the table.” He has also claimed that “authors are the only leverage we have.” Andrew Wylie, whose client roster of heavyweights in literature is probably longer than that of any other literary agent, said he was asking all his writers whether they wanted to join the group, Authors United.   Wylie said, “If Amazon is not stopped, we are facing the end of literary culture in America.”Read more…

Joint Letter & List of Authors United