In 2023, book retail sales in China experienced a notable uptick, reaching a total of 91.2 billion yuan ($12.84 billion), marking a 4.72 percent increase compared to the previous year. This data comes from an annual report on the book market released under the guidance of the Publishers Association of China and the Book and Periodicals Distribution Association of China.
The report highlights a shift in sales channels, with short-video platforms emerging as the second-largest contributor to book sales, trailing behind e-commerce platforms. Conversely, traditional bookstore sales continued to show a decline.
The year saw the introduction of 180,000 new titles to the book market, reflecting a 7.3 percent surge from 2022. A noteworthy trend was the rise of new comic books catering to both children and adults, covering diverse subjects such as science, psychology, history, life, and traditional culture.
According to the report, Liu Cixin emerged as the bestselling author of 2023 in China.
