Navigating Book Sales in China: Essential Information
Selling books in China, a massive market with 812 million readers, is the golden opportunity every author and publisher is seeking. Thanks to digital publishing, expanding your income has never been easier!
While the pandemic posed challenges, digital publishing thrived. Indies selling books in China via our platform saw a 201% surge in digital sales in 2020, contributing to the global trend of indies making 85% more sales digitally across 100+ countries. Such figures speak volumes!
Digital is everywhere, and experts believe this trend will sustain even after the pandemic. Wondering why? Here's the skinny.
eBooks rule the Chinese book market
Over the last decade, the popularity of digital formats like eBooks has soared as traditional print formats declined. Online book retailers captured an impressive 70% of the Chinese book market in 2019, with physical bookstore sales plummeting by nearly 50% due to the pandemic's impact. Kicking the good ol' print books to the curb, digital came to the rescue.
Online bookstores enjoyed a 3% boost despite the pandemic-induced chaos. Recovery happened by the end of Q1, and the numbers returned to normal since March – unlike print book manufacturers in China. In fact, sales between March and April in 2020 exceeded those of the same period in 2019!
Self-publishing veterans from our platform and Written Word Media report similar trends. As our platform recorded extraordinary gains in digital sales, Written Word Media saw improved sales and engagement with online readers. If you’re still skeptical, listen to Written Word Media CEO Ricci Wolman:
As people have been in lockdowns, they have been reading more. Authors and publishers are seeing improved sales across different channels. As with many things because of COVID-19, the adoption of technology like eBooks has accelerated. We anticipate the growth will stay at these levels.
China isn't shy of Western content
With China's burgeoning middle class yearning for international books, your foreign book is more than welcome! The demand for foreign titles has been steadily increasing, now accounting for 26% of sales in Q1 2020. Among imported books in China, Taiwan captured 33%, while other Western countries, including the UK and Canada, accounted for the rest.
eBooks for children dominate the Chinese market
Good news if you're an author writing kids' books in English! Your content is super wanted. Among British authors, a whopping 52% of copies sold in 2019 were children's books. The Chengdu Children's Library recorded an increase in children's book sales of 38.64% in 2020, making it the best-performing category in online stores. Children's books continue to enjoy positive growth and higher profitability than other genres in China.
Bookstores to sell your eBooks to
As a savvy publisher, you want to ensure your books reach the right audience. Dangdang, JD, and CNPIEC are top Chinese online channels where you can easily break through. Oh, and guess what? Our platform can help you get into all three!
Get your books to China and the world
Get ready to publish your first eBook for free on our platform. No risk, all reward! Upgrade to a paid plan and reap the benefits. With our diverse network of over 100 online stores across the globe, going global has never been easier!
Step 1: Start with a free plan
Dangdang
China's largest eBook seller, Dangdang, boasts 30 million monthly visitors – competing with Amazon China! Between July and September 2020, Dangdang recorded a 2,700% increase in eBook sales – undeniably the highest growth among Chinese book publishers and thousands of other international channels we distribute to.
JD
Another e-commerce giant, JD, commands 30% of the Chinese market. Online distributors under JD witnessed a surge in book sales during the pandemic, with Zhongshan Children's Books alone increasing by 282%. Best part? JD has recently partnered with us to help more indies break into China's book market!
CNPIEC (National Library of China)
Here's the fastest-growing store type – digital libraries. In 2020, China nearly tripled the growth rate of digital libraries by 275%. By teaming up with libraries, you'll boost your discoverability and reach a vast audience!
Self-publishing in China through our platform
Ever since 2017, we've been partnering with Chinese channels like Dangdang, JD, and CNPIEC. With China embracing digital books, indies sold 201% more digital copies in the country amid the pandemic. Our platform offers an all-in-one solution to manage eBook conversion, distribution, sales reporting, promotions, and more for Chinese bookstores and beyond.
On a single dashboard, manage eBook conversion, distribution, sales reporting, and promotions for Chinese bookstores and more! Some awesome features include:
- Automate book import
- Publish multiple book formats: eBook, audiobook, print-on-demand
- Set up a preorder strategy
- Get featuring options
- Run price promotions
- Track real-time sales and download reports
(Note: The publishing process for China can take up to 6 months due to strict international guidelines. Sales reports are generated on a quarterly basis.)
With our platform, publish in China as well as thousands of stores in over 100 countries. The time for digital books is now; join the global publishing revolution today!
The surge in digital sales observed in 2020 for indies selling books in China is attributed to the rise in eBooks' popularity, accounting for 70% of the Chinese book market in 2019, while physical bookstore sales dwindled. Meanwhile, experts believe that the adoption of technology, such as eBooks, will persist even post-pandemic.
In light of China's increasing demand for foreign titles, accounting for 26% of sales in Q1 2020, authors and publishers looking to expand their reach might want to consider digital publishing, especially if they're writing children's books, which are dominating the Chinese market. With platforms like our own, it's now possible to publish books in China as well as thousands of stores across over 100 countries, transforming lifestyle from a local to a global perspective, merging finance and technology for a unique gain.
