Kardashians trying to stop the publication of new tell-all book

The Kardashians are trying to halt the publication of a tell-all book. Photo / Getty Images

The Kardashians are trying to stop the publication of a tell-all novel about their family, according to the New York Post.

Page Six first reported that former family friend Kevin Dickson has written a book called Post Famous, featuring main character Zia Zandrian - who's eerily similar to Kim Kardashian.

Along with other oddly familiar plot points, Zandrian is urged by her mother to sell her sex tape for US$5 million.

Dickson, who's also authored two books about the dark side of celebrity life, Guilty Pleasure and Blind Item, is a former tabloid editor who mediated between the Kardashian family and In Touch magazine from the start of Kim's career until her divorce from Kris Humphries.

A source told the New York Post that at least one publisher had been threatened by the Kardashians' "strong-arm" tactics.

"It seemed a dead certainty that the deal would happen (with that publisher).

"Another author (who writes for) the same publisher even reached out to Kev to say that they were excited because they'd heard that they were (now both) going to be published by the same company."

But apparently Dickson's agent was suddenly and politely bypassed.

Sources at the publishing house said they'd been warned that they would face legal action if they published the book.

"It wouldn't be worth the hassle."

However, Dickson is said to be in talks with two other publishers as well as a studio who is interested in a TV adaptation.

Kim Kardashian's sex tape was released in 2007 by Vivid Entertainment, whose founder Steven Hirsch denies rumours that her mother Kris Jenner was involved in its sale.

But he confirmed that Vivid paid the star to release the video, though one of Kim's lawyers has said the figure of $5m was "greatly inflated".

Jenner has also denied leaking the sex tape.