Hachette Book Group is bulking up for a long-term battle with Amazon, the giant online retailer.The company is close to completing a deal in which it would acquire the Perseus Books Group, the country’s sixth-largest trade publisher, people briefed on the negotiations said Tuesday.The deal could provide Hachette more leverage in a monthslong dispute with Amazon over e-book pricing, and improve its negotiating position over the long run. As Amazon has grown to dominate the online book market, it has increasingly demanded that publishers cut their prices and pay higher fees.
via Hachette Said to Be Near Deal for Perseus Books – NYTimes.com.