The Gobi Desert dunes at Ejina in the Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Sihasak Prachum
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Series have Staying Power on China’s Lists
The new Warner Bros. adaptation by Jon Spaights and director Denis Villenueve of Frank Herbert’s 1965 Dune was released on October 22 in China. With Hans Zimmer’s exhilarating score, Patrice Vermette’s design, and the complex performance of Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) as Paul Atreides, the film seems to be working its windswept magic on the Chinese readership.
‘Dune’
Dune in an edition from Jiangsu Literature & Art Press has entered the overall fiction list at No. 19 in November, just as in the United States, the film tie-in edition (Penguin Random House/Ace Books) has arrived at No. 2 on the Most Read Amazon Charts and No. 7 in Most Sold.
Our associates at Beijing OpenBook note that the book has been published in China before now, although the interest driving it onto the lists is clearly related to the film release. The edition you see at No. 19 in overall fiction–and moving up a spot from No. 5 to No. 6 on the international fiction bestseller list–was first released in 2016.
The real question becomes how much staying power something like a film-fueled Dune can be expected to show on the Chinese list.
Those who regularly follow our lists will see that the top three positions in November were occupied by the 2008 The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. It’s followed by its series-mates, The Dark Forest and Death’s End at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. This can be interpreted to be a reflection of Dune-prompted science-fiction interest, of course, but Liu’s trilogy has been charting for decades and these books are some of the cluster of the most reliably popular in the Chinese book industry.
’30 Minutes of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in Cartoon’
What the OpenBook team describes as a condition of “insufficient hot spots” remains in sway on the Chinese lists. New work seems to have a tough time displacing the relatively recent “classics” that dominate this market’s slowly moving –most of these titles dating from the mid-20th century. “If a new book wants to be known by more readers,” our associates say in their discussion of the November charts, “it must overcome the existing bestsellers and gain an advantage. And that increases the difficulty of selling new authors and new works” who don’t come with their own following already intact.
And in nonfiction, there are parallels to the fiction dynamics, though they take a different form.
In November’s nonfiction list, you’ll see no fewer than five of Chen Lei’s “30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon” series at Nos. 1 to 7. There are at least four more related Chen titles on the list, just not charting together.
And then from No. 3 to No. 7. And lower on the list, here are eight titles from Fei Zhi’s “If History Were a Group of Cats” series from Guangdong Tourism Publishing House. They’re on the list from Nos. 8 to 15. This means that more than a third of the nonfiction list is being held by novelty/humorous approaches to historical topics. It also shows impressive loyalty among consumers to authors and series they like.
‘Treasure Hunting in Heilongjiang’
And in children’s books, you’ll see a total 16 titles from Bei Mao, the Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House’s “Mi Xiaoquan” series, a solid wall of dominance over half the list. Another series, Treasure Hunting in China from the 21st Century Press Group, has entered the children’s list with five titles.
In what surely qualifies as a handsome understatement, the OpenBook team says that all this “once again shows the strength of the well-known series of books.” And that’s why Dune‘s Chinese publisher, Jiangsu Literature & Art Press, may be pleased to see the second title in Herbert’s six-book series, Dune Messiah, a 2017 arriving at No. 8 on the foreign-author fiction list. If Jiangsu Literature can rumble up enough market enthusiasm for the late Frank Herbert’s series, the Chinese readership may go all-in as it’s done for other series, and give the Arrakis saga the run it deserves.
Below, then, are OpenBook’s lists from November 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, November 2021
| October 2021 Ranking | November 2021 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 5 | 1 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 7 | 2 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 8 | 3 | 9787229030933 | 2010-11 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 1 | 4 | 9787506331746 | 2005-05 | Distant Savior | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 5 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 3 | 6 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 7 | 9787530220481 | 2021-05 | Ordinary Word (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 28 | 8 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 9 | 9787572602825 | 2021-08 | Always Have, Always Will | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 2 | 10 | 9787530215593 | 2017-06 | To Live | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 9 | 11 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes) (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787506368698 | 2013-06 | The World Under the Sky | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 14 | 13 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Yilin Press |
| 11 | 14 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 10 | 15 | 9787559614636 | 2017-12 | Fang Si-Qi’s First Love Paradise | Lin Yihan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 23 | 16 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 16 | 17 | 9787020008735 | 1998-07 | Journey to the West | Wu Cheng’en | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 12 | 18 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787539967363 | 2016-12 | Dune | Frank Herbert | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 20 | 20 | 9787530219218 | 2019-02 | A Wavy Life | Mai Jia | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 18 | 21 | 9787544267618 | 2014-06 | The Devotion of Suspect X | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 22 | 22 | 9787544285148 | 2016-10 | Malice | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 24 | 23 | 9787020164776 | 2020-07 | A Late Bloomer | Mo Yan | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 13 | 24 | 9787020090006 | 2012-07 | Fortress Besieged | Qian Zhongshu | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 15 | 25 | 9787530221099 | 2021-02 | Wencheng | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 19 | 26 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 21 | 27 | 9787559455000 | 2021-06 | First Frost (The End) | Zhu Yi | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787540491949 | 2019-06 | I Belonged to You (Revised Edition) | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 17 | 29 | 9787555285298 | 2020-03 | Hidden Love | Zhu Yi | Qingdao Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, November 2021
| October 2021 Ranking | November 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 |
| 8 | 2 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 3 | 3 | 9787539999883 | 2017-03 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 4 | 4 | 9787549632725 | 2020-09 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (5) | Chen Lei | Wenhui Publishing House |
| 5 | 5 | 9787544382045 | 2018-05 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (2) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 6 | 6 | 9787544387866 | 2019-09 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (4) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 7 | 7 | 9787544382052 | 2018-05 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (3) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 10 | 8 | 9787557024413 | 2021-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 11 | 9 | 9787559313652 | 2017-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 12 | 10 | 9787559330260 | 2018-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Spring-autumn and Warring State Period | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 15 | 11 | 9787557023041 | 2020-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Sui and Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 18 | 12 | 9787557017477 | 2019-02 | If History were a Group of Cats: Qin, Chu, Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 21 | 13 | 9787557020149 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Three Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 23 | 14 | 9787557021856 | 2020-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Wei, Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 24 | 15 | 9787557020132 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: The End of Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 20 | 16 | 9787547739549 | 2021-05 | 30 Minutes of World History in Cartoon (2) | Chen Lei | Beijing daily publishing house |
| 26 | 17 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 28 | 18 | 9787508660752 | 2017-02 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 22 | 19 | 9787559418111 | 2018-04 | 30 Minutes of World History in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 9 | 20 | 9787508095226 | 2018-09 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | Huaxia Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787572603839 | 2021-09 | Sai Lei’s Party History in Comics | Sai Lei | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 25 | 22 | 9787540484880 | 2018-01 | The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo | Lin Yutang | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 14 | 23 | 9787540489304 | 2019-01 | Danshari | Eiko Yamashita | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787555912156 | 2021-10 | 30 Minutes of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Henan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787549636358 | 2021-10 | 30 Minutes of The Analects in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Wenhui Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787521210255 | 2020-08 | The Tough Brilliance | Jin Yinan | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 27 | 27 | 9787559639134 | 2020-06 | The Rise of China | Jin Yinan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787530214787 | 2017-04 | The Stories of the Sahara | Echo | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787521731224 | 2021-06 | Hi I’m China (2) | Institute for Planets | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 29 | 30 | 9787559620125 | 2018-05 | Genius on the Left, Lunatic on the Right (Full Version) (New Edition) | Gao Ming | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, November 2021
| October 2021 Ranking | November 2021 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 5 | 1 | 9787544288590 | 2018-06 | Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window (2018 Edition) | Tetsuko Kuroyanagi | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 3 | 2 | 9787557694784 | 2021-08 | 30 Minutes of Puberty in Cartoon: Physiological Features | Chen Lei,30 Minutes in Cartoon | Tianjin Science & Technology Press |
| 22 | 3 | 9787532767373 | 2014-08 | Charlotte’s web | Elwyn Brooks White | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 1 | 4 | 9787556855339 | 2021-08 | Treasure Hunting in Heilongjiang | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 14 | 5 | 9787521726473 | 2020-12 | A Dog Named Money | Bodo Schafer | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787543464582 | 2007-05 | My Dad | Anthony Browne | Hebei Education Press |
| Not Ranked | 7 | 9787543464575 | 2007-06 | My Mum | Anthony Browne | Hebei Education Press |
| 26 | 8 | 9787533299224 | 2018-10 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| 4 | 9 | 9787536593749 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Game of the Wise | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 11 | 10 | 9787536574397 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Clever Little Prodigy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 11 | 9787536593756 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Password Discovery | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 12 | 9787536593459 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: ‘Have a Meal’ Restaurant | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 7 | 13 | 9787536593442 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Magic Lamp | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 12 | 14 | 9787536574366 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Strategy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 10 | 15 | 9787533274269 | 2013-08 | Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787556848515 | 2020-04 | Treasure Hunting in Hainan | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 16 | 17 | 9787536574380 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Who’s the Smart Guy? | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 17 | 18 | 9787536574373 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Great Adventure of the Castle | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787556844128 | 2019-10 | Treasure Hunting in Xinjiang | Jingding Comic, Sun Jiayu, Wu Chengqi | 21st Century Press Group |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787556834549 | 2018-04 | Treasure Hunting in Beijing | Sun Jiayu, Wu Chengqi | 21st Century Press Group |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787556834532 | 2018-04 | Treasure Hunting in Shanghai | Sun Jiayu, Wu Chengqi | 21st Century Press Group |
| 2 | 22 | 9787558900648 | 2017-07 | Winter of Three Hairs (With Chinese Pinyin) | Zhang Leping | Juvenile & Children’s Publishing House |
| 25 | 23 | 9787536587731 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Trouble of the New Deskmate | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 15 | 24 | 9787536587694 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: I am a Pupil | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 24 | 25 | 9787536596313 | 2019-12 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Idioms Comic Games | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 27 | 26 | 9787536587762 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: If I Have a Time Machine | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 28 | 27 | 9787536587755 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Secrets of Nature | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 29 | 28 | 9787536587748 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Lot of Fun | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 18 | 29 | 9787536587724 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Look at This Family | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 21 | 30 | 9787536587700 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: My Good Friend Tie Tou | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, November 2021
| October 2021 Ranking | November 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. |
| 8 | 2 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 3 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| 2 | 4 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 6 | 5 | 9787539967363 | 2016-12 | Dune | Frank Herbert | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 4 | 6 | 9787544267618 | 2014-06 | The Devotion of Suspect X | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 7 | 7 | 9787544285148 | 2016-10 | Malice | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787539981147 | 2017-08 | Dune Messiah | Frank Herbert | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 5 | 9 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 11 | 10 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| 12 | 11 | 9787208061644 | 2021-03 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 10 | 12 | 9787544291224 | 2017-08 | After School (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 9 | 13 | 9787544297905 | 2021-06 | The Nameless Town | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 19 | 14 | 9787540485337 | 2018-03 | Tsubaki Stationery Store | Ito Ogawa | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 14 | 15 | 9787532776771 | 2018-03 | Norwegian Wood (30th Anniversary Edition) | Haruki Murakami | Japan | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 16 | 16 | 9787544281102 | 2016-01 | Newcomer | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 17 | 17 | 9787201116693 | 2017-05 | My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry | Fredrik Backman | Sweden | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 18 | 18 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 13 | 19 | 9787530217054 | 2017-12 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Brazil | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 20 | 20 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, November 2021
| October 2021 Ranking | November 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 |
| 2 | 2 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 6 | 3 | 9787111495482 | 2020-03 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 9 | 4 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 10 | 5 | 9787508660752 | 2017-02 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 3 | 6 | 9787508095226 | 2018-09 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 7 | 7 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
| 8 | 8 | 9787540471194 | 2019-02 | Relationship: Bridge to the Soul | Christoper Moon | Canada | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 11 | 9 | 9787210096528 | 2017-09 | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success | Carol S.Dweck | United States of America | Jiangxi People’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 10 | 9787540489304 | 2019-01 | Danshari | Eiko Yamashita | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 12 | 11 | 9787547734315 | 2019-09 | Life is Worth Living | Tsuneko Nakamura, Hiromi Okuda | Japan | Beijing daily publishing house |
| 16 | 12 | 9787220114045 | 2019-07 | Rich Dad Poor Dad | Robert T.Kiyosaki | United States of America | Sichuan People’s Publishing House |
| 15 | 13 | 9787508633558 | 2012-07 | Thinking, Fast and Slow | Daniel Kanneman | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 17 | 14 | 9787535732309 | 2001-11 | A Brief History of Time | Stephen W.Hawking | Britain | Hunan Science & Technology Press |
| 19 | 15 | 9787508687216 | 2018-08 | Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty | Abhijit V.Banerjee, Esther Duflo | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787108009821 | 2014-03 | 1587, a Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| 5 | 17 | 9787020116133 | 2017-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 14 | 18 | 9787115536198 | 2020-05 | Heart: Kazuo Inamori’s Philosophy of Life | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Posts & Telecommunications Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787508684031 | 2017-12 | Principles | Ray Dalio | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787508672069 | 2017-01 | Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
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.