Prior to Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, the
administrations of many foreign and local publishing groups were
worried about whether or not Hong Kong would tighten control over
the publishing industry. Would Hong Kong popularize books with
simplified Chinese characters? Would Hong Kong continue importing
books using traditional Chinese from Taiwan? Would Hong Kong push
the Chinese language education policy? What's the future of English
book market?
A decade has passed since its return to China. An overview of
the past ten years of development by Kwan Wing-kei, the retail
director of The Commercial Press (HK) Ltd., gives a promising
outlook on where the industry has been and where it's headed.
Prosperous publishing and book selling
After its return, Hong Kong didn't tighten control over the
publishing industry, according to Mr Kwan in his article published
on Chinese Book News on July 3. If someone wants to open a
publishing company, he/she only needs to make a simple commercial
registration. The Hong Kong government did not establish any book
censoring system.
Local citizens widely accepted the simplified Chinese
characters. Some primary and middle schools worked the simplified
Chinese into their curriculums in addition to teaching students
with traditional Chinese. However, books published in Hong Kong
continued using the traditional Chinese. A large number of the
traditional character books were imported from Taiwan, whose sale
far exceeded the simplified from the mainland.
The Hong Kong government carried out a series of Chinese
language education policies, but the citizens didn't undervalue
English education. Books of English edition sold well and the
market continued enlarging; the publishing and book-selling trend
surprisingly pleased the insiders.
Diversified book publishing
During the ten years, the publication became diversified. In the
past, the companies mainly published literary books like novels. In
recent years, books also covered topics on investment and
financing, commercial management, personal health, living, and
current social and political affairs. Among them, books analyzing
current events, which were hardly sold out in the past, became top
sellers, showing a change in readers' tastes.
As for the printing technology, ten years ago, if the
printing-run is 2,000 to 3,000 copies for a book, it would be
cost-efficient; but now as the technology is improving, it will be
cost-efficient for the printing-run of only 1,000 copies. So books
with fewer readers can be published now. Viewing this positively,
some new writers' production can be publicized, and it will avoid
neglecting the talents. On the other side, some unqualified books
may flood the market for the low cost.
Flourishing book retailing
The increasing number of medium and large bookstores shows the
well-developed book retailing market. Three retail sales systems
under the Hong Kong-based Sino United Publishing (Holding)
Ltd?-- Joint Publishing Company Ltd, Chung Hwa Book Co. and
Commercial Press?-- kept operating actively. In the ten years,
their branches increased to 40 from some 20; the book varieties
expanded greatly; and, new bookstores specifically for literary
history, social science, English, law, and university students
appeared.
Hong Kong also saw more foreign investors. Ten years ago, there
were bookstores operated by businessmen from Singapore and Malaysia
like the Popular Holding Ltd, which is still thriving. Now, Dymocks
from Australia came to Hong Kong and cooperated with South China
Morning Post Publishers Ltd. to take advantage of the English book
market in Hong Kong.
Investors from the mainland like Xinhua Book City Co., Ltd. of
Guangdong Province and Cite Bookstore from
Taiwan also provide a new atmosphere for Hong Kong book retailing
and enrich the readers' choices.
Reading on the Internet or with a book?
The development of the Internet strongly impacted the publishing
circles in Hong Kong, like in most places in the world. It changed
reading habits, with online news and blogs replacing the
traditional magazines, newspapers, and books. Hong Kong publishing
circles kept close watch over the development of electronic reading
and publishing. Some companies have invested a large amount in the
area, hoping to get a jumpstart on the market. It looks as though
the impact of the Internet on Hong Kong's publishing industry
remains to be fully determined.
(China.org.cn by Zhou Jing, July 10, 2007)