A production still with actor Luyi Zhang from the CCTV live-action adaptation of Liu Cixin’s ‘The Three-Body Problem,’ which began airing January 15. Image: CCTV-8
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
CCTV’s Series Opened January 15
You’ll recall that in our November 2022 China bestsellers update, we looked at the arrival in China of a new animated adaptation of Liu Cixin’s Hugo Award-winning The Three-Body Problem (Chongqing Publishing House).
The new boxed edition of ‘The Three-Body Problem’ from Chongqing Publishing House
As anticipated, the production has driven Liu’s trilogy to the top of Beijing OpenBook’s fiction list. And, furthermore, there’s now a doorstopper-sized boxed set appearing in the January charts, also from Chongqing Publishing House, punching its way onto the January bestseller list for the first time, and at No. 14.
And there’s now a three-adaptation problem going on, as well—a problem, at least for those trying to keep up with all this, if not for fans of Liu’s popular work or for the profoundly popular computer engineer Liu Cixin, now 59 and winner of the Chinese Nebula.
In lieu of Liu’s success, we’d be talking about Ma Boyong’s Lychee in Chang’an from Hunan Literature & Art Press, which made a remarkable jump in January from No. 23 to No. 5 on the fiction list. Instead, we need to take a pause for disambiguation for you and chart the three adaptations of The Three-Body Problem.
- In November, we had seen the arrival of the animated Chinese piece. You’ll recall that there was some discussion at the time about whether that program’s start with the second book was the best choice, purists feeling a bit rooked.
- We also were tracking a live-action English-language series adaptation now in post-production from Netflix and Bighead Littlehead for release later this year. That’s still underway, with Minkie Spiro and Derek Tsang directing and showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss in charge.
- As it has happened, there’s yet a third adaptation, also live-action and made by China’s CCTV (distribution CCTV-8). This one began landing on Chinese small screens on January 15. And it’s being hailed for a telling more loyal to the books than the animated interpretation.
The poster for the CCTV live-action adaptation of Liu Cixin’s ‘The Three-Body Problem’ … not the edition coming later this year to Netflix. Image: CCTV=8
In terms of market impact for the books? That third adaptation, the Chinese live-action piece, “allowed audiences who have not read The Three-Body Problem [trilogy] to immerse themselves in the story [with] interpretive content, which lowered the obstacles for viewing and understanding.”
So say our associates on OpenBook’s research team, who also would like to call your attention to No. 19 on the list: a revised 2015 translation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, which was initially read as a group of short stories and novellas starting in 1942 and released in its own trilogy format between 1951 and 1953.
If you’ll forgive us a mild moment of geekery here, isn’t it fascinating that sci-fi—so frequently associated with futurism, of course—turns up in such classic “everything old is new again” ways? The first glimmer of the Foundation content appeared 81 years ago, and now Liu’s Problem is only that he has three series going to television in the same 12-month span, itself a body of material that was first read 17 years ago, in 2006.
The Chinese live-action series is directed by Lei Yang with Liangliang Tian as head writer and music (we’d like to hear this) by Xueran Chen. We’re tantalizing you today with some production shots. And all this Liu Cixin activity in January meant that seven of the Top 30 fiction slots tracked by OpenBook involved Three-Body editions, probably earning Liu the right to call himself the Colleen Hoover of the Chinese charts.
Ma Boyong’s ‘Lychee in Chang’an’
Since we mentioned Lychee in Chang’an, it’s worth noting that that book, jumping from No. 23 to No. 5 in January, was also buoyed by a show, but in this case it was the influential Oriental Selection Live Broadcast Room in a December appearance … in which it was announced that, yes, there’s a film coming. “Heated discussions” followed this news, we’re told, once again providing the advice to publishers that screen development is simply the token of many realms today, a point hardly limited to Western fixations on glowy images.
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from January 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.
A production still from the CCTV live-action adaptation of Liu Cixin’s ‘The Three-Body Problem,’ which began airing January 15. Image: CCTV-8
OpenBook’s Fiction Bestsellers, January 2023
| December 2022 Ranking | January 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 2 | 2 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 3 | 3 | 9787229030933 | 2010-11 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 5 | 4 | 9787530221532 | 2021-10 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 23 | 5 | 9787572608582 | 2022-10 | Lychee in Chang’an | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 11 | 6 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 4 | 7 | 9787020139590 | 2019-06 | The Last Quarter of the Moon | Chi Zijian | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 15 | 8 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 9 | 9 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 20 | 10 | 9787533966102 | 2021-12 | Life and Death are Wearing Me Out | Mo Yan | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| 10 | 11 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 7 | 12 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 13 | 9787506331746 | 2005-05 | Distant Savior | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787229100605 | 2015-10 | The Three-Body Problem (Collector’s Edition) | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 13 | 15 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes) (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 12 | 16 | 9787530219218 | 2019-02 | A Wavy Life | Mai Jia | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 21 | 17 | 9787500680239 | 2009-01 | Pioneering | Liu Qing | China Youth Press |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787229100612 | 2015-10 | The Dark Forest (Collector’s Edition) | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation (Revised Edition) | Isaac Asimov | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787229124410 | 2017-09 | The Three-Body Problem (Collection 3 Books Set) | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787229100629 | 2015-10 | Death’s End (Collector’s Edition) | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 14 | 22 | 9787533969608 | 2022-09 | Destiny | Cai Chongda | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787513331418 | 2018-08 | The Seventh Day | Yu hua | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787521748239 | 2022-12 | Goodbye Eri | Tatsuki Fujimoto | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 16 | 25 | 9787513349437 | 2022-08 | In The Beginning · Year | Wang Shuo | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| 27 | 26 | 9787506344791 | 2008-12 | Street Wizards | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 19 | 27 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 22 | 28 | 9787530217962 | 2018-05 | Cries in the Drizzle | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787530216033 | 2017-09 | Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (2017 Edition) | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 18 | 30 | 9787020008735 | 1998-07 | Journey to the West | Wu Cheng’en | People’s Literature Publishing House |
A production still from the CCTV live-action adaptation of Liu Cixin’s ‘The Three-Body Problem,’ which began airing January 15. Image: CCTV-8
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, January 2023
| December 2022 Ranking | January 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| Not Ranked | 1 | 9787515830292 | 2022-01 | Chinese Communication Wisdom | Sun Yuzhong | China Industry and Commerce Joint Publishing Co. Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787549629916 | 2019-11 | Sales is to play with EQ | Wang Xiaoyi, Guan Peng | Wenhui Publishing House |
| 1 | 3 | 9787520816199 | 2021-08 | Impromptu speech | Du Ying | China Business Publishing House |
| 5 | 4 | 9787559664464 | 2022-10 | Wish You Love Yourself Too | Fang Qi | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 2 | 5 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | China Machine Press |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787520802024 | 2018-05 | Peace of mind | Chen Zan | China Business Publishing House |
| 4 | 7 | 9787555262800 | 2017-12 | The Power of Insensitivity | Junichi Watanabe | Qingdao Publishing House |
| 3 | 8 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 9 | 9787801445445 | 2003-04 | You Can Heal Your Life | Louise L.Hay | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| 10 | 10 | 9787561346259 | 2009-05 | Yi Ching is Really to Understand | Zeng Shiqiang | Shaanxi Normal University Press |
| 21 | 11 | 9787108067227 | 2019-12 | Fu Lei’s Letters for Home (Commemorative Edition) | Fu Lei | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787572608377 | 2022-09 | It‘s A Long Journey | Lu Sihao | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 7 | 13 | 9787208171336 | 2021-08 | In the Affair: Chinese Government and Economic Development | Lan Xiaohuan | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787511320506 | 2012-08 | Su Shu | Huang Shigong, Ding Minxiang | China Overseas Chinese Press |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787553786353 | 2019-03 | Make Baby Food with Me | Yuan Bao Ma Ma | Jiangsu Science & Technology Press |
| 11 | 16 | 9787557028657 | 2022-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Southern Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 27 | 17 | 9787020084357 | 2011-04 | I and the Temple of Earth | Shi Tiesheng | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787555262688 | 2021-04 | Danshari | He Quanfeng | Qingdao Publishing House |
| 12 | 19 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787521741124 | 2022-04 | The Almanac of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness | Eric Jorgenson | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 6 | 21 | 9787222204331 | 2021-11 | Details of Law | Luo Xiang | Yunnan People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787201088945 | 2014-12 | No More Than Skins | Cai Chongda | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787545485738 | 2022-12 | Gold Thread | Feng Tang | Guangdong Economy Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787544334792 | 2011-01 | Close to The Buddha | Khenpo Sherab Zangpo Rinpoche | Hainan Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787540484880 | 2018-01 | The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo | Lin Yutang | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 23 | 26 | 9787111691020 | 2021-09 | The Underlying Logic: How to See the Essence of Things | Liu Run | China Machine Press |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787513349369 | 2022-09 | From the Limit: Correspondence on Feminism | Chizuko Ueno | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787540883690 | 2022-11 | Accompany Children Through The Six Years Of Primary School | Zhu Xiuting | Sichuan Education Press |
| 26 | 29 | 9787521736816 | 2022-01 | Guns, Germs, and Steel | Jared Diamond | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 16 | 30 | 9787559313652 | 2017-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, January 2023
| December 2022 Ranking | January 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787218146768 | 2022-09 | Manga Elementary School Student Psychology | Han Tu | Guangdong People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787548047698 | 2016-11 | Sun Tzu’s Art of War | Sun Wu | Jiangxi Fine Arts Press |
| Not Ranked | 3 | 9787502086855 | 2021-07 | Why shouldn’t I? (10 volumes) | Little Red Sail | Emergency Management Press |
| Not Ranked | 4 | 9787544288590 | 2018-06 | Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window (2018 Edition) | Tetsuko Kuroyanagi | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 22 | 5 | 9787533299224 | 2018-10 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl,Quentin Blake | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787532767373 | 2014-08 | Charlotte’s Web | Elwyn Brooks White | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 2 | 7 | 9787559621337 | 2019-04 | Butt Detective: Detective and the Fraud | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 3 | 8 | 9787550286122 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Disappeared Popular Dessert | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 4 | 9 | 9787550286214 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: The Missing Lunch Box | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 6 | 10 | 9787559608390 | 2018-01 | Butt Detective: The Criminal Appears | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 5 | 11 | 9787550286085 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: The Big Crisis of Small Director | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 7 | 12 | 9787550286238 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Look for the Rainbow Diamond | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 9 | 13 | 9787110103074 | 2022-02 | Science Comics Loved by Pupils (4 volumes) | Sunbook | Popular Science Press |
| 8 | 14 | 9787511052568 | 2020-08 | Butt Detective: Snow Monster in Deep Mountain | Troll | Dolphin Press |
| Not Ranked | 15 | 9787559706522 | 2018-05 | The Foolish and the Unhappy (With Chinese Pinyin) | Ren Rongrong | Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 11 | 16 | 9787570711888 | 2021-12 | Ultraman Series Photo Book for 55th Anniversary | Tsuburaya Productions | Anhui Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 23 | 17 | 9787521726473 | 2020-12 | A Dog Named Money | Bodo Schafer | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787566714398 | 2018-09 | Chinese Classic Stories (20 volumes) | Cai Xiaobai | Hunan University Press |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787566714350 | 2018-09 | World Classic Fairy Tales (20 volumes) | Cai Xiaobai | Hunan University Press |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787531332091 | 2008-05 | Xili Hulu The Little Pig (Zhuyin Version) (Vol.1) | Sun You Jun | Chunfeng Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787556830411 | 2017-10 | The Cricket in Times Square | George Selden, Garth Williams | 21st Century Press Group |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787534633362 | 2005-05 | Bronze and Sunflower | Cao Wenxuan | Jiangsu Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787549851294 | 2021-12 | Yilin 18th Anniversary Commemorative Book | Editorial Office of Yilin | Jilin Photography Publishing House |
| 12 | 24 | 9787536587694 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: I am a Pupil | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787534256301 | 2009-09 | Dreaming of Being a Wolf King (2018 Edition) | Shen Shixi | Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787558900648 | 2017-07 | Winter of Three Hairs (With Chinese Pinyin) | Zhang Leping | Juvenile & Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787570714629 | 2022-05 | Excellent BeiDou Navigation Satellite System | Liu Zhengyu | Anhui Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 28 | 9787533562632 | 2021-01 | Our Chinese New Year’s Eve | He Jie | Fujian Science & Technology Press |
| 13 | 29 | 9787536587724 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Look at This Family | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 14 | 30 | 9787536587717 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Dog Called Rat | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, January 2023
| December 2022 Ranking | January 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 2 | 1 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 1 | 2 | 9787506394864 | 2017-09 | Sophie’s World (New Edition) | Jostein Gaarder | Norway | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 3 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation (Revised Edition) | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 4 | 9787521748239 | 2022-12 | Goodbye Eri | Tatsuki Fujimoto | Japan | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 3 | 5 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787544774635 | 2019-01 | How the Steel Was Tempered (New Edition) | Nikolai Alexeevich Ostrovsky | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | Yilin Press |
| 10 | 7 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 8 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| Not Ranked | 9 | 9787544775717 | 2019-06 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (New Edition) | Jules Verne | France | Yilin Press |
| 6 | 10 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To kill amockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| 7 | 11 | 9787530217054 | 2017-12 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Brazil | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 12 | 12 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 17 | 13 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 9 | 14 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| 4 | 15 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787544774666 | 2018-12 | Jane Eyre | Charlotte Bront? | Britain | Yilin Press |
| 8 | 17 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 5 | 18 | 9787020167098 | 2021-07 | Annees | Anne Ernaux | France | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 15 | 19 | 9787559614711 | 2018-01 | Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | Jeanette Winterson | Britain | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 11 | 20 | 9787544269452 | 2021-11 | Malice (2022 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, January 2023
| December 2022 Ranking | January 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 3 | 2 | 9787555262800 | 2017-12 | The Power of Insensitivity | Junichi Watanabe | Japan | Qingdao Publishing House |
| 2 | 3 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 4 | 9787801445445 | 2003-04 | You Can Heal Your Life | Louise L.Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| 5 | 5 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 11 | 6 | 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 |
| 13 | 7 | 9787513349369 | 2022-09 | From the Limit: Correspondence on Feminism | Chizuko Ueno | Japan | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| 9 | 8 | 9787521736816 | 2022-01 | Guns, Germs, and Steel | Jared Diamond | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 7 | 9 | 9787521733679 | 2021-09 | The Most Tender Upbringing: Be a Gentle but Steadfast Parent | Oh Eun-young | Korea | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 16 | 10 | 9787522200514 | 2021-05 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B. Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 15 | 11 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
| 17 | 12 | 9787108009821 | 1998-07 | 1587, a Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
| 19 | 13 | 9787542645715 | 2015-02 | Misogyny | Chizuko Ueno | Japan | Shanghai Joint Publishing Company |
| 4 | 14 | 9787532736553 | 2005-01 | The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin | Robert Lawrence Kuhn | United States of America | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 12 | 15 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 20 | 16 | 9787210096528 | 2017-09 | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success | Carol S.Dweck | United States of America | Jiangxi People’s Publishing House |
| 10 | 17 | 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 |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787505737488 | 2016-12 | What Life Should Mean to You | Alfred Adler | Austria | China Friendship Publishing Company |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787521742299 | 2022-10 | 101 Essays that will Change the Way | Brianna Wiest | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 18 | 20 | 9787111551287 | 2016-10 | Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise | Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool | United States of America | China Machine Press |
Another production still with actor Liyu Zhang from the CCTV live-action adaptation of Liu Cixin’s ‘The Three-Body Problem,’ which began airing January 15. Image: CCTV-8
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 December 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.
Actors Liyu Zhang and Xiaoran Li in a production still with actor Liyu Zhang from the CCTV live-action adaptation of Liu Cixin’s ‘The Three-Body Problem,’ which began airing January 15. Image: CCTV-8
More China bestseller reports from Publishing Perspectives are here, and more on the Chinese book publishing market is here. More from us on adaptations of books to film and television is here and here.