In Beijing on October 22. Image – Getty iStockphoto: P Kawasaki
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
‘A Sentence Looking for Another Sentence’
In September, China’s bestseller lists saw Someone To Talk To enter the OpenBook fiction lists at No. 14, a publication of Flower City Press.
‘Someone To Talk To’
This sudden arrival in the rankings—no mean feat in the slow-moving charts of China’s book market—seems to be the result of a combination of television recognition for the author and resonance for the rather difficult emotional framework of his writing. Seen on multiple television shows including Oriental Selection Live Broadcast Room and Lao Yu Talk Show, Liu and his work are enjoying a resurgence of popularity and sales power.
Our associates at Beijing OpenBook talk of Liu Zhenyun’s work as being based in an exploration of loneliness and isolation. Someone To Talk To, in fact, is hardly new. It won the 2011 Mao Dun Literature Prize, and he’s not only a novelist but also a screenwriter. Liu has written screenplays of some of his own works, and in film, his stories have won international film-festival attention at times, in Rome and Toronto, for example, as well as in Hong Kong.
Married to the human rights activist Guo Jianmei, Liu seems to make a specialty of evocative titles, such as I Am Not Madame Bovary; The Cook, the Crook, and the Real Estate Tycoon; and I Did Not Kill My Husband.
Liu Zhenyun
While known as a political critic in his own right, Liu, however, seems to have found his greatest drawing power in what’s described as his “humor and wisdom” in relation to difficult subjects about the state of relationships, especially in depictions of family indifference, deception in friendship, and a great search for conversation by people driven to talk their way out of loneliness.
In going over the nuances of this fiction’s appeal, OpenBook’s Wendy Pan says that one sentence from Someone To Talk To has recaptured the reading public’s imagination in the decade since the book was published: “A person’s loneliness is not loneliness. A person looking for another person, a sentence looking for another sentence, is the real loneliness.”
‘Rose and Renaissance’
Also in its first appearance on the OpenBook Fiction list in September is Rose and Renaissance by Zhi Chu. Published by Guangdong Tourism Publishing House, this is one of the many books now being produced from “online literature.” When beginning its life in serial form online, Zhi’s story gathered many fans, who then have followed the book to its published form, encouraged by a radio drama of the same title.
We’re told that merchandise is in play in this book’s success, too, with bookmarks, cards, and other items being generated for sale along with the book itself.
In nonfiction, September saw an unusually large number of new titles arriving on the list—nine slots of 30 were held by books not on that chart in August.
‘Reunion’
The big winner was Reunion by Sun Yue, from CITIC Publishing House, breaking into the bestsellers’ nonfiction rankings at No. 1.
Sun, the book’s author, is the sister of Sun Zhuo, famous with film fans for Dear. In Reunion, Sun describes a father’s search for his son, the craftsmanship here being praised for the use of delicate phrasings in exploring difficult and painful experiences.
So popular is the narrative style and voice of the book that it entered the charts at No. 1 in the first month of its release.
Overall, it’s worth noting that there’s little clarity as yet as to whether some COVID-19 spread-mitigation efforts in China will help booksellers, who in many cities have struggled against stringent rules under Beijing’s “zero infection” goals. As Reuters’ Liz Lee writes, changes in some cities’ regulations for public movement “come even as several major cities including Beijing logged record infections on Monday (November 14), posing a challenge for authorities scrambling to quell outbreaks quickly while trying to minimize the impact on people’s lives and the economy.”
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from September 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, September 2022
| August 2022 Ranking | September 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787020139590 | 2019-06 | The Last Quarter of the Moon | Chi Zijian | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 4 | 2 | 9787506331746 | 2005-05 | Distant Savior | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 3 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 11 | 4 | 9787229030933 | 2010-11 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 10 | 5 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 3 | 6 | 9787530221532 | 2021-10 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 2 | 7 | 9787559664129 | 2022-08 | Take Care | Da Bing | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 7 | 8 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 5 | 9 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 12 | 10 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 9 | 11 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Yilin Press |
| 8 | 12 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 22 | 13 | 9787506368698 | 2013-06 | The World Under the Sky | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787536097261 | 2022-07 | Someone to Talk To | Liu Zhenyun | Flower City Press |
| 15 | 15 | 9787530219218 | 2019-02 | A Wavy Life | Mai Jia | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 26 | 16 | 9787020008735 | 1998-07 | Journey to the West | Wu Cheng’en | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 14 | 17 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes)(2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 21 | 18 | 9787533966102 | 2021-12 | Life and Death are Wearing Me Out | Mo Yan | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| 16 | 19 | 9787513349437 | 2022-08 | In The Beginning · Year | Wang Shuo | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| 23 | 20 | 9787572602825 | 2021-08 | Always Have, Always Will | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787506394840 | 2017-04 | The Heaven Trap | Jiao Jian | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 20 | 23 | 9787020127573 | 2017-10 | White Deer Plain | Chen Zhongshi | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787557019891 | 2022-07 | Rose and Renaissance | Zhi Chu | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787020127894 | 2017-07 | Fortress Besieged | Qian Zhongshu | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 19 | 26 | 9787020008742 | 1998-07 | Water Margin | Shi Nai’an,Luo Guanzhong | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 13 | 27 | 9787506394314 | 2017-04 | White Deer Plain | Chen Zhongshi | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 28 | 28 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787530217962 | 2018-05 | Cries in the Drizzle | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787540491949 | 2019-06 | I Belonged to You (Revised Edition) | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, September 2022
| August 2022 Ranking | September 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| Not Ranked | 1 | 9787521746709 | 2022-09 | Reunion | Sun Yue | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787550285880 | 2016-10 | The Complete Book of Dietary Therapy | Shi Xiang | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 4 | 3 | 9787521733679 | 2021-09 | The Most Tender Upbringing: Be a Gentle but Steadfast Parent | Oh Eun-young | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 2 | 4 | 9787561346259 | 2009-05 | Yi Ching is Really to Understand | Zeng Shiqiang | Shaanxi Normal University Press |
| 1 | 5 | 9787511320506 | 2012-08 | Su Shu | Huang Shigong, Ding Minxiang | China Overseas Chinese Press |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787513350006 | 2022-09 | Live up to my heart: Yu Minhong Essay Selection | Yu Minhong | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| 3 | 7 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787512512184 | 2020-07 | Wang Zhigang Talk About Chinese | Wang Zhigang | International Culture Publishing Corporation |
| 8 | 9 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | China Machine Press |
| 18 | 10 | 9787559662132 | 2022-06 | Succeed by Others’ Strength | Jin Qiang Da Shu | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 17 | 11 | 9787508653389 | 2015-07 | The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War Ⅱ | Iris Chang | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 13 | 12 | 9787222204331 | 2021-11 | Details of Law | Luo Xiang | Yunnan People’s Publishing House |
| 19 | 13 | 9787208171336 | 2021-08 | In the Affair: Chinese Government and Economic Development | Lan Xiaohuan | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Orient Press |
| 12 | 15 | 9787520802130 | 2018-05 | Do Their Own Psychological Doctor | Mo Yu | China Business Publishing House |
| 5 | 16 | 9787530848890 | 2010-01 | Understand the Ways of the World Day by Day | Zhang Yan | Tianjin Science & Technology Press |
| 11 | 17 | 9787544334792 | 2011-01 | Close to The Buddha | Khenpo Sherab Zangpo Rinpoche | Hainan Publishing House |
| 23 | 18 | 9787540484880 | 2018-01 | The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo | Lin Yutang | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 14 | 19 | 9787559659385 | 2022-04 | Minimalist Learning | Liao Heng | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 10 | 20 | 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 |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787521745153 | 2022-08 | Toughness | Zhang Xiaomeng, Cao Lida | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 25 | 22 | 9787521603774 | 2019-08 | The Faith as Premise of Freedom | Luo Xiang | China Legal Publishing House |
| 15 | 23 | 9787555262688 | 2021-04 | Danshari | He Quanfeng | Qingdao Publishing House |
| 16 | 24 | 9787111691020 | 2021-09 | The Underlying Logic: How to See the Essence of Things | Liu Run | China Machine Press |
| 24 | 25 | 9787020116133 | 2016-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 30 | 26 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787101127867 | 2017-09 | Translation and Annotation of the Analects of Confucius | Zhonghua Book Company | |
| 26 | 28 | 9787559313652 | 2017-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787521717648 | 2020-05 | Copyable Communication: Fan Deng’s 10 Expression Lessons | Fan Deng | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787571328849 | 2022-07 | Montessori Family Education | Li Caixia | Jiangsu Science & Technology Press |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, September 2022
| August 2022 Ranking | September 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 | 9787218146768 | 2022-09 | Manga Elementary School Student Psychology | Han Tu | Guangdong People’s Publishing House |
| 1 | 3 | 9787516528495 | 2022-04 | Comic Math Loved by Children (6 volumes) | Qinglan Tushu | Aeronautics Industry Press |
| 3 | 4 | 9787570711888 | 2021-12 | Ultraman Series Photo Book for 55th Anniversary | Tsuburaya Productions | Anhui Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 5 | 9787533274269 | 2013-08 | Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787573110930 | 2022-04 | Psychology in Cartoon for Kids (5 volumes) | Bai Mingyan | Jilin Publishing Group Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 7 | 9787534818400 | 2001-10 | Mao Zedong’s Poetry | Du Gaiyun, Du Xiaohua | Zhongzhou Classics Publishing House |
| 10 | 8 | 9787566716347 | 2019-05 | Souvenirs entomologiques (2nd Edition) (10 volumes) | Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre, Cai Xiaobai | Hunan University Press |
| 29 | 9 | 9787544288590 | 2018-06 | Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window (2018 Edition) | Tetsuko Kuroyanagi | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 10 | 9787533273460 | 2013-05 | Something from Nothing | Phoebe Gilman | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 11 | 9787532767373 | 2014-08 | Charlotte’s Web | Elwyn Brooks White | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787571424022 | 2022-08 | Daily Life of Animals | Zhang Chenliang | Beijing Science & Technology Press |
| 4 | 13 | 9787513936668 | 2021-11 | First Introduction to Law for Children | Cao Zhaopeng | Democracy and Construction Press |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787543464582 | 2007-05 | My Dad | Anthony Browne | Hebei Education Press |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787533273477 | 2013-05 | Diary of a Worm | Doreen Cronin, Harry Bliss | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| 15 | 16 | 9787533299224 | 2018-10 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 17 | 9787559015266 | 2017-06 | Friendship, to be Rented (with Chinese Pinyin) | Fang Suzhen, Hao Luowen | Xinjiang Children and Youth Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787543464575 | 2007-06 | My Mum | Anthony Browne | Hebei Education Press |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787570700752 | 2018-07 | The Foolish and the Unhappy | Ren Rongrong | Anhui Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 27 | 20 | 9787536587694 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: I am a Pupil | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 21 | 21 | 9787122398161 | 2021-12 | Kids Riddles | Wu Jiping, Zhao Min | Chemical Industry Press |
| 17 | 22 | 9787201077642 | 2013-01 | The Little Prince | Antoine de Saint-Exupéry | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787536587724 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Look at This Family | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787536587717 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Dog Called Rat | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787536587700 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: My Good Friend Tie Tou | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 12 | 26 | 9787556864454 | 2022-04 | Treasure Hunting in Inner Mongolia | Jingding Comic | 21st Century Press Group |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787122288486 | 2017-05 | The Journey To The West | Wu Cheng’en | Chemical Industry Press |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787122289971 | 2017-05 | Three Kingdoms | Luo Guanzhong | Chemical Industry Press |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787122280497 | 2017-05 | Water Margin | Shi Nai’an | Chemical Industry Press |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787122281029 | 2017-05 | Dream of red mansions | Cao Xueqin | Chemical Industry Press |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, February 2022
| August 2022 Ranking | September 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 |
| 7 | 3 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 5 | 4 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 5 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 19 | 6 | 9787530217054 | 2017-12 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Brazil | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 9 | 7 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation (Revised Edition) | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 8 | 9 | 9787540485337 | 2018-03 | Tsubaki Stationery Store | Ito Ogawa | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 6 | 10 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 17 | 11 | 9787533936020 | 2017-02 | The Moon and Sixpence | William Somerset Maugham | Britain | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| 10 | 12 | 9787521200836 | 2018-08 | Thiaoouba Prophecy | Michael Desmarquet | Australia | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 12 | 13 | 9787559614711 | 2018-01 | Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | Jeanette Winterson | Britain | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787559641182 | 2020-07 | Scream | Aki Hamanaka | Japan | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787544296274 | 2019-09 | Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse | Otsuichi | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 18 | 16 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 13 | 17 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 14 | 18 | 9787544282086 | 2016-02 | The Moon and Sixpence | William Somerset Maugham | Britain | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 11 | 19 | 9787573500977 | 2022-04 | Crystal Spiral | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 16 | 20 | 9787544269452 | 2021-11 | Malice (2022 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, February 2022
| August 2022 Ranking | 2022 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 2 | 1 | 9787521733679 | 2021-09 | The Most Tender Upbringing: Be a Gentle but Steadfast Parent | Oh Eun-young | Korea | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 1 | 2 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 3 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 4 | 4 | 9787508653389 | 2015-07 | The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War Ⅱ | Iris Chang | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 15 | 5 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
| 6 | 6 | 9787020116133 | 2016-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 10 | 7 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787115536198 | 2020-05 | Heart: Kazuo Inamori’s Philosophy of Life | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Posts & Telecommunications Publishing House |
| 5 | 9 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 9 | 10 | 9787111551287 | 2016-10 | Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise | Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool | United States of America | China Machine Press |
| 7 | 11 | 9787555262800 | 2017-12 | The Power of Insensitivity | Junichi Watanabe | Japan | Qingdao Publishing House |
| 12 | 12 | 9787521741124 | 2022-04 | The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness | Eric Jorgenson | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 14 | 13 | 9787522200514 | 2021-05 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 13 | 14 | 9787801445445 | 2003-04 | You Can Heal Your Life | Louise L. Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787111635574 | 2019-10 | The Working Methods of Kazuo Inamori | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | China Machine Press |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 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 |
| 8 | 17 | 9787508680965 | 2017-12 | Predictably Irrational (Revised Edition） | Dan Ariely | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 20 | 18 | 9787210096528 | 2017-09 | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success | Carol S. Dweck | United States of America | Jiangxi People’s Publishing House |
| 19 | 19 | 9787511714152 | 2012-08 | 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 |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787111635574 | 2019-10 | The Working Methods of Kazuo Inamori | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | China Machine Press |
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, and more on the Chinese book publishing market is here.
More on the still-ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on international book publishing is here.