A bookselling stand in Hangzhou near the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Mark Zhu
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
High Visibility at East Buy
As commonly seen in many Western markets, China’s book-buying population is being influenced by entertainment and by digital retail forces. May’s top three fiction bestsellers, per the tracking of Beijing OpenBook, outline the patterns.
At No. 1 on May’s chart is Chi Zijian’s The Last Quarter of the Moon, published by People’s Literature Publishing House. Also note at No. 16 Mia Jia’s A Wavy Life from Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House, and you’re looking at two books the fortunes of which have been boosted by online-retail algorithmic positioning.
A Hong Kong-based online live-streaming retailer originally called Koolearn was rebranded as East Buy in March. Last summer, when still called Koolearn, the platform had seen its market traction increase around its offer involving products and language instruction, reminding observers that the platform, created by parent company New Oriental, had begun as a tutoring firm.
Once re-established as East Buy, the company this spring has used its East Buy Books “shopping window” to highlight the Chi and Mia books, using videos to explain their appeal.
‘A Wavy Life’
Special attention from one of the platform’s anchors named Ming Ming apparently resonated with many consumers on behalf of A Wavy Life, in particular, and it’s thanks to this special visibility given to these two books, OpenBook’s analysts say, that The Last Quarter of the Moon and A Wavy Life have broken out of the pack as they have.
Meanwhile, the author Jiang Jiajia is feeling the warmth of the screens, with Moments We Shared at No. 6 and Always Have, Always Will at No. 17 (both from Hunan Literature & Art Press) buoyed by news from the State Film Administration that Zhang is the screenwriter on an approved adaptation.
‘Moments We Shared’
A first poster appeared in September for Moments We Shared, with an anticipated release this year.
And To Live by Bi Xiaonan (Hunan Literature & Art Press)—the one entering the chart at No. 26, not Yu Hua’s familiar To Live, which stands at No. 2—has had its stage adaptation rights bought by Wang Keran.
The deal is for all nine stories in the collection for which Wang of Yanghua Drama’s Magnificent Culture will create theater pieces.
In nonfiction, we draw your attention to May’s unusual raft of nine newcomers to the chart—which rarely changes so much from month to month.
History: Now Beyond Those ‘Cats’
‘Fascinating Chinese History’
Publishing Perspectives readers now are very familiar with those many-volume series of comedic and usually cartooned accounts of episodes in Chinese history.
Probably the best known of these serials is Fei Zhi’s ubiquitous “If History Were a Group of Cats” from Guangdong Tourism Publishing House and Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press.
That series alone has a compelling seven of its volumes in the May Top 30.
But also in May, you can spot two newcomers in this robust interest in the nation’s history.
‘Addictive Chinese History’
- Lu Feng’s Fascinating Chinese History has made its bestseller-chart debut at an auspicious No. 2 (Chengdu Times Press).
- And Wen Boling’s Addictive Chinese History is at No. 28 (Taihai Publishing House).
Just for the record, there are publishing markets in the world that would be delighted to find such chart-nourishing readership for historical writings, with or without cats.
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from May 2023 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 2023
| April 2023 Ranking | May 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 11 | 1 | 9787020139590 | 2019-06 | The Last Quarter of the Moon | Chi Zijian | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 2 | 2 | 9787530221532 | 2021-10 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 1 | 3 | 9787572608582 | 2022-10 | Lychee in Chang’an | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 5 | 4 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 6 | 5 | 9787513348744 | 2022-11 | The Seventh Day | Yu hua | New Star Press Co. Ltd |
| 14 | 6 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 7 | 7 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 9 | 8 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 16 | 9 | 9787530219218 | 2019-02 | A Wavy Life | Mai Jia | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 10 | 10 | 9787229030933 | 2010-11 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 15 | 11 | 9787506331746 | 2005-05 | Distant Savior | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 12 | 9787513350976 | 2023-01 | Suzume no Tojimari | Makoto Shinkai | New Star Press Co. Ltd |
| 13 | 13 | 9787530218792 | 2021-07 | Life (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 8 | 14 | 9787573503053 | 2023-02 | Swans and Bats | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 22 | 15 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes) (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 21 | 16 | 9787530217962 | 2018-05 | Cries in the Drizzle | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 25 | 17 | 9787572602825 | 2021-08 | Always Have, Always Will | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787020164776 | 2020-07 | A Late Bloomer | Mo Yan | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 27 | 19 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 23 | 20 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 26 | 21 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 12 | 22 | 9787506344791 | 2008-12 | Street Wizards | Feng Jicai | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 20 | 23 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 17 | 24 | 9787505738478 | 2016-10 | A Madman’s Diary | Lu Xun | China Friendship Publishing Company |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787530216033 | 2017-09 | Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (2017 Edition) | Yu hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787572610332 | 2023-03 | To Live | Bi Xiaonan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 4 | 27 | 9787533966102 | 2021-12 | Life and Death are Wearing Me Out | Mo Yan | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| 18 | 28 | 9787573604309 | 2023-01 | Knockout | Zhu Junyi,Xu Jizhou,Bai Wenjun | Qingdao Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787020127894 | 2017-07 | Fortress Besieged | Qian Zhongshu | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 28 | 30 | 9787533969608 | 2022-09 | Destiny | Cai Chongda | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, May 2023
| April 2023 Ranking | May 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 12 | 1 | 9787554617502 | 2021-06 | Parent-child Communication Skills Training | Li Jing | Guwuxuan Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787546431116 | 2022-11 | Fascinating Chinese History | Lu feng | Chengdu Times Press |
| Not Ranked | 3 | 9787511334060 | 2013-05 | Flexibility: Good for a Lifetime | Su Wenyuan | China Overseas Chinese Press |
| 1 | 4 | 9787558063183 | 2019-10 | Continue the Chat Wisely | Lin Sicheng | Jiangsu Fine Arts Press |
| 5 | 5 | 9787020084357 | 2011-04 | I and the Temple of Earth | Shi Tiesheng | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787563956302 | 2017-09 | Humor Makes You Glamorous | Pan Hongsheng | Beijing University of Technology Press |
| 3 | 7 | 9787222204331 | 2021-11 | Details of Law | Luo Xiang | Yunnan People’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 8 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | China Machine Press |
| Not Ranked | 9 | 9787530892268 | 2014-12 | Science of Medicative Diet for Food Therapy | Song Jingdong | Tianjin Science & Technology Press |
| 4 | 10 | 9787559664464 | 2022-10 | Wish You Love Yourself Too | Fang Qi | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 2 | 11 | 9787530848890 | 2010-01 | Understand the Ways of the World Day by Day | Zhang Yan | Tianjin Science & Technology Press |
| 11 | 12 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 27 | 13 | 9787572602603 | 2023-03 | Insightful | Yang Tianzhen | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 13 | 14 | 9787571315252 | 2021-01 | Take Care of Children’s Spleen and Stomach | Li Aike | Jiangsu Science & Technology Press |
| 22 | 15 | 9787572608377 | 2022-09 | It’s A Long Journey | Lu Sihao | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787540483432 | 2017-11 | Jottings in Sickbed (Commemorative Edition 2021) | Shi Tiesheng | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 18 | 17 | 9787557028657 | 2022-10 | If History were a Group of Cats: Southern Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 7 | 18 | 9787559662170 | 2022-09 | Oysters in the Shell are the Hearts of Adults | Nini | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787516833445 | 2023-01 | Meditations and thoughts | James Allen | Taihai Publishing House |
| 21 | 20 | 9787520802130 | 2018-05 | Be Their Own Psychological Doctor | Mo Yu | China Business Publishing House |
| 23 | 21 | 9787559313652 | 2017-09 | If History were a Group of Cats: Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 8 | 22 | 9787801445445 | 2003-04 | You Can Heal Your Life | Louise L.Hay | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787557030162 | 2023-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: the End of the Yuan and the Beginning of the Ming Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 26 | 24 | 9787559330260 | 2018-06 | If History were a Group of Cats: The Spring-autumn and Warring State Period | Fei Zhi | Heilongjiang Fine Arts Press |
| 30 | 25 | 9787557024413 | 2021-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 28 | 26 | 9787557017477 | 2019-02 | If History were a Group of Cats: Qin, Chu, Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasty | Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| 24 | 27 | 9787555262800 | 2017-12 | The Power of Insensitivity | Junichi Watanabe | Qingdao Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787516826447 | 2020-07 | Addictive Chinese History | Wen Boling | Taihai Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787547238677 | 2019-02 | Flexibility: Good for a Lifetime | Su Wenyuan | Jilin Literature & History Press |
| 29 | 30 | 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 |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, May 2023
| April 2023 Ranking | May 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 6 | 1 | 9787110104880 | 2023-04 | Child, You Should Learn to Protect Yourself (4 volumes) | Wang Weihao | Popular Science Press |
| 1 | 2 | 9787218146768 | 2022-09 | Manga Elementary School Student Psychology (4 volumes) | Han Tu | Guangdong People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 3 | 9787534633362 | 2005-05 | Bronze and Sunflower | Cao Wenxuan | Jiangsu Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 4 | 9787572124556 | 2022-05 | Young Nie Haisheng | Li Ming | Changjiang Children’s Press |
| 2 | 5 | 9787549286492 | 2023-03 | Introduction to the Civil Code of Comics | Sen Ke | Chang Jiang Press |
| 11 | 6 | 9787572809026 | 2022-12 | This Is Chinese Power Super Project Comes | Young Lions | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 7 | 9787550121584 | 2014-12 | The wanderings of Sanmao | Zhang Leping | Nanfang Publishing House |
| 21 | 8 | 9787536574366 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Stratego | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 23 | 9 | 9787536574397 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Clever Little Prodigy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 10 | 9787221116604 | 2014-05 | The Magic School Bus (Early Chapter Book) (20 volumes) | Joanna Cole, Bruce Degen | Guizhou People’s Publishing House |
| 26 | 11 | 9787536574380 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Who’s the Smart Guy? | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 27 | 12 | 9787536574373 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: The Great Adventure of the Castle | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 7 | 13 | 9787521739077 | 2022-07 | The Grolltroll | Barbara van den Speulhof | CITIC Publishing House Co.,Ltd |
| 24 | 14 | 9787536587694 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: I am a Pupil | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 15 | 9787548047698 | 2016-11 | Sun Tzu’s Art of War | Sun Wu | Jiangxi Fine Arts Press |
| 25 | 16 | 9787533264062 | 2010-12 | Let’s Get Mung Beans, Momma! | Zeng Yangqing,Wan Huaguo | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| 29 | 17 | 9787536587724 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: Look at This Family | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 28 | 18 | 9787536587717 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: A Dog Called Rat | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 5 | 19 | 9787218164434 | 2023-02 | Manga Self-Management for Elementary and Middle School Students (4 volumes) | Han Tu | Guangdong People’s Publishing House |
| 30 | 20 | 9787536587700 | 2018-04 | Mi Xiaoquan School Experience: My Good Friend Tie Tou | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787559649461 | 2021-06 | Spirited Away | Hayao Miyazaki | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 12 | 22 | 9787559621337 | 2019-04 | Butt Detective: Detective and the Fraud | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 14 | 23 | 9787559608390 | 2018-01 | Butt Detective: The Criminal Appears | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 13 | 24 | 9787550286122 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Disappeared Popular Dessert | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 15 | 25 | 9787550286214 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: The Missing Lunch Box | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 16 | 26 | 9787550286085 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Big Crisis of Small Director | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 18 | 27 | 9787559467546 | 2022-09 | Good Behavior: Those Little Things That My Grandparents Taught My Parents, And My Parents Taught Me | Long Xiaotian, Cao Qun | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787533274269 | 2013-08 | Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| 17 | 29 | 9787550286238 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Looking for the Rainbow Diamond | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787559644633 | 2020-12 | My Neighbor Totoro | Hayao Miyazaki | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, May 2023
| April 2023 Ranking | May 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | 9787513350976 | 2023-01 | Suzume no Tojimari | Makoto Shinkai | Japan | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| 2 | 2 | 9787573503053 | 2023-02 | Swans and Bats | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 6 | 3 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 4 | 4 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 5 | 5 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 3 | 6 | 9787521748239 | 2022-12 | Goodbye Eri | Tatsuki Fujimoto | Japan | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd |
| 13 | 7 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 12 | 8 | 9787544269452 | 2021-11 | Malice (2022 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 8 | 9 | 9787544296274 | 2019-09 | Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse | Otsuichi | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 7 | 10 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 15 | 11 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| 14 | 12 | 9787559614711 | 2018-01 | Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | Jeanette Winterson | Britain | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 17 | 13 | 9787544297059 | 2020-03 | Love in the Time of Cholera (3 Million Sold Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Colombia | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787544291224 | 2017-08 | After School (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 9 | 15 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787539983295 | 2015-10 | Foundation (Revised Edition) | Isaac Asimov | United States of America | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| 10 | 17 | 9787550020108 | 2016-12 | Your Name | Makoto Shinkai | Japan | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
| 20 | 18 | 9787540485337 | 2018-03 | Tsubaki Stationery Store | Ito Ogawa | Japan | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787530217054 | 2017-12 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Brazil | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 11 | 20 | 9787550033566 | 2019-09 | Weathering with You | Makoto Shinkai | Japan | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, May 2023
| April 2023 Ranking | May 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 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 3 | 9787516833445 | 2023-01 | Meditations and thoughts | James Allen | Britain | Taihai Publishing House |
| 2 | 4 | 9787801445445 | 2003-04 | You Can Heal Your Life | Louise L.Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| 5 | 5 | 9787555262800 | 2017-12 | The Power of Insensitivity | Junichi Watanabe | Japan | Qingdao Publishing House |
| 6 | 6 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 8 | 7 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline (Revised Edition) | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 4 | 8 | 9787513349369 | 2022-09 | From the Limit: Correspondence on Feminism | Chizuko Ueno | Japan | New Star Press Co.Ltd |
| 11 | 9 | 9787522200514 | 2021-05 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 10 | 10 | 9787521733679 | 2021-09 | The Most Tender Upbringing: Be a Gentle but Steadfast Parent | Oh Eun-young | Korea | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd |
| 9 | 11 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787505737488 | 2016-12 | What Life Should Mean to You | Alfred Adler | Austria | China Friendship Publishing Company |
| 13 | 13 | 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 |
| 12 | 14 | 9787515902241 | 2012-07 | Letters to Louise: The Answers are Within You | Louise L.Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| 18 | 15 | 9787542669018 | 2020-06 | The Memoir of Literature (1989-1994) | Mu Xin, Chen Danqing | United States of America | Shanghai Joint Publishing Company |
| 17 | 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 |
| 15 | 17 | 9787111635574 | 2019-10 | The Working Methods of Kazuo Inamori | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 16 | 18 | 9787505745681 | 2018-12 | The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind | Gustave Le Bon | France | China Friendship Publishing Company |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787505738966 | 2017-05 | How to Win Friends and Influence People | Dale Carnegie | United States of America | China Friendship Publishing Company |
| 7 | 20 | 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 |
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.
At last report, OpenBook monitored more than 18,000 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 more than 4,800 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 2022, OpenBook tracked around 76.21 billion RMB in sales (US$10.62 billion).
Retail outlets include:
- Traditional bookstores
- Supermarkets
- Campus bookstores
- “Professional” stores, which are 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 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 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.