Selling Books in China
Many authors, including those writing children's books, science, movies, healthcare, fiction, and picture books for children, have reached out to us with inquiries. However, it is almost two years later that we decided to create a service page for book publishing.
It has been a steep learning curve for us to understand the complex publishing industry in China. We have actively communicated with publishing houses, private publishing agencies, and publishing authorities to keep our information updated, rather than relying solely on online sources. We have visited several publishing houses and spoken with people in the publishing authorities.
Our goal is to provide a solution for you, and today, We have the confidence to support you in:
• Reviewing your manuscript (we have a team of content creators, and I am a writer myself—I earned my Senior Economist title in China),
• Matching translation in your niche (thanks to the six years of experience I had in the translation industry),
• Finding the right publishing house that is interested in your titles (we have built these connections over the past two years), and
• Supporting your distribution and marketing to ensure you can turn your writing into a profitable investment.
FAQ
You will need an investment to sell your book in China. The price varies depending on the publishing house you choose, but you will need at least £2,500 for a Chinese book number as of 2023. Please keep in mind that this investment is necessary for self-publishing and excludes our service fee. If you find this investment unsuitable, we recommend obtaining an International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Read more about the difference between ISBN and Chinese book numbers in our guide on how to publish a book in China.
In China, the types of books allowed to be published are subject to certain regulations. Generally permitted categories include fiction, non-fiction, educational materials, literature, and more. However, there are restrictions and prohibitions on publishing certain types of content. Books related to religion, politics, terrorism, gore, violence, obscenity, or those inciting crime, as well as materials posing a threat to China’s national security, are prohibited from being published. Additionally, books that deviate from specified historical content control or that harm social morality or the outstanding cultural traditions of the nation may face restrictions. It’s important to note that the publishing landscape is subject to regulatory changes, and specific guidelines may vary over time.
Contract, invoice, packing list, bill of lading, information about the types of books, book number (ISBN), content, and the import filing approval for books.
The import filing approval for books needs to be applied for at the Cultural Bureau. For trade books (basically books with barcodes), approval from the Cultural Bureau is required, and it is managed by China Book Import and Export Corporation, China Education Book Import and Export Corporation, bookstores, and other units. For printed publications, it requires authorization from China Book and does not need approval from the Cultural Ministry. It can be directly imported by China Book Import and Export Corporation. Of course, the content of the books also needs approval from China Book Import and Export Corporation.
To avoid situations where books do not comply with Chinese import policies, fail during the review, and result in unproductive efforts, our focus is on subjects such as textbooks, financial technology, popular science, management, biographies, travel, exam preparation guides, reference books, children’s picture books, youth literature, and art. This concentration aims to enhance the efficiency of the publishing process.
