By Hannah Johnson
From China to India, Indonesia to Taiwan, international publishers are keeping a close eye on books, readers and new digital developments in Asia and South Asia. This region includes vastly diverse publishing markets, each with their own set of opportunities and challenges.
Our top 12 articles of the year on publishing in Asia offer a broad look at the region. Browse our Asia archive for more in-depth reporting.
1: The 17 Elements of a (Bad) South Asian Novel
By Jabeen Akhtar
Cliches about family, heritage, culture and dead grandmothers drives author Jabeen Akhtar crazy when reading novels about Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans or Bangladeshis.
2: In the Global Book Market, India and Brazil Remain Hot
By Roger Taholm
India and Brazil are the places to be for publishers, according to figures revealed by Nielsen’s Andre Breedt in a swift overview of the global book market.
3: Early Korean Literature Goes Digital and Free
By Dennis Abrams
The Literature Translation Institute (LTI) of Korea has placed 20 carefully selected works of early-modern Korean fiction online for free.
14 Buku Fixi: On Translating Bestsellers for Malaysia
Interview by Linda Tan Lingard
Young Malaysian publisher Buku Fixi is making waves, most recently with translations of novels by Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.
5: Chinese Book Market Snapshot: Bestsellers, E-publishing, Translation
By Tom Chalmers
Xiaoying Chu at Charlesworth (Beijing) Information Services Co Ltd details the booming Chinese e-publishing market and the strides being make by online booksellers.
6: Hindi Literature: A Fomenting Revolution
By Dennis Abrams
A new breed of writers in Hindi, many of them graduates of the prestigious IIT-IIM, are “seeking to become the agents of a new revolution in Hindi literature.”
7: Popular Japanese Books Remain Hot Properties Throughout Asia
By Dennis Abrams
Popular Japanese authors such as Keigo Higashino and Kotaro Isaka, and prize-winners, are being translated quickly and sold in South Korea, China and Taiwan.
8: In China, You Don’t Need a Publisher to Rake in the Big Yuan
By Dennis Abrams
China’s self-publishing portals are offering writers access to vast audiences and earning them staggering royalties, and turning some into multi-millionaires.
9: How Asia Specialists Crime Wave Press Opened to the World
By Tom Vater
Tom Vater, co-founder of Crime Wave Press, discusses the company’s early success in Asia, the confines of niche publishing, and the challenge of finding books.
10: How Japan’s Kinokuniya Innovates, Fosters Growth
By Roger Tagholm
Japanese bookseller Kinokuniya has implemented several innovative strategies to fight declining domestic sales, while still expanding at home and abroad.
11: China Licensing of UK Children’s Books Gains Momentum
By Liz Bury
Tight restrictions on foreign transactions did not deter UK kids publishers from striking numerous deals following the China Shanghai Children’s Book Fair.
12: Indian STM Publishing Worth $200m, 20% Growth, 2% Ebooks
By Vinutha Mallya
A snapshot of STM publishing in India, which represents 84% of the publishing industry’s profits in the country, from this February’s GLOBALOCAL conference.