The AI Productivity Handbook, If Journey to the West were a Group of Cats (Volume 2), and A Dog Named Money
By Erin L. Cox, Publisher | @erinlcox
In March, the Chinese market saw a continued domination by literary classics and popular comics in the fiction market, AI-focused books in nonfiction, and educational books for back-to-school season.Topping both the fiction and nonfiction lists are Fei Zhi’s popular “If Cats” franchise.
For the fiction list, the release of If Journey to the West were a Group of Cats (Volume 2) took the top spot with the first volume also returning to the bestseller list this month. The comic series has incredibly strong appeal to audiences both online and in print.
In online retailers, classic books by Hermann Hesse, Albert Camus and André Gide were selling well in part because the substantial attention these three writers have been receiving in China over the last several years–with memorable quotes from books such as Siddhartha, The Outsider, and Strait is the Gate circulating widely on social media platforms–but also due to online retailers marketing these and other classics as “extreme value for money.” The price of the book plus the quality of the content is compelling for readers.
On the nonfiction list, Fei Zhi’s If History were a Group of Cats: The Late Qing Dynasty was number one, followed by a number of practical books on how to use AI to generate income or create additional revenue streams.
Forensic pathologist Liu Liang’s Truth Never Stays Silent made the e-commerce nonfiction list, showing that true crime is truly popular all over the world. Liu Liang was recognized as one of CCTV’s “Top Ten Figures in the Rule of Law” for 2016 and gained wider recognition as a mentor on the popular variety show Workplace Newcomers: Forensic Season. The book, which was published after his retirement from 40 years in the field, shares real cases to help readers understand the fragility and dignity of life while teaching them to identify and mitigate potential risks in their surroundings.
The success of books on the children’s list was largely driven by back-to-school shopping, with a surge educational titles making the list, particularly titles focused on safety, such as books on bullying, preventing abuse, getting lost, and abduction.
Returning to the list this month are books from the popular “Treasure Hunting” and the “Pip and Posy” franchises as well as classics Charlotte’s Web, Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window, and financial literary classics like A Dog Named Money.
Across the board, the market seems focused on books that are practical, good value for money, and time-honored tales and writers. See the top ten of each list below.
Fiction Bestsellers
Nonfiction Bestsellers
Childrens Bestsellers
Fiction Bestsellers by International Authors
Nonfiction Bestsellers by International Authors
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 26,000 online and off-line bookstores.
The online channel includes digital retailers such as large self-operated online stores, platform stores, and small- and medium-sized stores.
The off-line channels include more than 5,100 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 2024, OpenBook tracked around 82.66 billion RMB in sales (US$11.39 billion). Retail outlets include:
- Traditional bookstores;
- Supermarkets;
- Campus bookstores;
- “Professional” stores, said to be small stores with a specific industrial or trade focus; and
- 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
Mainland 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.