On Sanduo Lu Street in Guangxi Province’s Guilin in August. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Pawopa
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
‘A True Understanding of Life’
August in mainland China’s readership trends proved to be—at least in fiction—another of those months in which relatively recent books regarded as modern classics reassert themselves in the charts.
‘The Litchie Road’
- The 2019 release The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian (People’s Literature House) is in the top spot, moving there from No. 2 in July.
- The 2022 The Litchi Road has moved up from No. 3 to No. 2, another resurfacing for Ma Boyong and Hunan Literature & Art Press.
- And No. 4 moves to No. 3, Yu Huhua’s 2021 To Live (in a 2021 edition from Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House) is getting another goodly run near the top of the heap.
That’s a perfectly ordered ascension, you’ll have noted. The Nos. 2, 3, and 4 from July each moving up a single notch. Why doesn’t more of life work so serenely?
What might look like some sharp elbows being thrown in the lower rankings of the chart actually turn out to be familiar, as well: the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature winner Mo Yan is returning once more for a trifecta of re-ups. Back again on the charts are:
- Crocodile (Zhejiang Literature & Art Press) at No. 23
- Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out (Zhejiang Literature & Art Press) at No. 27
- A Late Bloomer (People’s Literature Publishing House) at No. 29
‘Lost You Forever’
Yet even in a month when it looks as if the flight to the familiar is in full force, note that Lost You Forever series has arrived for its chart debut at No. 14, a particularly respectable debut on the chart from China Friendship Publishing Company, considering the re-gathering of the greats going on around it.
This is Tong Hua’s 2019 text and guess what brought it to the attention of the readership: a television-play edition, of course, and the release from China Friendship of a new edition. (The Western tradition of the film and television tie-in is not an incorrect parallel here.)
Hua served as a writer on the screen adaptation, which our associates at Beijing OpenBook tell us has produced a visual evocation comfortably fitting the book’s narrative (a good screen-to-book comparison, in other words), helping to enhance cross-media consumption or what one data watcher astutely calls “the heat of TV.”
‘Embracing the End’
One even larger leap from nowhere was seen for Embracing the End by Lu Sihao from Hunan Literature & Art Press, the only title in the Top 30 fiction chart to have been published in August, the same month in which it ranked at all, and coming in at an impressive No. 6, no less.
Lu has what’s being called a “relaxing, humorous, and healing writing style” with which he’s presenting his “true understanding of life.”
And while his book has flashed into attention among the grandees of the bestseller list, Lu’s not a novice. Readers in China know him from three previous works: No Matter How Sad You May Be, Believe that Happiness is Waiting; May You Be Free From Roaming Alone; and It’s A Long Journey. All of this seems to have rolled into view in 2013, and since then, Lu seems to have remained close enough to the hearts of many to make his new arrival on the market an instant bestseller.
It’s hard not to note the rather sad—or don’t-be-sad—titles we’re working with in August. These seem to echo the concern in some Western cultures about a new, pervasive sense of loneliness in many young people. Renee Yaseen is here at the Washington Post, writing about Gen Z’s apparent, growing valuation of friendship over romance. And Of Boys and Men author Richard V. Reeves has included extensive work on men’s trouble finding friendship in his research in the male domain’s contemporary struggles.
‘Strait Is the Gate’
Suffice it to say that those who handle rights sales coming from the Chinese market may want to explore with Western-language publishers whether there may be a young-adult audience for such themes developing on the ground.
Embracing the End might offer a way for some sharp-eyed literary scouts to hug the beginning of a trend that Western readers are ready to receive from the East.
We’ll leave you with one going West to East in August: André Gide’s Strait Is the Gate from 1909 has made its first appearance in the Top 30 on the China Bestsellers fiction list. Tianjin People’s Publishing House has produced this in a 2018 Chinese edition.
This, of course, has resonant timing with the relationship trends that may be under examination by some readers, too, being a profound picture of the question asked in the book, “Aren’t you strong enough to walk alone?”
Nonfiction Notes
From left: ‘Communicate’; ‘Accurate Knowledge of People’; Signing on the Spot: Value Marketing Out of the Price War’; and ‘Understanding, Employing, and Managing People’
In future editions of our China Bestsellers, we expect to take a closer look at what our associates term the “micro-scene” approach of targeting a very specific element of self-help interest in book. Titles being referred to in reference of this trend include:
- Communicate
- Accurate Knowledge Of People
- Signing On The Spot: Value Marketing Out Of The Price War
- Understanding, Employing, and Managing People
While their titles don’t necessarily communicate to us that they’re part of this “micro-scene” format, the content itself, we’re told, is focusing heavily on the approach, and we’re asking for some clarification onto how it’s being deployed in some of the more popular examples.
Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from August 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, August 2023
| July 2023 Ranking | August 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 2 | 1 | 9787020139590 | 2019-06 | The Last Quarter of the Moon | Chi Zijian | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 3 | 2 | 9787572608582 | 2022-10 | The Litchi Road | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 4 | 3 | 9787530221532 | 2021-10 | To Live (2021 Edition) | Yu Hua | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 8 | 4 | 9787020002207 | 1998-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 7 | 5 | 9787544291170 | 2017-08 | One Hundred Years of Solitude (50th Anniversary Edition) | Gabriel García Márquez | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787572613043 | 2023-08 | Embracing The End | Lu Sihao | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 6 | 7 | 9787540487645 | 2018-06 | Moments We Shared | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 5 | 8 | 9787500601593 | 2005-08 | Red Crag | Luo Guangbin, Yang Yiyan | China Youth Press |
| 25 | 9 | 9787572610912 | 2023-05 | The Annoyance of the Gods | Ma Boyong | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 9 | 10 | 9787536692930 | 2008-01 | The Three-Body Problem | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 20 | 11 | 9787020008735 | 1998-07 | Journey to the West | Wu Cheng’en | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 10 | 12 | 9787536693968 | 2008-05 | The Dark Forest | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| 12 | 13 | 9787229030933 | 2010-11 | Death’s End | Liu Cixin | Chongqing Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 14 | 9787505756434 | 2023-07 | Lost You Forever | Tong Hua | China Friendship Publishing Company |
| 11 | 15 | 9787530221396 | 2021-06 | Ordinary Word (3 Volumes) (2021 Edition) | Lu Yao | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 22 | 16 | 9787506331746 | 2005-05 | Distant Savior | Dou Dou | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 17 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 21 | 18 | 9787572602825 | 2021-08 | Always Have, Always Will | Zhang Jiajia | Hunan Literature & Art Press |
| 23 | 19 | 9787020127894 | 2017-07 | Fortress Besieged | Qian Zhongshu | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 13 | 20 | 9787513348744 | 2022-11 | The Seventh Day | Yu Hua | New Star Press Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787201141527 | 2018-10 | Strait is the Gate | Andre Gide | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 26 | 22 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787533972349 | 2023-06 | Crocodile | Mo Yan | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787536097261 | 2022-07 | Someone to Talk To | Liu Zhenyun | Flower City Press |
| 14 | 25 | 9787519013295 | 2016-07 | Dream of the Red Chamber | Cao Xueqin | The Publishing House of the China Literary Federation |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787559478153 | 2023-07 | Voice of the dead | Qin Ming | Jiangsu Literature & Art Press |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787533966102 | 2021-12 | Life and Death are Wearing Me Out | Mo Yan | Zhejiang Literature & Art Press |
| 15 | 28 | 9787020008742 | 1998-07 | Water Margin | Shi Nai’an, Luo Guanzhong | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787020164776 | 2020-07 | A Late Bloomer | Mo Yan | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787020181551 | 2023-07 | The Cat Emperor and His Friends (7) | Bai Cha | People’s Literature Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, August 2023
| July 2023 Ranking | August 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 2 | 1 | 9787520723510 | 2021-11 | Chinese Etiquette | Liu Yida, Ma Haifang | Orient Press |
| Not Ranked | 2 | 9787201157580 | 2020-05 | Communicate | Liu Jianhua | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 3 | 3 | 9787558063183 | 2019-10 | Continue the Chat Wisely | Lin Sicheng | Jiangsu Fine Arts Press |
| Not Ranked | 4 | 9787313281562 | 2023-07 | Accurate Knowledge Of People | Chen Qingyu | Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press |
| Not Ranked | 5 | 9787506089401 | 2016-05 | Layout: The Success And Failure Of Political Wisdom And Strategic Power Of Emperors |
He Sen | Orient Press |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787511386335 | 2023-08 | Game Thinking | Dong Yun | China Overseas Chinese Press |
| Not Ranked | 7 | 9787554617922 | 2023-05 | Allow Everything To Happen: Live A Relaxed Life | Li Mengji | Guwuxuan Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787521754803 | 2023-03 | Believe | Cai Lei | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 5 | 9 | 9787020084357 | 2011-04 | I and the Temple of Earth | Shi Tiesheng | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 25 | 10 | 9787559656995 | 2021-12 | Winning The Three-year High School Critical Period | Zhang Xuefeng | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 12 | 11 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counseling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 7 | 12 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | China Machine Press |
| Not Ranked | 13 | 9787559669131 | 2023-07 | Cognitive Breakthrough | Zhang Qi | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 11 | 14 | 9787222204331 | 2021-11 | Details of Law | Luo Xiang | Yunnan People’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 15 | 9787557030162 | 2023-05 | If History were a Group of Cats: Late Yuan and Early Ming Dynasty |
Fei Zhi | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787505747098 | 2019-05 | A Sideline to Make Money | Angie | China Friendship Publishing Company |
| Not Ranked | 17 | 9787561346259 | 2009-05 | Yi Ching is Really to Understand | Zeng Shiqiang | Shaanxi Normal University Press |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787512622456 | 2013-12 | Nothing In Life Can Not Be Put Down – Hongyi Wisdom Of Life | Song Mo | Tuanjie Press |
| 6 | 19 | 9787565848018 | 2022-12 | Sentence Planet | Du Zhijian | Shantou University Press |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787554614624 | 2019-12 | Signing On The Spot: Value Marketing Out Of The Price War | Wang Zhifei | Guwuxuan Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787553779546 | 2018-11 | The Reverse Classics | Zhao Rui, Chen Shukai | Jiangsu Science & Technology Press |
| 29 | 22 | 9787571315252 | 2021-01 | Take Care of Children’s Spleen and Stomach | Li Aike | Jiangsu Science & Technology Press |
| Not Ranked | 23 | 9787515833736 | 2022-06 | Effective Leadership | Sheng Wei, Li Xiaofeng | China Industry and Commerce Joint Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787558566912 | 2023-07 | Parents Are The Leaders Of Their Children | Li Jianjun | The North China Women&Children’s Publishing House |
| 8 | 25 | 9787547264881 | 2020-09 | Strategy | Ge Xujiao | Jilin Literature & History Press |
| Not Ranked | 26 | 9787516817995 | 2018-05 | Meditation: Setting Aside The World and Preserving The Purity Of Life | Mo Zhu | Taihai Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 27 | 9787553786353 | 2019-03 | Make Baby Food with Me | Yuan Bao Ma Ma | Jiangsu Science & Technology Press |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787547240656 | 2017-07 | Understanding, Employing And Managing People | Meng Hua | Jilin Literature & History Press |
| Not Ranked | 29 | 9787557019167 | 2019-10 | Classic Quotes From Zeng Shiqiang | Luo Fu Shan Guo Xue Yuan | Guangdong Tourism Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787555262800 | 2017-12 | The Power of Insensitivity | Junichi Watanabe | Qingdao Publishing House |
OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, August 2023
| July 2023 Ranking | August 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Chinese Publisher |
| 5 | 1 | 9787558336942 | 2023-05 | Knowledge Has A Picture: Manga Chinese and Foreign History | Chen Lei, Hun Zhi Team | Guangdong New Century Press |
| 3 | 2 | 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 |
| 2 | 3 | 9787571702649 | 2020-06 | This is Traditional Chinese Etiquette: A Study Guide to Etiquette for Teenagers | Wang Hong, Lei Zi | Hebei Science & Technology Press |
| 7 | 4 | 9787110105764 | 2023-05 | Science Comics Loved by Pupils | Sunbook | Popular Science Press |
| Not Ranked | 5 | 9787556872701 | 2023-04 | Mi Wu Science Comics. Fantastic Vientiane (1) – Invisible Science Elephant |
Wei Hua Wen Hua | 21st Century Press Group |
| Not Ranked | 6 | 9787556872725 | 2023-04 | Mi Wu Science Comics. Fantastic Vientiane (3) – Breaking through the Maze of Structure |
Wei Hua Wen Hua | 21st Century Press Group |
| Not Ranked | 7 | 9787556872718 | 2023-04 | Mi Wu Science Comics. Fantastic Vientiane (2) – Rare Creatures Strike Back |
Wei Hua Wen Hua | 21st Century Press Group |
| Not Ranked | 8 | 9787556872732 | 2023-04 | Mi Wu Science Comics. Fantastic Vientiane (4) – An Uninhabited Island With Changing Weather |
Wei Hua Wen Hua | 21st Century Press Group |
| 6 | 9 | 9787521739077 | 2022-07 | The Grolltroll (4 volumes) | Barbara van den Speulhof | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 23 | 10 | 9787570818648 | 2023-06 | The Diary of Smiling Cat: Smiling Cat in the Forbidden City | Yang Hongying | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 11 | 9787550051942 | 2023-08 | Children’s Manga Psychology (4 volumes) | Shiguangxue Educational Research Center | Baihuazhou Literature & Art Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787533274269 | 2013-08 | Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| 11 | 13 | 9787534256301 | 2009-09 | Dreaming of Being a Wolf King (2018 Edition) | Shen Shixi | Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 13 | 14 | 9787533299224 | 2018-10 | Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake | Tomorrow Publishing House |
| 4 | 15 | 9787552707397 | 2023-06 | DU ZHE School Edition 10th Anniversary Essence Volume (4 volumes) | DUZHE | Duzhe Press Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 16 | 9787559608390 | 2018-01 | Butt Detective: The Criminal Appears | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 17 | 9787559621337 | 2019-04 | Butt Detective: Detective and the Fraud | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787521750027 | 2023-04 | Start Learning Rules at the Age of 5 | Mamanobu Takaha, Yumi Hayashi | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 19 | 9787521750010 | 2023-04 | Starting to Understand Safety at the Age of 5 | Mamanobu Takaha, Yumi Hayashi | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 20 | 9787550286085 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Big Crisis of Small Director | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 21 | 9787554619247 | 2022-10 | Comic Primary School Student Time Management | Du Shu Tang | Guwuxuan Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 22 | 9787550286214 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: The Missing Lunch Box | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 17 | 23 | 9787536574366 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Stratego | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 24 | 9787571425289 | 2023-02 | Catching Troublemakers (6 volumes) | Pascal Prevo | Beijing Science & Technology Press |
| Not Ranked | 25 | 9787556096244 | 2019-11 | Dreaming of Being a Wolf King (5 volumes) | Shen Shixi | Changjiang Children’s Press |
| 19 | 26 | 9787536574397 | 2016-01 | Mi Xiaoquan’s Brain-teaser: Clever Little Prodigy | Bei Mao | Sichuan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House |
| 16 | 27 | 9787558900648 | 2017-07 | Winter of Three Hairs (With Chinese Pinyin) | Zhang Leping | Juvenile & Children’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 28 | 9787550286238 | 2016-11 | Butt Detective: Looking for the Rainbow Diamond | Troll | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 10 | 29 | 9787544288590 | 2018-06 | Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window (2018 Edition) | Tetsuko Kuroyanagi | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 30 | 9787511052568 | 2020-08 | Butt Detective: Snow Monster in Deep Mountain | Troll | Dolphin Press |
Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers,August 2023
| July 2023 Ranking | August 2023 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 | 9787544291163 | 2017-08 | Journey Under the Midnight Sun (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 19 | 3 | 9787201141527 | 2018-10 | Strait is the Gate | Andre Gide | France | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 4 | 4 | 9787208061644 | 2006-04 | The Kite Runner | Khaled Hosseini | United States of America | Shanghai People’s Publishing House |
| 6 | 5 | 9787573503053 | 2023-02 | Swans and Bats | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 3 | 6 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| 7 | 7 | 9787544269452 | 2021-12 | Malice (2022 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 5 | 8 | 9787201112695 | 2017-03 | Siddhartha | Hermann Hesse | Germany | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 12 | 9 | 9787521748239 | 2022-12 | Goodbye, Eri | Tatsuki Fujimoto | Japan | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 10 | 10 | 9787544298995 | 2020-09 | Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2020 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 17 | 11 | 9787559614711 | 2018-01 | Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit | Jeanette Winterson | Britain | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| Not Ranked | 12 | 9787521200836 | 2018-08 | Thiaoouba Prophecy | Michael Desmarquet | Australia | The Writer’s Publishing House |
| Not Ranked | 13 | 9787532789887 | 2022-05 | The Unbearable Lightness of Being | Milan Kundera | France | Shanghai Translation Publishing House |
| 18 | 14 | 9787530217054 | 2017-12 | The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Brazil | Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House |
| 8 | 15 | 9787513350976 | 2023-01 | Suzume no Tojimari | Makoto Shinkai | Japan | New Star Press Co., Ltd. |
| 16 | 16 | 9787544296274 | 2019-09 | Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse | Otsuichi | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| 14 | 17 | 9787544766500 | 2017-01 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | United States of America | Yilin Press |
| Not Ranked | 18 | 9787541166051 | 2023-04 | Six Lying College Students | Akinari Asakura | Japan | Sichuan Literature & Art Press |
| 20 | 19 | 9787532175512 | 2020-05 | 13 Steps | Kazuaki Takano | Japan | Shanghai Literature & Art Press |
| 13 | 20 | 9787544291224 | 2017-08 | After School (2017 Edition) | Keigo Higashino | Japan | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, August 2023
| July 2023 Ranking | August 2023 Ranking | ISBN | Release Date | Title (Translated) | Author | Author nationality | Chinese Publisher |
| 2 | 1 | 9787201161693 | 2020-08 | Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure | Robert de Board | Britain | Tianjin People’s Publishing House |
| 1 | 2 | 9787111495482 | 2015-04 | The Courage to Be Disliked | Ichiro Kishimi | Japan | China Machine Press |
| 5 | 3 | 9787555262800 | 2017-12 | The Power of Insensitivity | Junichi Watanabe | Japan | Qingdao Publishing House |
| 4 | 4 | 9787544276986 | 2019-10 | Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover | United States of America | Nan Hai Publishing Co. |
| Not Ranked | 5 | 9787513934053 | 2021-04 | Financial freedom | Grant Sabatier | United States of America | Democracy and Construction Press |
| 3 | 6 | 9787020116133 | 2016-06 | Red Star Over China | Edgar Snow | United States of America | People’s Literature Publishing House |
| 10 | 7 | 9787313285652 | 2023-06 | How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide | Peter Boghossian, James Lindsay | United States of America | Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press |
| 9 | 8 | 9787550268517 | 2016-07 | Positive Discipline (Revised Edition) | Jane Nelsen | United States of America | Beijing Union Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 8 | 9 | 9787513169134 | 2021-12 | The Master Key System: Open the Secret to Health, Wealth and Love | Charles F. Haanel | United States of America | Kaiming Publishing House |
| 14 | 10 | 9787542669018 | 2020-06 | The Memoir of Literature (1989-1994) | Mu Xin, Chen Danqing | United States of America | Shanghai Joint Publishing Company |
| 18 | 11 | 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. |
| 7 | 12 | 9787801445445 | 2003-04 | You Can Heal Your Life | Louise L. Hay | United States of America | China Astronautic Publishing House |
| 13 | 13 | 9787522200514 | 2021-05 | Nonviolent Communication | Marshall B.Rosenberg | United States of America | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 16 | 14 | 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. |
| 19 | 15 | 9787521753059 | 2023-04 | The Next Days | Kevin Kelly | United States of America | CITIC Publishing House Co., Ltd. |
| 6 | 16 | 9787508090191 | 2016-12 | Apology | Plato | Ancient Greece | Huaxia Publishing House |
| 17 | 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 | 9787115584359 | 2022-05 | 100 Things I Love About You | Cara Kovacs | United States of America | Posts & Telecommunications Publishing House |
| 15 | 19 | 9787520711531 | 2019-11 | A Compass to Fulfillment | Kazuo Inamori | Japan | Orient Press |
| 11 | 20 | 9787108009821 | 1998-07 | 1587, a Year of No Significance | Ray Huang | United States of America | SDX Joint Publishing Company |
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, 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 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.
About the Author
