In Shanghai, a newly staged vaccination center on January 14. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Robert Way
Series Lead in Nonfiction and Childrens’ Charts
As accustomed as we are to the slow-moving nature of China’s bestseller lists, 2021 December’s charts performed a near double-down on the big market’s fondness for the tried, the true, and the historical.
‘First Person Singular’
Only two books entered Beijing OpenBook’s Top 30 in fiction for the first time, and one of them, at No. 8, was a 2021 reprint of Yu Hua’s 1993 To Live from Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House. The other newcomer is Haruki Murakami’s story collection from spring 2021, First Person Singular. Published by Flower City Press, it enters the list at No. 11.
In nonfiction, that interesting fondness for history in small, humorous formats now has reached the undeniable classification of a craze in China.
Publishing Perspectives readers are familiar with Hainan Publishing House’s “30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon” series from Chen Lei. In December, eight spots on the nonfiction list were held by Lei.
The competitor is Guangdong Tourism Publishing House’s “If History Were a Group of Cats” series from Fei Zhi, having surpassed Chen’s “30 Minutes” popularity with nine titles on the list. In Fei’s series, our associates at OpenBook assure us, “Twelve cute cats are transformed into classic characters to let readers experience the charm of history again.”
‘If History Were a Group of Cats’
In Western markets, there of course is a great deal of historical writing in the nonfiction super-category. But “the charm of history” is not necessarily public relations and marketing people will think to present it to potential consumers. “Charm” in this context in China embraces humor and the abiding pleasure of domesticated animals, pets, cats in particular. Clearly, there may be a connection, too, between comfort and COVID-19, as China experiences new outbreaks with the omicron variant, imposing lockdowns at times.
The first round of “If History Were a Group of Cats” series books was released in 2017 and featured the Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou dynasties. Each year has seen another volume’s release, with an acceleration of titles to such a point that in bookstores now you can find seven volumes of those cats to choose from and eight volumes in online retail, our OpenBook associates report.
And series reign in children’s books, as well, the “Treasure Hunting” series by Jingding Comic from 21st Century Press Group hitting No. 1 in December.
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from December 2021 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, December 2021
| November 2021 Ranking | December 2021 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 4 | 2 | 9787506331746 | 2005-05 | Distant Savior | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 2 | 3 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 3 | 4 | 9787229030933 | 2010-11 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 5 | 5 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 18 | 6 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 6 | 7 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787530221532 | 2021-10 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu Hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 16 | 9 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 9 | 10 | 9787572602825 | 2021-08 | Always Have, Always Will | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 11 | 9787536094857 | 2021-11 | First Person Singular | Haruki Murakami | Flower City Press |
| 12 | 12 | 9787506368698 | 2013-06 | The World Under the Sky | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 23 | 13 | 9787020164776 | 2020-07 | A Late Bloomer | Mo Yan | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 14 | 14 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 20 | 15 | 9787530219218 | 2019-02 | A Wavy Life | Mai Jia | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 13 | 16 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Yilin Press |
| 25 | 17 | 9787530221099 | 2021-02 | Wencheng | Yu Hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 22 | 18 | 9787544285148 | 2016-10 | Malice | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 26 | 19 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 17 | 20 | 9787020008735 | 1998-07 | Journey to the West | Wu Cheng’en | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 24 | 21 | 9787020090006 | 2012-07 | Fortress Besieged | Qian Zhongshu | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787559452788 | 2020-12 | First Frost | Zhu Yi | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 11 | 23 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumns)(2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 27 | 24 | 9787559455000 | 2021-06 | First Frost (The End) | Zhu Yi | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 10 | 25 | 9787530215593 | 2017-06 | To Live | Yu Hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787557024147 | 2021-09 | FOG | Man Man He Qi Duo | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 29 | 27 | 9787555285298 | 2020-03 | Hidden Love | Zhu Yi | Qingdao Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787229100605 | 2016-07 | The Three-Body Problem (Collector’s Edition) | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 15 | 29 | 9787559614636 | 2017-12 | Fang Si-Qi’s First Love Paradise | Lin Yihan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 28 | 30 | 9787540491949 | 2019-06 | I Belonged to You (Revised Edition) | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, December 2021
| November 2021 Ranking | December 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 |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787544334792 | 2011-01 | Close to The Buddha | Khenpo Sherab Zangpo Rinpoche | Hainan Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 3 | 9787557025847 | 2021-11 | If History were a Group of Cats: Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 8 | 4 | 9787557024413 | 2021-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 9 | 5 | 9787559313652 | 2017-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 11 | 6 | 9787557023041 | 2020-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Sui and Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 10 | 7 | 9787559330260 | 2018-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Spring-autumn and Warring State Period | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | China Machine Press |
| 13 | 9 | 9787557020149 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Three Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 3 | 10 | 9787539999883 | 2017-03 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 14 | 11 | 9787557021856 | 2020-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Wei, Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 12 | 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 |
| 4 | 13 | 9787549632725 | 2020-09 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (5) | Chen Lei | Wenhui Publishing House |
| 15 | 14 | 9787557020132 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: The End of Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 5 | 15 | 9787544382045 | 2018-05 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (2) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 6 | 16 | 9787544387866 | 2019-09 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (4) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 7 | 17 | 9787544382052 | 2018-05 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (3) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 2 | 18 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 17 | 19 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 16 | 20 | 9787547739549 | 2021-05 | 30 Minutes of World History in Cartoon (2) | Chen Lei | Beijing daily publishing house |
| 19 | 21 | 9787559418111 | 2018-04 | 30 Minutes of World History in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 27 | 22 | 9787559639134 | 2020-06 | The Rise of China | Jin Yinan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 18 | 23 | 9787508660752 | 2017-02 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 23 | 24 | 9787540489304 | 2019-01 | Danshari | Eiko Yamashita | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 21 | 25 | 9787572603839 | 2021-09 | Sai Lei’s Party History in Comics | Sai Lei | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 24 | 26 | 9787555912156 | 2021-10 | 30 Minutes of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Henan Literature & Art Press |
| 26 | 27 | 9787521210255 | 2020-08 | The Tough Brilliance | Jin Yinan | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787503561634 | 2017-08 | 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 | 29 | 9787521701579 | 2019-09 | Hi I’m China | Institute for Planets,The China Society on Tibet Plateau | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787213102615 | 2021-08 | Centennial Party History in Cartoon: 1921-1949 | Chen Lei, Chen Jin | Zhejiang People’s Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, December 2021
| November 2021 Ranking | December 2021 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 4 | 1 | 9787556855339 | 2021-08 | Treasure Hunting in Heilongjiang | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 5 | 2 | 9787521726473 | 2020-12 | A Dog Named Money | Bodo Schafer | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 10 | 3 | 9787536574397 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Clever Little Prodigy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 14 | 4 | 9787536574366 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Stratego | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 17 | 5 | 9787536574380 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Who’s the Smart Guy? | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 18 | 6 | 9787536574373 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Great Adventure of the Castle | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 15 | 7 | 9787533274269 | 2013-08 | Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| 9 | 8 | 9787536593749 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Game of the Wise | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 11 | 9 | 9787536593756 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Password Discovery | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 10 | 9787556848515 | 2020-04 | Treasure Hunting in Hainan | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 13 | 11 | 9787536593442 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Magic Lamp | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 12 | 12 | 9787536593459 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: ‘Have a Meal’ Restaurant | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 13 | 9787543464582 | 2007-05 | My Dad | Anthony Browne | Hebei Education Press |
| 20 | 14 | 9787556834549 | 2018-04 | Treasure Hunting in Beijing | Sun Jiayu, Wu Chengqi | 21st Century Press Group |
| 19 | 15 | 9787556844128 | 2019-10 | Treasure Hunting in Xinjiang | Jingding Comic, Sun Jiayu, Wu Chengqi | 21st Century Press Group |
| 21 | 16 | 9787556834532 | 2018-04 | Treasure Hunting in Shanghai | Sun Jiayu, Wu Chengqi | 21st Century Press Group |
| 25 | 17 | 9787536596313 | 2019-12 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Idioms Comic Games | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 7 | 18 | 9787543464575 | 2007-06 | My Mum | Anthony Browne | Hebei Education Press |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787556854028 | 2020-12 | Treasure Hunting in Qin Dynasty | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 23 | 20 | 9787536587731 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Trouble of the New Deskmate | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 24 | 21 | 9787536587694 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: I am a Pupil | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787556834624 | 2018-04 | Treasure Hunting in Shaanxi | Sun Jiayu, Wu Chengqi | 21st Century Press Group |
| 26 | 23 | 9787536587762 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: If I Have a Time Machine | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 28 | 24 | 9787536587748 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Lot of Fun | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 27 | 25 | 9787536587755 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Secrets of Nature | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 26 | 9787533299224 | 2018-10 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| 29 | 27 | 9787536587724 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Look at This Family | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787536587717 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Dog Called Rat | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787559649461 | 2021-06 | Spirited Away | Hayao Miyazaki | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 30 | 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, December 2021
| November 2021 Ranking | December 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. |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787536094857 | 2021-11 | First Person Singular | Haruki Murakami | Japan | Flower City Press |
| 4 | 3 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 3 | 4 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States | Yilin Press |
| 7 | 5 | 9787544285148 | 2016-10 | Malice | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 9 | 6 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 10 | 7 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| 6 | 8 | 9787544267618 | 2014-06 | The Devotion of Suspect X | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 2 | 9 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 12 | 10 | 9787544291224 | 2017-08 | After School (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 18 | 11 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787539967448 | 2014-02 | The Godfather | Mario Puzo | United States | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 16 | 13 | 9787544281102 | 2016-01 | Newcomer | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 20 | 14 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | United States | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 5 | 15 | 9787539967363 | 2016-12 | Dune | Frank Herbert | United States | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 11 | 16 | 9787208061644 | 2021-03 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 17 | 17 | 9787201116693 | 2017-05 | My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry | Fredrik Backman | Sweden | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 13 | 18 | 9787544297905 | 2021-06 | The Nameless Town | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 19 | 19 | 9787530217054 | 2017-12 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Brazil | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787532786831 | 2021-03 | Klara and The Sun | Kazuo Ishiguro | Britain | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, December 2021
| November 2021 Ranking | December 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 | 9787111495482 | 2020-03 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 2 | 3 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 4 | 4 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | United States | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 9 | 5 | 9787210096528 | 2017-09 | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success | Carol S. Dweck | United States | Jiangxi People’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 6 | 9787540471194 | 2019-02 | Relationship: Bridge to the Soul | Christoper Moon | Canada | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 7 | 7 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
| 5 | 8 | 9787508660752 | 2017-02 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 10 | 9 | 9787540489304 | 2019-01 | Danshari | Eiko Yamashita | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 11 | 10 | 9787547734315 | 2019-09 | Life is Worth Living | Tsuneko Nakamura, Hiromi Okuda | Japan | Beijing daily publishing house |
| 12 | 11 | 9787220114045 | 2019-07 | Rich Dad Poor Dad | Robert T. Kiyosaki | United States | Sichuan People’s Publishing House |
| 18 | 12 | 9787115536198 | 2020-05 | Heart: Kazuo Inamori’s Philosophy of Life | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Posts & Telecommunications Publishing House |
| 17 | 13 | 9787020116133 | 2017-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | United States | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 13 | 14 | 9787508633558 | 2012-07 | Thinking, Fast and Slow | Daniel Kanneman | United States | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 16 | 15 | 9787108009821 | 2014-03 | 1587, a Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| 6 | 16 | 9787508095226 | 2018-09 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B. Rosenberg | United States | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 14 | 17 | 9787535732309 | 2001-11 | A Brief History of Time | Stephen W. Hawking | Britain | Hunan Science & Technology Press |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787301109489 | 2006-10 | A Global History: From Prehistory to the 21st Century (Vol.1) | L. S. Stavrianos | United States | Peking University Press |
| 19 | 19 | 9787508684031 | 2017-12 | Principles | Ray Dalio | United States | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 15 | 20 | 9787508687216 | 2018-08 | Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty | Abhijit V.Banerjee, Esther Duflo | United States | 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 history writing and publishing is here.
More from us on the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on international book publishing is here.