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By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Supportive Messages for Young Adults
The title to watch in the May bestsellers list from China, according to our Trajectory colleague Wendy Pan, is Sophie’s World by the Norwegian novelist and short story writer Jostein Gaarder in a newly published Chinese edition from Writer’s Publishing House.
‘Sophie’s World’
It’s a 1991 work of fiction that entered the OpenBook listings for the first time in April and now is seen rising seven spots in May to become No 12. Released in English in 1995 and said to have been translated into more than 50 languages and was given a film treatment in 1999.
Gaarder uses the devices of letters, questions, and dialogues to tell his story. Chinese readers, we’re told, are enjoying this fictional approach to an explanation of Western philosophical tenets.
Pan tells us that the Chinese readership is accustomed to popularly written forms of academic and theoretical content, coming at times under the umbrella of self-help books, which we last month discussed as finding a lot of favor with urban youth in China this year.
A new entry this month at No. 13 in the overall fiction chart—just behind Gaarder—is the popular writer Zhang Haochen’s Up to You.
‘Up to You’
It was released in May to coincide with the birthday of the author, the book is performing as expected, we’re told, as an immediate bestseller.
Zhang’s riding on the previous success of his Just for Meeting You, which carries emotionally supportive messages for young adult readers about having faith in love and being unafraid of affection.
The readers of Zhang Haochen’s work appreciate his reassurance that emotional satisfaction and authenticity are possible in what many of them experience as a very fast-paced contemporary life.
And meanwhile, in nonfiction, we find Chen Lei’s World History in 30 Minutes of Cartoons at No. 2 in May.
The book, a companion to Chinese History in 30 Minutes of Cartoons (No. 4), features what’s described as a collection of cartoons that cover “the rise and fall of world civilization and the divisiveness of political relations between many countries, all in a form of minimalist world history.
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from May of bestsellers in fiction and nonfiction, followed by its lists of bestselling fiction and nonfiction in China by authors from outside the country, which are of interest, of course, to those who are looking to sell rights into the huge Chinese market.
At the end of our article, as always, you’ll find notes on how the lists are constructed.
OpenBook’s Overall Fiction Bestsellers in China, May 2018
| April 2018 Ranking | May 2018 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787506365437 | 201006 | To Live | Yu hua | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 2 | 2 | 9787544270878 | 201404 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store | Higashino Keigo | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 15 | 3 | 9787559608949 | 201709 | I’m Waiting for You in Future | Liu Tong | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 5 | 4 | 9787536692930 | 200801 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 7 | 5 | 9787536693968 | 200805 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 6 | 6 | 9787229030933 | 201011 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 3 | 7 | 9787208061644 | 200604 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 8 | 9787530215593 | 201706 | To Live | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 9 | 9 | 9787550013247 | 201505 | Ferryman | Claire McFall | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
| 4 | 10 | 9787544291170 | 201708 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 11 | 9787506344791 | 200812 | Street Wizards | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 20 | 12 | 9787506394864 | 201709 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 13 | 9787201130903 | 201805 | Up To You | Zhang Haochen | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 13 | 14 | 9787550024212 | 201709 | Trespassers | Claire McFall | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
| 14 | 15 | 9787544291163 | 201708 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Version) | Higashino Keigo | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 24 | 16 | 9787544285148 | 201610 | Malice | Higashino Keigo | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 12 | 17 | 9787530216781 | 201706 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumns) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 16 | 18 | 9787544267618 | 201406 | The Devotion of Suspect X | Higashino Keigo | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 11 | 19 | 9787500601593 | 200508 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin,Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 22 | 20 | 9787020090006 | 201207 | Fortress Besieged | Qian Zhongshu | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 10 | 21 | 9787539971810 | 201504 | The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry | Gabrielle Zevin | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787506384209 | 201511 | Street Wizards (2) | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 23 | 23 | 9787540455958 | 201206 | The Shadow Thief | Marc Levy | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 19 | 24 | 9787513312103 | 201306 | The Seventh Day | Yu hua | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787556212743 | 201506 | It Is You I Love | Qiao Yi | Hunan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787556236633 | 201804 | Douluo Continent III: Legend of the Dragon King(26) | Tang Jia San Shao | Hunan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 29 | 27 | 9787539983295 | 201510 | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 28 | 28 | 9787506365680 | 201212 | Chronicle of a Blood Merchant | Yu hua | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 26 | 29 | 9787559614636 | 201712 | Fang Si-Qi’s First Love Paradise | Lin Yihan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 18 | 30 | 9787544277617 | 201506 | Love in the Time of Cholera | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
OpenBook’s Overall Nonfiction Bestsellers in China, May 2018
| April 2018 Ranking | May 2018 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 3 | 1 | 9787503561634 | 201708 | Xi Jinping’s Seven Years as an Educated Youth | Party School of the Central Committee of C.P.C | Central Party School Press |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787559418111 | 201804 | 30 Minutes of World History in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 2 | 3 | 9787201094014 | 201509 | Six Records of a Floating Life | Shen Fu | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 9 | 4 | 9787539999883 | 201703 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon | Er Hunzi | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 1 | 5 | 9787550263932 | 201511 | Genius on the Left, Lunatic on the Right (Full Version) | Gao Ming | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 7 | 6 | 9787508684031 | 201712 | Principles | Ray Dalio | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 7 | 9787550268517 | 201607 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 6 | 8 | 9787540482190 | 201708 | I Won’t | Da Bing | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 11 | 9 | 9787535488473 | 201605 | Walk Alone Freely | Jia Pingwa | Changjiang Literature & Art Press Co.,Ltd. |
| 8 | 10 | 9787535732309 | 200111 | A Brief History of Time | Stephen W.Hawking | Hunan Science & Technology Press |
| 14 | 11 | 9787559407634 | 201803 | Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things | Jenny Lawson | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 4 | 12 | 9787514219203 | 201709 | The Willpower Instinct (New Edition) | Kelly McGonigal | Cultural Development Publishing House |
| 10 | 13 | 9787201088945 | 201412 | No More Than Skins | Cai Chongda | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 25 | 14 | 9787508086156 | 201511 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 5 | 15 | 9787108042453 | 201209 | We Three | Yang Jiang | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| 13 | 16 | 9787540468798 | 201409 | Take It Easy | Da Bing | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 22 | 17 | 9787549550173 | 201401 | Seeing Off | Long Yingtai | Guangxi Normal University Press |
| 15 | 18 | 9787540472238 | 201507 | May You | Da Bing | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 12 | 19 | 9787540476892 | 201607 | Goodwill | Da Bing | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787020130702 | 201708 | The Reader (Vol.1) | Dong Qing | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 26 | 21 | 9787508684604 | 201801 | Vision | Wu Jun | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 16 | 22 | 9787540467784 | 201406 | The Art of Speaking of Kevin Tsai | Kevin Tsai | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 17 | 23 | 9787530216712 | 201704 | A Unique Pig | Wang Xiaobo | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 24 | 24 | 9787549550159 | 201401 | My Child, Just Take Your Time | Long Yingtai | Guangxi Normal University Press |
| 21 | 25 | 9787530214787 | 201704 | The Stories of the Sahara | Echo | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787020130726 | 201708 | The Reader (Vol.3) | Dong Qing | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787020130719 | 201708 | The Reader (Vol.2) | Dong Qing | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 29 | 28 | 9787533951092 | 201712 | What is EQ? | Li Xiaoyi | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| 18 | 29 | 9787508660752 | 201702 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787508682624 | 201710 | The Decade of Surge with Big Fishes and Flooding Water | Wu Xiaobo | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers in China, Man 2018
| April 2018 Ranking | May 2018 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787544270878 | 201404 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 2 | 2 | 9787208061644 | 200604 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 3 | 9787550013247 | 201505 | Ferryman | Claire McFall | Britain | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
| 3 | 4 | 9787544291170 | 201708 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 11 | 5 | 9787506394864 | 201709 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 6 | 9787550024212 | 201709 | Trespassers | Claire McFall | Britain | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
| 7 | 7 | 9787544291163 | 201708 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Version) | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 14 | 8 | 9787544285148 | 201610 | Malice | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 8 | 9 | 9787544267618 | 201406 | The Devotion of Suspect X | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 5 | 10 | 9787539971810 | 201504 | The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry | Gabrielle Zevin | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 13 | 11 | 9787540455958 | 201206 | The Shadow Thief | Marc Levy | France | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 16 | 12 | 9787539983295 | 201510 | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 10 | 13 | 9787544277617 | 201506 | Love in the Time of Cholera | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 15 | 14 | 9787544291224 | 201708 | After School (2017 Version) | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 17 | 15 | 9787539982830 | 201506 | Everything I Never Told You | Celeste Ng | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 9 | 16 | 9787532742929 | 200707 | Norwegian Wood | Haruki Murakami | Japan | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 17 | 9787544760874 | 201610 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Jules Verne | France | Yilin Press |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787544281102 | 201601 | Newcomer | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 20 | 19 | 9787544258210 | 201710 | Naoko | Higashino Keigo | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787020138746 | 201804 | Origin | Dan Brown | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers in China, May 2018
| April 2018 Ranking | May 2018 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 2 | 1 | 9787508684031 | 201712 | Principles | Ray Dalio | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787550268517 | 201607 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 3 | 3 | 9787535732309 | 200111 | A Brief History of Time | Stephen W.Hawking | Britain | Hunan Science & Technology Press |
| 4 | 4 | 9787559407634 | 201803 | Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things | Jenny Lawson | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 1 | 5 | 9787514219203 | 201709 | The Willpower Instinct (New Edition) | Kelly McGonigal | United States of America | Cultural Development Publishing House |
| 6 | 6 | 9787508086156 | 201511 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 8 | 7 | 9787508672069 | 201701 | Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787220102912 | 201709 | Rich Dad, Poor Dad | Robert T.Kiyosaki | United States of America | Sichuan People’s Publishing House |
| 11 | 9 | 9787108009821 | 199807 | 1587, a Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| 5 | 10 | 9787301109489 | 200610 | A Global History: From Prehistory to the 21st Century (Vol.1) | L. S. Stavrianos | United States of America | Peking University Press |
| 9 | 11 | 9787535733597 | 200202 | The Universe in a Nutshell | Stephen W.Hawking | Britain | Hunan Science & Technology Press |
| 7 | 12 | 9787301110522 | 200610 | A Global History: From Prehistory to the 21st Century (Vol.2) | L. S. Stavrianos | United States of America | Peking University Press |
| 10 | 13 | 9787514208788 | 201307 | The Willpower Instinct (Hardcover) | Kelly McGonigal | United States of America | Cultural Development Publishing House |
| 12 | 14 | 9787508660752 | 201702 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 17 | 15 | 9787508650890 | 201505 | Who Moved My Cheese? | Spencer Johnson | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 14 | 16 | 9787544762885 | 201604 | 84, Charing Cross Road | Helene Hanff | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| 13 | 17 | 9787513903509 | 201411 | Jerusalem: The Biography | Simon Sebag Montefiore | Britain | Democracy and Construction Press |
| 16 | 18 | 9787544760850 | 201701 | Michelangelo / Tolstoy / Beethoven | Romain Rolland | France | Yilin Press |
| 15 | 19 | 9787550216495 | 201308 | A Brief History of Time in Graphic | Stephen W.Hawking | Britain | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 19 | 20 | 9787559414311 | 201802 | Buddhist Style: How to Be Happy | Kusanagi Ryushun | Japan | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
Notes on the Charts
OpenBook
is a privately owned industry-data research firm based in Beijing. It functions somewhat as Nielsen and NDP do from the West, and Nielsen Book Research International has worked with OpenBook in Asian operations.
Trajectory, based near Boston, is an importer of Western-language ebooks and audiobooks into China. Trajectory is also helping China’s largest publishers export their books and audiobooks through a proprietary global ebook distribution network that includes hundreds of retailers as well as library and school distributors.
This data is estimated by OpenBook to represent some 30 to 40 percent of the total sales activity in China. OpenBook draws point-of-sale data from a total 3,435 stores located in 1,410 cities. These stores include:
- Traditional bookstores
- Supermarkets
- Campus bookstores
- “Professional” stores, said to be small stores with a specific industrial or trade focus
- Airport stores
In addition, OpenBook is drawing data from online bookstores of three main types:
- The “Tmall” stores of Alibaba (Tmall is described as a marketplace of companies that create storefronts online to sell products including books)
- The “JingDong” Stores of JD.com (similar to Tmall as a marketplace of both individual companies and bookstores operated by JD.com)
- Ten independent online bookselling retailers
China has some 500 or more publishers in operation today. Most of them, Trajectory CEO James Bryant clarifies, are government-owned. Private publishers are required to purchase ISBNs for their titles from a publishing company that is government-owned—which, in other words, creates a system in which all ISBNs are in one way or another registered through government channels. The government approves each book published in China.