On a Beijing airport train, May 6. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Alexey Pnferov
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
TikTok Attention Coordinated Well With Promotions
In our look at the April bestseller charts in China, we focused on an interesting inflection point in which consumers seem to be waiting for new “online literature” to take to their hearts in book form.
‘Cries in the Drizzle’
In May, our associates at Beijing OpenBook saw the role of what they interpret to be emotional attraction and canny promotions.
As examples, Yu Hua’s Cries in the Drizzle (Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House) entered the fiction chart at No. 22 and Crystal Spiral (Nan Hai Publishing) by Keigo Higashino arrived at N0. 29, having just been published in April (Nan Hai Publishing).
As our associates point out, Yu Hua’s To Live (at No. 10 in May in a new edition from Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House) had benefited in 2018 by an endorsement from film star Yi YangQian Xi.
This year, e-commerce pr0motions began well before the June 1 to 18 shopping promotional period, so that by May book sales pros were approaching the annual “618” promotions as a chance to push Yu Hua’s book.
‘Crystal Spiral’
And the ability of Crystal Spiral to appear so quickly in China’s relatively slow-moving market rankings reinforces the fascination that the prolific Japanese author Higashino has for so many Chinese readers.
The key to Higashino’s work, OpenBook’s Wendy Pan points out to us, is his work’s high levels of emotional content. “Crystal Spiral is a detective work full of emotion,” Pan says.
“The work makes people feel that the detective element is less important than the emotional ties in it.”
In nonfiction, the OpenBook team observes that the humorous and illustrated Chinese-historical series—30 Minutes in Cartoon and If History Were a Group of Cats—have genuine staying power with the consumer base, the first with a remarkable half of the list, 15 of 30 slots, and the latter with five titles in the Top 30. Put another way, only 10 of 30 nonfiction titles in the May nonfiction list were not from one of these two illustrated series.
‘Su Shu’
OpenBook points, out, though, that one of that minority of non-illustrated 10 books in nonfiction was newcomer Su Shu by Huang Shigong, Ding Minxiang from China Overseas Chinese Press.
Its appearance, at No. 1, no less, had attracted the attention of fans on TikTok, as it turns out. That, combined with “618” sales promotions did the trick.
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from May 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, May 2022
| April 2022 Ranking | May 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 2 | 1 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 3 | 2 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 4 | 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 |
| 12 | 5 | 9787530219218 | 2019-02 | A Wavy Life | Mai Jia | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 6 | 6 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin,Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 5 | 7 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 9 | 8 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Yilin Press |
| 8 | 9 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 10 | 10 | 9787530221532 | 2021-10 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 14 | 11 | 9787533966102 | 2021-12 | Life and Death are Wearing Me Out | Mo Yan | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787559455758 | 2021-12 | Heliotrope & Zjz | Ying Cheng | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 19 | 13 | 9787506368698 | 2013-06 | The World Under the Sky | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 13 | 14 | 9787506344791 | 2008-12 | Street Wizards | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 7 | 15 | 9787515350264 | 2018-01 | In the World (3 Volumes) | Liang Xiaosheng | China Youth Press |
| 29 | 16 | 9787020164776 | 2020-07 | A Late Bloomer | Mo Yan | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 25 | 17 | 9787020090006 | 2012-07 | Fortress Besieged | Qian Zhongshu | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 17 | 18 | 9787521200836 | 2018-08 | Thiaoouba Prophecy | Michael Desmarquet | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 23 | 19 | 9787559614636 | 2017-12 | Fang Si-Qi’s First Love Paradise | Lin Yihan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 20 | 20 | 9787530221099 | 2021-02 | Wencheng | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 11 | 21 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787530217962 | 2018-05 | Cries in the Drizzle | Yu Hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 16 | 23 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes) (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 24 | 24 | 9787521208740 | 2020-01 | Street Wizards (3) | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 22 | 25 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| 28 | 26 | 9787572602825 | 2021-08 | Always Have, Always Will | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 26 | 27 | 9787506384209 | 2015-11 | Street Wizards (2) | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787506394840 | 2017-04 | The Heaven Trap | Jiao Jian | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787573500977 | 2022-04 | Crystal Spiral | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787555285298 | 2020-03 | Hidden Love | Zhu Yi | Qingdao Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, May 2022
| April 2022 Ranking | May 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| Not Ranked | 1 | 9787511320506 | 2012-08 | Su Shu | Huang Shigong, Ding Minxiang | China Overseas Chinese Press |
| 3 | 2 | 9787561346259 | 2009-05 | Yi Ching is Really to Understand | Zeng Shiqiang | Shaanxi Normal University Press |
| 1 | 3 | 9787544334792 | 2011-01 | Close to The Buddha | Khenpo Sherab Zangpo Rinpoche | Hainan Publishing House |
| 2 | 4 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | China Machine Press |
| Not Ranked | 5 | 9787540876111 | 2021-06 | Parents’ Language | Yang Ying | Sichuan Education Press |
| 4 | 6 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 7 | 9787530848890 | 2010-01 | Understand the Ways of the World Day by Day | Zhang Yan | Tianjin Science & Technology Press |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787557027063 | 2022-04 | If History were a Group of Cats: Song, Liao, Jin Dynasty and the Western Xia Regime | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 12 | 9 | 9787222204331 | 2021-11 | Details of Law | Luo Xiang | Yunnan People’s Publishing House |
| 5 | 10 | 9787521733679 | 2021-09 | The Most Tender Upbringing: Be a Gentle but Steadfast Parent | Oh Eun-young | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 13 | 11 | 9787557025847 | 2021-11 | If History were a Group of Cats: Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 9 | 12 | 9787208171336 | 2021-08 | In the Affair: Chinese Government and Economic Development | Lan Xiaohuan | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 13 | 9787521603774 | 2019-08 | The Faith as Premise of Freedom | Luo Xiang | China Legal Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787555714323 | 2021-01 | Mother’s Mood Determines Child’s Future | Shi Wenya | Chengdu Map Press |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787520813624 | 2021-06 | Parents’ Language | Li Yun | China Business Publishing House |
| 18 | 16 | 9787559313652 | 2017-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 17 | 17 | 9787559330260 | 2018-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Spring-autumn and Warring State Period | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 26 | 18 | 9787557024413 | 2021-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 22 | 19 | 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 | 20 | 9787539999883 | 2017-03 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon | Chen Lei | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 21 | 21 | 9787549632725 | 2020-09 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (5) | Chen Lei | Wenhui Publishing House |
| 23 | 22 | 9787544387866 | 2019-09 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (4) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 25 | 23 | 9787544382052 | 2018-05 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (3) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 24 | 24 | 9787544382045 | 2018-05 | 30 Minutes of Chinese History in Cartoon (2) | Chen Lei | Hainan Publishing House |
| 27 | 25 | 9787557020149 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Three Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 29 | 26 | 9787557023041 | 2020-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Sui and Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 7 | 27 | 9787111691020 | 2021-09 | The Underlying Logic: How to See the Essence of Things | Liu Run | China Machine Press |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787557020132 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: The End of Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787557021856 | 2020-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Wei, Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 15 | 30 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, May 2022
| April 2022 Ranking | May 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787570711888 | 2021-12 | Ultraman Series Photo Book for 55th Anniversary | Tsuburaya Productions | Anhui Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787110103074 | 2022-02 | Science Comics Loved by Pupils (4 volumes) | Sunbook | Popular Science Press |
| 12 | 3 | 9787534633362 | 2005-05 | Bronze and Sunflower | Cao Wenxuan | Jiangsu Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 4 | 9787556864454 | 2022-04 | Treasure Hunting in Inner Mongolia | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| 4 | 5 | 9787521726473 | 2020-12 | A Dog Named Money | Bodo Schafer | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 25 | 6 | 9787521734416 | 2021-12 | Kira and the Secret of the Donut | Bodo Schafer | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 2 | 7 | 9787566720719 | 2021-06 | Hundred Thousand Whys (Story Version) (8 volumes) | Ling Lan Ma Ma | Hunan University Press |
| 5 | 8 | 9787559621337 | 2019-04 | Butt Detective: Detective and the Fraud | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 6 | 9 | 9787550286122 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Disappeared Popular Dessert | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 7 | 10 | 9787550286238 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Look for the Rainbow Diamond | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 8 | 11 | 9787559608390 | 2018-01 | Butt Detective: The Criminal Appears | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 13 | 12 | 9787536574366 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Stratego | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 9 | 13 | 9787550286214 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: The Missing Lunch Box | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 10 | 14 | 9787550286085 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: The Big Crisis of Small Director | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 15 | 15 | 9787536574397 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Clever Little Prodigy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 16 | 9787536574380 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Who’s the Smart Guy? | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 17 | 9787547261682 | 2019-07 | Children, Read for Yourself | Yu Li | Jilin Literature & History Press |
| 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 | 9787513563703 | 2015-09 | Pip and Posy | Axel Scheffler | Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press |
| 14 | 20 | 9787020144587 | 2018-10 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | JK Rowling | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 11 | 21 | 9787511052568 | 2020-08 | Butt Detective: Snow Monster in Deep Mountain | Troll | Dolphin Press |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787536593749 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Game of the Wise | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787536593756 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Password Discovery | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787536593459 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: ‘Have a Meal’ Restaurant | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787536593442 | 2020-05 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Magic Lamp | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 18 | 26 | 9787536587694 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: I am a Pupil | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787573110930 | 2022-04 | Psychology in Cartoon for Kids (5 volumes) | Bai Mingyan | Jilin Publishing Group Co., Ltd. |
| 20 | 28 | 9787536587724 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Look at This Family | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 21 | 29 | 9787536587717 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Dog Called Rat | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 30 | 9787568290685 | 2020-11 | The Classic of Mountains and Rivers for Kids | Xu Pingping | Beijing Institute of Technology Press |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, May 2022
| April 2022 Ranking | May 2022 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. |
| 2 | 2 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| 4 | 3 | 9787521200836 | 2018-08 | Thiaoouba Prophecy | Michael Desmarquet | Australia | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 4 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 5 | 9787573500977 | 2022-04 | Crystal Spiral | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 8 | 6 | 9787540485337 | 2018-03 | Tsubaki Stationery Store | Ito Ogawa | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 7 | 7 | 9787208061644 | 2021-03 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 5 | 9 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 19 | 10 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 10 | 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 | 9787541160912 | 2021-12 | Fish Have No Feet | Jón Kalman Stefánsson | Iceland | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
| 14 | 13 | 9787559614711 | 2018-01 | Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | Jeanette Winterson | Britain | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 13 | 14 | 9787544296274 | 2019-09 | Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse | Otsuichi | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787549637270 | 2022-04 | The Namesake | Atsushi Shimomura | Japan | Wenhui Publishing House |
| 15 | 16 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 17 | 9787559641182 | 2020-07 | Scream | Aki Hamanaka | Japan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787539983295 | 2021-09 | Foundation (Revised Edition) | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 12 | 19 | 9787544291224 | 2017-08 | After School (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787549565115 | 2015-04 | Flowers for Algernon | Daniel Keyes | United States of America | Guangxi Normal University Press |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, May 2022
| April 2022 Ranking | May 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787111495482 | 2020-03 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 2 | 2 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 3 | 9787521733679 | 2021-09 | The Most Tender Upbringing: Be a Gentle but Steadfast Parent | Oh Eun-young | Korea | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 4 | 9787508680965 | 2017-12 | Predictably Irrational (Revised Edition） | Dan Ariely | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 7 | 5 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787801445445 | 2008-01 | You Can Heal Your Life | Louise L.Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| 5 | 7 | 9787521736816 | 2022-01 | Guns, Germs, and Steel | Jared Diamond | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 4 | 8 | 9787511714152 | 2016-10 | How to Talk so Teens will Listen and Listen so Teens will Talk | Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish | United States of America | Central Compilation & Translation Press |
| 6 | 9 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 12 | 10 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
| Not Ranked | 11 | 9787515902241 | 2012-07 | Letters to Louise: The Answers are Within You | Louise L.Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| 18 | 12 | 9787108009821 | 2014-03 | 1587, a Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| 11 | 13 | 9787522200514 | 2021-05 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787111571544 | 2021-06 | Thirty Million Words: Building A Child’s Brain | Dana Suskind, Beth Suskind, Leslie Lewinter-Suskind | United States of America | China Machine Press |
| 17 | 15 | 9787521719253 | 2020-08 | The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) | Philippa Perry | Britain | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 13 | 16 | 9787210096528 | 2017-09 | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success | Carol S. Dweck | United States of America | Jiangxi People’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 17 | 9787111551287 | 2021-04 | Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise | Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool | United States of America | China Machine Press |
| 9 | 18 | 9787505737488 | 2016-12 | What Life Should Mean to You | Alfred Adler | Austria | China Friendship Publishing Company |
| 20 | 19 | 9787559643346 | 2020-09 | Blue Flame | Yuzuru Hanyu | Japan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 19 | 20 | 9787115509543 | 2021-04 | Efficient Memory Method in Brain Science | Yuji Ikeguchi | 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.