Stephen King says writers hurt by book publishing mergers

WASHINGTON — Stephen King, whose bestselling works have been adapted into films, spoke up for writers and testified that they will have fewer places to shop their books if Penguin Random House is allowed to merge with Simon & Schuster, in a trial on Tuesday to determine if the deal may go forward.

In a trial that began on Monday, the United States Justice Department is trying to convince a federal judge to block a $2.2 billion merger of two of the “Big Five” book publishers. It has argued the deal would lead to lower advances for some authors who earn $250,000 or more rather than a more traditional argument that consumers would pay more for books.

King, author of “The Shi…

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