FTC Accuses Amazon of Rigging Ad Auctions | Self-Publishing News (Sept. 3, 2026)

The FTC and 22 states are suing Amazon over allegations that the company manipulated its ad auctions and may have pulled more than $20 billion from advertisers. We're also covering Google's new Expert Intelligence feature for purchased ebooks, a study linking library ebook lending with lower retail sales, Libro.fm adding ebooks, and the 2026 State of Author Marketing survey. All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for September 3, 2026. 

• Publisher Rocket - https://DaleLinks.com/PublisherRocket (affiliate link) 
• Ars Technica: FTC alleges Amazon illegally made $20 billion by rigging billions of ad auctions - https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/ftc-alleges-amazon-illegally-made-20-billion-by-rigging-billions-of-ad-auctions/
• Google: Expert Intelligence: a new way for you to engage with trusted content - https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/gemini-notebook/expert-intelligence-leading-sources/
• Publishers Weekly: Google Launches AI Tool to Add Interactivity to E-books - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/101136-google-launches-expert-intelligence-adding-interactivity-to-e-books.html
• Publishers Weekly: Study Says Library E-book Lending Hurts Industry Sales - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/101167-study-says-library-e-book-lending-hurts-industry-sales.html
• Libro.fm Blog: Ebooks Are Coming to Libro! - https://blog.libro.fm/ebooks-coming-librofm/
• The State of Author Marketing: 2026 Annual Marketing Survey for Nonfiction and Memoir Authors - https://authorgrowthandimpact.org/the-state-of-author-marketing/?ref=369 (affiliate link)

Rapid-Fire Newsflash

• ProWritingAid - https://DaleLinks.com/ProWritingAid (affiliate link)
• Lulu: The Easiest Way to Sell Direct-to-Reader - https://www.lulu.com/sell/sell-on-your-site/buy-button
• GetCovers: How to Make Your Book Cover Typography Stand Out: 6 Practical Tips - https://getcovers.com/blog/6-typography-tips/
• Booksprout - https://DaleLinks.com/BookSprout (affiliate link)
• PublishDrive: Foundations for Publishing Success - https://publishdrive.com/foundations-for-publishing-success.html
• The Book Marketing Lab: Book Marketing on a Budget: What to Do with $25, $50, or $100 - https://www.thebookmarketinglab.com/Book-Marketing-Budget1
• Indie Author Day - https://indieauthorday.com/

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- Dale L. Roberts