In Shanghai, May 18: piles of rental bikes proliferate as lockdowns and other spread-mitigation measures are eased. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Graeme Kennedy
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
See also:
Beijing International Book Fair Moves Its Dates to November 24 to 28
New on Charts in June: 10 of the Top 30 Nonfiction Titles
An upheaval of sorts in the bestseller charts from China in June: No fewer than 10 books entered the Top 30 tracked by our associates at Beijing OpenBook.
‘Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise’
As our regular readers know, the Chinese markets’ bestseller lists change slowly by comparison to those of some of the world’s other large markets, and to see a third of the Top 30 in nonfiction turn over in a month is quite unusual, especially with the Top Five all being taken by new arrivals. And also of interest: these newcomers to the list are not from
Those newly charting books in June’s nonfiction ranks:
- Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool, No. 1
- The Beautiful Tang Poems in English and Chinese by Lu Su, No. 2
- The Beautiful Song Poems in English and Chinese by Wu Yuyang, No. 3
- The Beautiful Book of Songs in English and Chinese by Yan Hong, No. 4
- A Lifelong Journey by Yu Minhong, No. 5
- Minimalist Learning by Liao Heng, No. 11
- The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo by Lin Yutang, No. 12
- The Young Dream Chasers by Yu Minhong, Zhou Chenggang, No. 15
- Facts of Ming Dynasty (Enlarged Edition, nine volumes) by Dang Nian Ming Yue, No. 16
- At the Turn of Xiajiang River: The Story of Chen Xingjia by Chen Xingjia, No. 19
‘The Beautiful Tang Poems in English and Chinese’
Behind nine of the 10, according to OpenBook’s team, is some very popular streamed programming by an educational company called New Oriental, which is said to be a provider of test-preparation services, language training, and more. During June, Wendy Pan tells us, the program Oriental Selection “emerged as a new force in live broadcast.” With a broadcast look and feel described as “elegant”—and “in sharp contrast with the noisy live broadcast in the past”—this is a channel for B2C merchandise marketing of products that include books.
The one new entry in the Top 10 in nonfiction that didn’t arrive on the wings of Oriental Selection was Minimalist Learning by Liao Heng, who is known as “Mr. Youliao” in his educational short-video social media appearances—in effect, an educational TikTok personality with a user base of some 20 million users.
You’ll recall that China’s “618” midyear promotions (for “June 18”) are quite impactful in Chinese retail channels, both physical and digital. While this was seen as helping gains in popular science for young readers and for the Business Primer for Children (No. 6) by Liu Run and his son Liu Xiaomi.
And in adult fiction, our associates point to heavy promotion in online retail for backlist titles, resulting in returns to the charts for some of the best-known titles:
- Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino, ranked No. 13
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, ranked No. 21
- Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) by Keigo Higashino, ranked No .26
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from June 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, June 2022
| May 2022 Ranking | June 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 10 | 1 | 9787530221532 | 2021-10 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787020139590 | 2019-06 | The Last Quarter of the Moon | Chi Zijian | People’s 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 |
| 23 | 6 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes) (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 4 | 7 | 9787506331746 | 2005-05 | Distant Savior | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 7 | 8 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 11 | 9 | 9787533966102 | 2021-12 | Life and Death are Wearing Me Out | Mo Yan | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| 8 | 10 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Yilin Press |
| 6 | 11 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 5 | 12 | 9787530219218 | 2019-02 | A Wavy Life | Mai Jia | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 13 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 9 | 14 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 21 | 15 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 13 | 16 | 9787506368698 | 2013-06 | The World Under the Sky | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 12 | 17 | 9787559455758 | 2021-12 | Heliotrope & Zjz | Ying Cheng | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 17 | 18 | 9787020090006 | 2012-07 | Fortress Besieged | Qian Zhongshu | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 20 | 19 | 9787530221099 | 2021-02 | Wencheng | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 26 | 20 | 9787572602825 | 2021-08 | Always Have, Always Will | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 22 | 22 | 9787530217962 | 2018-05 | Cries in the Drizzle | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 14 | 23 | 9787506344791 | 2008-12 | Street Wizards | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 29 | 24 | 9787573500977 | 2022-04 | Crystal Spiral | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787530216033 | 2017-09 | Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (2017 Edition) | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 16 | 27 | 9787020164776 | 2020-07 | A Late Bloomer | Mo Yan | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 18 | 28 | 9787521200836 | 2018-08 | Thiaoouba Prophecy | Michael Desmarquet | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787020008742 | 1998-07 | Water Margin | Shi Nai’an,Luo Guanzhong | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 24 | 30 | 9787521208740 | 2020-01 | Street Wizards (3) | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, June 2022
| May 2022 Ranking | June 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| Not Ranked | 1 | 9787111551287 | 2016-10 | Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise | Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool | China Machine Press |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787570214471 | 2020-03 | The Beautiful Tang Poems in English and Chinese | Lu Su | Changjiang Literature & Art Press Co.,Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 3 | 9787570214488 | 2020-03 | The Beautiful Song Poems in English and Chinese | Wu Yuyang | Changjiang Literature & Art Press Co.,Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 4 | 9787570214495 | 2020-03 | The Beautiful Book of Songs in English and Chinese | Yan Hong | Changjiang Literature & Art Press Co.,Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 5 | 9787513349116 | 2022-05 | A Lifelong Journey | Yu Minhong | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| 9 | 6 | 9787222204331 | 2021-11 | Details of Law | Luo Xiang | Yunnan People’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 7 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 1 | 8 | 9787511320506 | 2012-08 | Su Shu | Huang Shigong, Ding Minxiang | China Overseas Chinese Press |
| 2 | 9 | 9787561346259 | 2009-05 | Yi Ching is Really to Understand | Zeng Shiqiang | Shaanxi Normal University Press |
| 4 | 10 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | China Machine Press |
| Not Ranked | 11 | 9787559659385 | 2022-04 | Minimalist Learning | Liao Heng | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787540484880 | 2018-01 | The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo | Lin Yutang | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 8 | 13 | 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 |
| 7 | 14 | 9787530848890 | 2010-01 | Understand the Ways of the World Day by Day | Zhang Yan | Tianjin Science & Technology Press |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787519306052 | 2020-08 | The Young Dream Chasers | Yu Minhong, Zhou Chenggang | Qunyan Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787559602152 | 2017-06 | Facts of Ming Dynasty (Enlarged Edition) (9 volumes) | Dang Nian Ming Yue | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 11 | 17 | 9787557025847 | 2021-11 | If History were a Group of Cats: Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 13 | 18 | 9787521603774 | 2019-08 | The Faith as Premise of Freedom | Luo Xiang | China Legal Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787511568687 | 2021-01 | At the Turn of Xiajiang River: The Story of Chen Xingjia | Chen Xingjia | People Daily Publishing House |
| 16 | 20 | 9787559313652 | 2017-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 18 | 21 | 9787557024413 | 2021-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 30 | 22 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 17 | 23 | 9787559330260 | 2018-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Spring-autumn and Warring State Period | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 26 | 24 | 9787557023041 | 2020-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Sui and Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 12 | 25 | 9787208171336 | 2021-08 | In the Affair: Chinese Government and Economic Development | Lan Xiaohuan | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 19 | 26 | 9787557017477 | 20190-2 | If History were a Group of Cats: Qin, Chu, Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 3 | 27 | 9787544334792 | 2011-01 | Close to The Buddha | Khenpo Sherab Zangpo Rinpoche | Hainan Publishing House |
| 25 | 28 | 9787557020149 | 20190-9 | If History were a Group of Cats: Three Kingdoms | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 28 | 29 | 9787557020132 | 2019-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: The End of Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 29 | 30 | 9787557021856 | 2020-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Wei, Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, June 2022
| May 2022 Ranking | June 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 2 | 1 | 9787110103074 | 2022-02 | Science Comics Loved by Pupils (4 volumes) | Sunbook | Popular Science Press |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787568183826 | 2021-11 | Say No Loudly: Children’s Self-Protection Picture Book (8 volumes) | Chen Junhong | Northeast Normal University Press |
| Not Ranked | 3 | 9787513936668 | 2021-11 | First Introduction to Law for Children | Cao Zhaopeng | Democracy and Construction Press |
| 1 | 4 | 9787570711888 | 2021-12 | Ultraman Series Photo Book for 55th Anniversary | Tsuburaya Productions | Anhui Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 5 | 9787556864454 | 2022-04 | Treasure Hunting in Inner Mongolia | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787521734836 | 2021-10 | Business Primer for Children | Liu Run, Liu Xiaomi | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 7 | 9787110092743 | 2019-01 | The Natural History Book | Dorling Kindersley | Popular Science Press |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787530599679 | 2021-09 | The Art of War in Comics (3 volumes) | Sun Wu, Han Jing | Tianjin People’s Fine Arts Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 9 | 9787570803279 | 2019-10 | Travel Around China | Huang Yu | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 10 | 9787545560015 | 2020-11 | Picture Book Series of Children’s Adversity Quotient (8 volumes) | Little Kirin Books | Heaven & Earth Press |
| Not Ranked | 11 | 9787545560046 | 2020-11 | Picture Book Series of Children’s Great Vision (8 volumes) | Little Kirin Books | Heaven & Earth Press |
| 5 | 12 | 9787521726473 | 2020-12 | A Dog Named Money | Bodo Schafer | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 17 | 13 | 9787547261682 | 2019-07 | Children, Read for Yourself | Yu Li | Jilin Literature & History Press |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787532767373 | 2014-08 | Charlotte’s Web | Elwyn Brooks White | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787020171019 | 2021-06 | Harry Potter Series (bilingual book) (11 volumes) | JK Rowling | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787501609413 | 2015-04 | Bronze and Sunflower | Cao Wenxuan | Foreign Literature Press |
| 12 | 17 | 9787536574366 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Stratego | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 27 | 18 | 9787573110930 | 2022-04 | Psychology in Cartoon for Kids (5 volumes) | Bai Mingyan | Jilin Publishing Group Co., Ltd. |
| 30 | 19 | 9787568290685 | 2020-11 | The Classic of Mountains and Rivers for Kids | Xu Pingping | Beijing Institute of Technology Press |
| 15 | 20 | 9787536574397 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Clever Little Prodigy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787570222551 | 2021-08 | Tree Boy | Zhao Lihong | Changjiang Literature & Art Press Co.,Ltd. |
| 18 | 22 | 9787536574373 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Great Adventure of the Castle | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 23 | 9787536574380 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Who’s the Smart Guy? | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787559654533 | 2021-09 | Super Scholar: Physics | Xiang Hua | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787545561722 | 2021-01 | Picture Book Series of Children’s Self-discipline Ability (8 volumes) | Little Kirin Books | Heaven & Earth Press |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787556855339 | 2021-08 | Treasure Hunting in Heilongjiang | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787555715719 | 2021-11 | Encyclopedia for Chinese Children (8 volumes) | WanYou Wenhua | Chengdu Map Press |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787545559897 | 2020-11 | Picture Book Series of Children’s Mathematical Thinking (8 volumes) | Little Kirin Books | Heaven & Earth Press |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787545560039 | 2020-11 | Picture Book Series of Children’s Financial Quotient (8 volumes) | Little Kirin Books | Heaven & Earth Press |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787520211130 | 2022-06 | Chinese Children’s Illustrated Encyclopedia (3rd Edition) (4 volumes) | Encyclopedia of China Publishing House |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, June 2022
| May 2022 Ranking | June 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 |
| 8 | 3 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 7 | 4 | 9787208061644 | 2021-03 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 5 | 5 | 9787573500977 | 2022-04 | Crystal Spiral | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 9 | 6 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 3 | 7 | 9787521200836 | 2018-08 | Thiaoouba Prophecy | Michael Desmarquet | Australia | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| 16 | 9 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 10 | 9787540485337 | 2018-03 | Tsubaki Stationery Store | Ito Ogawa | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 11 | 11 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 10 | 12 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 19 | 13 | 9787544291224 | 2017-08 | After School (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787532776771 | 2021-10 | Norwegian wood | Haruki Murakami | Japan | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 15 | 15 | 9787549637270 | 2022-04 | The Namesake | Atsushi Shimomura | Japan | Wenhui Publishing House |
| 12 | 16 | 9787541160912 | 2021-12 | Fish Have No Feet | Jón Kalman Stefánsson | Iceland | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 17 | 9787533936020 | 2017-02 | The Moon and Sixpence | William Somerset Maugham | Britain | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| 18 | 18 | 9787539983295 | 2021-09 | Foundation (Revised Edition) | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 14 | 19 | 9787544296274 | 2019-09 | Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse | Otsuichi | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787544269452 | 2022-01 | Malice (2022 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, June 2022
| May 2022 Ranking | June 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 17 | 1 | 9787111551287 | 2021-04 | Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise | Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool | United States of America | China Machine Press |
| 2 | 2 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 1 | 3 | 9787111495482 | 2020-03 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 5 | 4 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 4 | 5 | 9787508680965 | 2017-12 | Predictably Irrational (Revised Edition） | Dan Ariely | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 3 | 6 | 9787521733679 | 2021-09 | The Most Tender Upbringing: Be a Gentle but Steadfast Parent | Oh Eun-young | Korea | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 9 | 7 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787508660752 | 2017-02 | Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind | Yuval Noah Harari | Israel | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 14 | 9 | 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 |
| Not Ranked | 10 | 9787020116133 | 2017-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 6 | 11 | 9787801445445 | 2008-01 | You Can Heal Your Life | Louise L. Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| 8 | 12 | 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 |
| 7 | 13 | 9787521736816 | 2022-01 | Guns, Germs, and Steel | Jared Diamond | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 10 | 14 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
| 13 | 15 | 9787522200514 | 2021-05 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787201146171 | 2019-05 | The Why Cafe | John P. Strelecky | United States of America | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 17 | 9787100186438 | 2020-08 | Republic | Plato | Ancient Greece | The Commercial Press Co.Ltd |
| 12 | 18 | 9787108009821 | 2014-03 | 1587, a Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| 15 | 19 | 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 |
| 11 | 20 | 9787515902241 | 2012-07 | Letters to Louise: The Answers are Within You | Louise L. Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
Notes on the Charts
In Changsha City, Hunan Province. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Min Jing
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.
In Shanghai, May 14. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Graeme Kennedy
More China bestseller reports from Publishing Perspectives are here, and more on the Chinese book publishing market is here.
More from us on the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on international book publishing is here.