Hachette claims that Amazon is deliberately delaying shipment of some titles up to a month in order to squeeze a better deal out of the publisher. Some authors expressed their frustration online today about this tactic they say Amazon has resorted to before. Amazon has declined to comment.
. @nkjemisin They've done this before: I've been hit by it at Orbit UK, Ace, and Tor on separate occasions. It's a hard bargaining strategy.
— Charlie Stross (@cstross) May 9, 2014
https://twitter.com/nkjemisin/status/464743191770431488
. @nkjemisin Given AMZNs near-monopoly position I think it's an anti-trust violation, but the US anti-trust regulators are broken.
— Charlie Stross (@cstross) May 9, 2014
One author reported a unique form of protest against Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
. @nkjemisin It's one of Mr Bezos' less charming behaviors. (And why I names a species of alien parasite after him in "Neptune's Brood".)
— Charlie Stross (@cstross) May 9, 2014
Another advised readers that they can bypass the Amazon delays by ordering from independent sellers.
Remember: If Amazon tells you that it'll be 2-3 weeks before a book is stock, your local indy bookstore can get it to you MUCH sooner.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) May 9, 2014