A petition with 900 signatures circulates the negotiation rounds between online retailer Amazon and U.S. publisher Hatchett Book Group. According to CBCNEWS, the petition started by Author Douglas Preston asks Amazon to stick with the corporate backroom and leave writers out of it. The dispute centers around Amazon’s belief  e-book pricing should be lowered while Hatchett wants prices to rise.

In fact, Amazon stated in a “Dear Readers” letter,” that Hatchett was guilty of illegally colluding with competitors to hike e-book pricing, an action that greatly disrespects the community of loyal readers and has costed associated parties $166 million in restitution. The letter goes onto to explain that writers are divided on the issue, concerned that lower pricing would  “devalue” books and “hurt the Arts.” Amazon does not share this concern saying it was “just wrong,” arguing a radical change in pricing can create an “elastic,” revenue that can also eliminate waste, aiding the Arts and authors.

Another petition started by different group of authors and aimed at Hachette, titled “Stop Fighting Low Prices and Fair Wages,” garnered over 7,600 signatures showing support of low prices to help build a healthy reading culture.

The letter concluded that while Amazon understands writers demand to be left out it, it also claims it has reached out to Hatchett multiple times to no avail. Amazon has offered up more than one solution to keep writers at ease, fully supporting Authors be taken out the middle. At the same time, Hatchett also claims Amazon is the one at fault for using writers for leverage, with 900 writers who agree.