On the Bund at Zhongshan Road in Shanghai. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Robert Way
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Fiction in July: School Reading Lists in Sway
Those summer reading lists. Just when you start to see the arrival of some new books on China’s bestselling fiction charts as we did in June, the curriculum-driven course recommendations take over and we’re looking once more at classics of the classroom.You’ll find they include Luo Guangbin and Yang Yiyan’s Red Crag from China Youth Press (moving up 13 spots to No. 1); To Live by Yu Hua from Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House (at No. 2); and The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin from Chongqing Publishing House (at No. 3).
‘First Frost’
Additional familiar titles from the reading list include Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin (People’s Literature Publishing House), which was powered 10 spots up the list to No. 7 by the syllabi provided by the school system. And here’s Water Margin by Shi Nai’an and Luo Guanzhong (People’s Literature Publishing House); Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en (another from the People’s Literature Publishing House); and Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder in a new edition ( The Writers’ Publishing House).
In all, nine titles on the chart in July are from lists of reading recommends for students, and all were published before 2017. Nevertheless, our associates at Beijing OpenBook do point to two new entries on the fiction list, even amid the scholastic recommendations.
One is First Frost (The End) by Zhu Yi (Jiangsu Literature & Art Press) at No. 6, and the other is Bloom of Youth (The End) by Wu Zhe (Guangdong Tourism Publishing House) at No. 19. In both cases, as the titles imply, these are books published from “online literature,” the intensely popular digital serial stories of the region, published with that alluring “The End” in the title to draw consumers who have been following them.
‘Bloom of Youth’
In fact, it’s pointed out to us that there were eight titles drawn from online literature in the fiction list for July, most of them published in the last two years. The single title published this year is Wencheng by Yu Hua, coming in at No. 22 in July and published by the Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House.
The research team at OpenBook makes an interesting observation about this. Many of the newer, more popular books in China, they say, tend to lie in niche areas of interest. That makes it hard for such newer work to gain the kind of broad-based support needed to make it onto the bestseller lists–at least without the assist of some outside influence such as the celebrity endorsement that propelled Neil Gaiman’s story collection Smoke and Mirrors into view last month.
The trends in sales for both online and physical bookstore channels were similar in July, with summer-reading lists ruling the road–eight such titles in physical store channels and nine in digital retail. Much of the consumer base for the titles drawn from online literature, it turns out, are female students, on the younger end of the spectrum in middle school and on the other end in college.
July’s Nonfiction: Six New Entries
School students on a bus in Chongqing, June 13, 2020. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Hello ABC
‘Big Girl’
Six new titles were on the July nonfiction list, showing an unusual level of energy on the normally sedate chart.
- Close to The Buddha by Khenpo Sherab Zangpo Rinpoche, at No. 3
- 30 Minutes of World History in Cartoon (Volume 2) by Chen Lei, at No. 22
- Souvenirs Entomologiques by Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre, ranked at No. 24
- Take Yourself Seriously by Yang Tianzhen, at No. 25
- Big Girl by Yang Lan, ranked at No. 28
- Life Is Worth Living by Nakamura Tsuneko, at No. 30
Notice the self-help emphasis in three of those six: Take Yourself Seriously, focused on interpersonal communication; Big Girl, focused on women’s growth; and Life Is Worth Living, stressing warmth and strength in time of disruption, as in a pandemic.
A Second Sales Peak for Children’s Titles
‘Little Soldier Zhang’
In the children’s book rankings, the summer-reading season propelled some backlisted titles into view. What’s more, The collection of Lin Handa’s Chinese History Stories by Lin Handa and Xue Gang and Magical Kingdom of Numbers by Li Yupe have arrived with audiobook editions available on the Ximalaya platform. Our associates point to the trend of contemporary parents using both audio and video in their children’s reading, and these titles clearly hit the mark at No. 23 and No. 25, respectively.
And for those who pine for bestseller attention, never assume it can’t come late. Little Soldier Zhang Ga by Xu Guangyao from Changjiang Children’s Press, was published in 2016. “The book was selected as one of a group of ‘100 Patriotic Books’ chosen by five major ministries in China, and was included in the very long-named Basic Education Curriculum and Teaching Materials Development Center Reading Guidance Catalogue for Primary and Secondary School Students (2020 Edition) in 2020,” our associates write. “As a classic children’s book, it not only allows readers to feel the poverty and cruelty of wartime life but also the kindness, wit, and bravery of the main character, Zhang Ga.”
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from July of bestsellers in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books, followed by its lists of bestselling fiction and nonfiction in China by authors from outside the country. At the end of our article, as always, you’ll find notes on how the lists are constructed.
OpenBook’s Fiction Bestsellers, July 2021
| June 2021 Ranking | July 2021 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 14 | 1 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin,Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 5 | 2 | 9787530215593 | 2017-06 | To Live | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 1 | 3 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 2 | 4 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 3 | 5 | 9787229030933 | 2010-11 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787559455000 | 2021-06 | First Frost (The End) | Zhu Yi | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 17 | 7 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 4 | 8 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 6 | 9 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 10 | 9787020008742 | 1998-07 | Water Margin | Shi Nai’an, Luo Guanzhong | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 12 | 11 | 9787559452788 | 2020-12 | First Frost | Zhu Yi | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787020008735 | 1998-07 | Journey to the West | Wu Cheng’en | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 22 | 13 | 9787020090006 | 2012-07 | Fortress Besieged | Qian Zhongshu | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | The Writers’ Publishing House |
| 16 | 15 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Yilin Press |
| 24 | 16 | 9787555285298 | 2020-03 | Hidden Love | Zhu Yi | Qingdao Publishing House |
| 15 | 17 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787530216774 | 2017-07 | Ordinary Word | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787557024550 | 2021-06 | Bloom of Youth (The End) | Wu Zhe | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 11 | 20 | 9787506331746 | 2005-05 | Distant Savior | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 9 | 21 | 9787530216781 | 2017-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumns) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 8 | 22 | 9787530221099 | 2021-02 | Wencheng | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 30 | 23 | 9787506344791 | 2008-12 | Street Wizards | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 20 | 24 | 9787544285148 | 2016-10 | Malice | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787020008728 | 1998-07 | Romance of the Three Kingdoms | Luo Guanzhong | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 26 | 26 | 9787549276042 | 2021-05 | Aye | Yin Luxing | Chang Jiang Press |
| 10 | 27 | 9787515521763 | 2021-05 | Personal Notes of Wu Xie | Nanpai Sanshu | Jincheng Press |
| 21 | 28 | 9787544267618 | 2014-06 | The Devotion of Suspect X | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 19 | 29 | 9787550032859 | 2019-07 | You are My Desire | Qi Jian | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
| 13 | 30 | 9787550032071 | 2019-02 | White Olive Tree | Jiu Yuexi | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, July 2021
| June 2021 Ranking | July 2021 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 11 | 2 | 9787020116133 | 2016-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 3 | 9787544334792 | 2011-01 | Close to The Buddha | Khenpo Sherab Zangpo Rinpoche | Hainan Publishing House |
| 10 | 4 | 9787557024413 | 2021-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 2 | 5 | 9787549632725 | 2020-09 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (5) | Chen Lei | Wenhui Publishing House |
| 3 | 6 | 9787539999883 | 2017-03 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 7 | 7 | 9787559643926 | 2020-08 | Master of Learning | Li Zheyuan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 4 | 8 | 9787544387866 | 2019-09 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (4) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 5 | 9 | 9787544382045 | 2018-05 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (2) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 6 | 10 | 9787544382052 | 2018-05 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (3) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 8 | 11 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 15 | 12 | 9787557023041 | 2020-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Sui and Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 14 | 13 | 9787559313652 | 2017-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787540484880 | 2018-01 | The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo | Lin Yutang | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 16 | 15 | 9787559330260 | 2018-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Spring-autumn and Warring State Period | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 12 | 16 | 9787572201882 | 2020-08 | The Value | Zhang Lei | Zhejiang Education Press Co.,Ltd |
| 13 | 17 | 9787508095226 | 2018-09 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 9 | 18 | 9787559418111 | 2018-04 | 30 Minutes of World History in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 18 | 19 | 9787557020149 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Three Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 17 | 20 | 9787557017477 | 2019-02 | If History were a Group of Cats: Qin, Chu, Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 20 | 21 | 9787557020132 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: The End of Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787547739549 | 2021-05 | 30 Minutes of World History in Cartoon (2) | Chen Lei | Beijing daily publishing house |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787101127867 | 2017-09 | Translation and Annotation of the Analects of Confucius | Zhonghua Book Company | |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787544775830 | 2019-07 | Souvenirs Entomologiques | Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre | Yilin Press |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787559651211 | 2021-03 | Take Yourself Seriously | Yang Tianzhen | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 24 | 26 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | China Machine Press |
| 23 | 27 | 9787559639134 | 2020-06 | The Rise of China | Jin Yinan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787532179862 | 2021-06 | Big Girl | Yang Lan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| 22 | 29 | 9787540489304 | 2019-01 | Danshari | Eiko Yamashita | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787547734315 | 2019-09 | Life is Worth Living | Nakamura Tsuneko, Hiromi Okuda | Beijing daily publishing house |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, July 2021
| June 2021 Ranking | July 2021 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 30 | 1 | 9787534618727 | 1998-07 | The Straw Hut | Cao Wenxuan | Jiangsu Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 2 | 9787534633362 | 2005-05 | Bronze and Sunflower | Cao Wenxuan | Jiangsu Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 18 | 3 | 9787544288590 | 2018-06 | Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window (2018 Edition) | Tetsuko Kuroyanagi | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 4 | 9787559706522 | 2018-05 | The Foolish and the Unhappy (With Chinese Pinyin) | Ren Rongrong | Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 5 | 9787534256301 | 2009-09 | Dreaming of Being a Wolf King (2018 Edition) | Shen Shixi | Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787533299224 | 2018-10 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| 29 | 7 | 9787558900648 | 2017-07 | Winter of Three Hairs (With Chinese Pinyin) | Zhang Leping | Juvenile & Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787532767373 | 2014-08 | Charlotte’s web | Elwyn Brooks White | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 1 | 9 | 9787536574397 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Clever Little Prodigy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 10 | 9787020144532 | 2018-10 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | JK Rowling | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 11 | 9787556043576 | 2016-04 | Little Soldier Zhang Ga | Xu Guangyao | Changjiang Children’s Press |
| 6 | 12 | 9787536593749 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Game of the Wise | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 2 | 13 | 9787536574366 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Stratego | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 5 | 14 | 9787536593756 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Password Discovery | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787501605095 | 2011-10 | The Straw Hut | Cao Wenxuan | Foreign Literature Press |
| 9 | 16 | 9787536593459 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: ‘Have a Meal’ Restaurant | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 7 | 17 | 9787536593442 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Magic Lamp | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 18 | 9787536574373 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Great Adventure of the Castle | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 19 | 9787536574380 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Who’s the Smart Guy? | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 19 | 20 | 9787521726473 | 2020-12 | A Dog Named Money | Bodo Schafer | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787544824958 | 2012-06 | The Big First-year and the Little Second-year | Taruhi Furuta | Jieli Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787532767373 | 2014-08 | Charlotte’s Web | Elwyn Brooks White | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787514840469 | 2017-10 | Collection of Lin Handa’s Chinese History Stories | Lin Handa, Xue Gang | China Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787530749760 | 2011-02 | Grandma on the Apple Tree | Mira Lobe | New Buds Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787514801910 | 2011-05 | Magical Kingdom of Numbers | Li Yupei | China Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787533259617 | 2009-03 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787530761243 | 2014-11 | Dear Mr.Henshaw | Beverly Cleary | New Buds Publishing House |
| 13 | 28 | 9787536587731 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Trouble of the New Deskmate | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 29 | 9787536587762 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: If I Have a Time Machine | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 14 | 30 | 9787536587748 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Lot of Fun | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, July 2021
| June 2021 Ranking | July 2021 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 19 | 2 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 3 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| 3 | 4 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 6 | 5 | 9787544285148 | 2016-10 | Malice | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 7 | 6 | 9787544267618 | 2014-06 | The Devotion of Suspect X | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 16 | 7 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 10 | 8 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 2 | 9 | 9787559456021 | 2021-03 | Smoke and Mirrors | Neil Gaiman | Britain | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 13 | 10 | 9787544291224 | 2017-08 | After School (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 11 | 9787544297905 | 2021-06 | The Nameless Town | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 8 | 12 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| 14 | 13 | 9787208061644 | 2018-02 | The Kite Runner (2018 Edition) | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787544774666 | 2018-12 | Jane Eyre | Charlotte Bront? | Britain | Yilin Press |
| 18 | 15 | 9787544281102 | 2016-01 | Newcomer | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 9 | 16 | 9787532776771 | 2018-03 | Norwegian Wood (30th Anniversary Edition) | Haruki Murakami | Japan | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 12 | 17 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 5 | 18 | 9787555911425 | 2021-05 | The Mystery of the Alphabet | Seiichirou Oyama | Japan | Henan Literature & Art Press |
| 14 | 19 | 9787208061644 | 2021-03 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787540485337 | 2018-03 | Tsubaki Stationery Store | Ito Ogawa | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, July 2021
| June 2021 Ranking | July 2021 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 2 | 9787020116133 | 2017-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 2 | 3 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 4 | 4 | 9787508095226 | 2018-09 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 5 | 9787544775830 | 2019-07 | Souvenirs Entomologiques | Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre | France | Yilin Press |
| 8 | 6 | 9787111495482 | 2020-03 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 7 | 7 | 9787540489304 | 2019-01 | Danshari | Eiko Yamashita | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 9 | 8 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 14 | 9 | 9787547734315 | 2019-09 | Life is Worth Living | Nakamura Tsuneko | Japan | Beijing daily publishing house |
| 5 | 10 | 9787111635574 | 2019-10 | The Working Methods of Kazuo Inamori | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 10 | 11 | 9787540471194 | 2019-02 | Relationship: Bridge to the Soul | Christoper Moon | Canada | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 6 | 12 | 9787508660752 | 2017-02 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 20 | 13 | 9787301109489 | 2006-10 | A Global History: From Prehistory to the 21st Century (Vol.1) | L. S. Stavrianos | United States of America | Peking University Press |
| 12 | 14 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787301110522 | 2006-10 | A Global History: From Prehistory to the 21st Century (Vol.2) | L. S. Stavrianos | United States of America | Peking University Press |
| 15 | 16 | 9787210096528 | 2017-09 | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success | Carol S. Dweck | United States of America | Jiangxi People’s Publishing House |
| 13 | 17 | 9787220114045 | 2019-07 | Rich Dad Poor Dad | Robert T.Kiyosaki | United States of America | Sichuan People’s Publishing House |
| 19 | 18 | 9787535732309 | 2001-11 | A Brief History of Time | Stephen W.Hawking | Britain | Hunan Science & Technology Press |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787108009821 | 2014-03 | 1587, a Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| 18 | 20 | 9787115536198 | 2020-05 | Heart: Kazuo Inamori’s Philosophy of Life | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Posts & Telecommunications Publishing House |
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. With authoritative data and information resources, OpenBook is able to deliver consulting service to partners who would like to explore the Chinese book market and identify suitable partners.
Jiang Boyan LLC advises authors and right’s holders on global intellectual property and investment opportunities.As of January 1, 2020, OpenBook monitored more than 10,000 online and offline bookstores.
The online channel includes digital retailers such as large self-operated online stores, platform stores, and small- and medium-sized stores. The offline channels include 4,495 bookstores. Coverage includes most of the state-owned and influential privately owned bookstores in 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet are not included in OpenBook’s system.
In 2019, OpenBook tracked around 71.72 billion RMB in sales (US$10.1 billion).
Retail outlets 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 500 or more publishers in operation today. Most of them, Jiang Boyan CEO James Bryant clarifies, are government-owned. Private publishers are required to generate 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.
More China bestseller reports from Publishing Perspectives are here.
More from us on the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on international book publishing is here.