February’s Bid for Good Relationships

The holiday-filled February market in China threw some light on self-help books and the desire of many consumers to upgrade their social relationships

Interpersonal relationships and self-confidence are key interests trending on the Chinese self-help nonfiction charts. Image – Getty iStockphoto: IMTM Photo

By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson

In Nonfiction; Constructing Personal Relationships’

A month in which China’s national culture turned to the Spring Festival is a good one in which to look at nonfiction trends, as much of the fiction list was static on this slow-moving market.

‘We All Live in Disparity’

Our associates at Beijing OpenBook have pointed out to us that in February, social life seemed to reign most popular, perhaps as families and friends reunited for the holiday. In addition, it appears that historical popular books, healing and self-care topics, classics ,and long-selling favorites  continued to be key draws for readers.

The intriguing title We All Live in Disparity, a 2015 release by Yu Hua from Beijing October Art & Literature Publishing House.

Here’s an interesting glimpse into a cultural moment, perhaps reflected more acutely in sales as the holiday’s impact quieted the market a bit. “Social problems plague readers and social topics attract attention,” according to our research associates.

Communication and the construction of interpersonal relationship are very important issues, hence their popularity in books that promise to help readers refine and upgrade their communication skills.

‘Making Friends With Wealth’

As the trend and this interest is understood in the market, manifesting high-quality interpersonal relationships can give a reader an improved sense of proportion in terms of getting along with others. That, in turn, is understood to enhance self-confidence, as one’s communications skills are reflected in others’ reactions.

So it is that a rising number of titles in the nonfiction self-help sector have been devoted to this realm of uncertainty about one’s capabilities in society. It’s not entirely clear how the current malaise in this element of self-regard has been generated, but it’s a strong enough cultural condition at the moment that books like Hua’s are charging up the nonfiction chart—in this case to No. 1.

‘I and the Temple of Earth’

Ironically, No. 2 on the nonfiction list this time appears to be a sure-fire shortcut to success in interpersonal relations: the 2024 Making Friends With Wealth by She Rongrong is from, appropriately, China Economic Publishing House.

And at No. 3, I and the Temple of Earth by Shi Tiesheng from People’s Literature Publishing House originally appeared in 2011 and thus has gathered “classic” status.

At No. 10, you’ll find another such honored title, Nothing in Life Can Not Be Put Down: Hongyi Wisdom of Life by Song Mo from Tuanjie Press is a 2013 favorite “comfort read” still riding comfortably on the charts after 11 years.

DISCUSSION

Below, then, are OpenBook’s overall lists from February 2024 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, February 2024

OpenBook’s Nonfiction Bestsellers, February 2024

OpenBook’s Children’s Bestsellers, February 2024

Foreign Author Fiction Bestsellers, February 2024

Foreign Author Nonfiction Bestsellers, February 2024

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.