China's Publishing Industry presents a portrait of the contemporary Chinese publishing industry in its political and commercial contexts, and analyses how its structures are influenced by the state and by market forces. Starting with an overview of the publishing business in China, this book takes a long view of the profound changes in China's publishing industry, covering a period from the 'socialist transformation' under Mao to the more recent reforms, such as the conglomeration and corporatisation, of the industry. The book investigates the impact of the changing social, economic and ideological environment on the structure and operation of the publishing industry, and explores how the burgeoning digital publishing business is shaped by the broader social context. It reveals that the process of commercialisation in China's publishing industry has been marked by persistent tensions and contradictions, and demonstrates, through case studies, how these tensions have impacted everyday practices.

• Provides contemporary industry information about China's publishing.


• Presents a clear overview of trends and explains the fundamental dynamics behind them.


• Gives an analytic account of China’s publishing, demonstrating the interaction between the broader social context and the publishing industry.


• Explains the legacies of the old system, the predicaments inherent in the current industry, and the limits of ongoing reforms.


• Illustrates how a typical state publishing group operates and copes with the demands from the party, the pressures from the market and the challenges posed by digital technologies.