Driven by its surging economy, China has enjoyed a trade surplus for many years.

But that is only in general terms. In the book trade, mainland publishers, for years, sold only one book title abroad for every 10 titles they imported.

The situation improved a little last year, but the ratio was one export title against an average of 6.5 books coming in. The imbalance in numbers is not the only disappointing thing.

According to Qi Pingjing, deputy director-general of China Foreign Languages Publishing and Distribution Administration, most books China exports to the West go to libraries, which cater for academics instead of the mass market. The most common readers, who are able to read books from the Chinese mainland, live in China's Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as in Southeast Asia or South Korea. Most of them already know about Chinese culture.

Stumbling blocks

When China produces 40 per cent of the world's socks, 65 per cent of the sports equipment, and 95 per cent of the buttons, why is it so hard for Chinese cultural products, such as books, to reach other corners of the world?

Wu Wei, deputy director in charge of overseas book promotion with the State Council Information Office, said translation was a major stumbling block.

"Chinese is a complicated language," said Wu. "To translate a Chinese book requires not only mastery over the language, but also the book's content. To me, the best translators are overseas sinologists but it's not easy to hire them."

Wu and her colleagues are now collecting information about translators both at home and abroad, trying to find the best one for each book. But she believed, it would take a long time and would not produce an instant effect.

Language is indeed a headache, but even for publishers focusing on English-version Chinese books, there are many other hard nuts to crack.

Liaoning Science and Technology Publishing House has been producing books on arts and design and most of them are in English. Chen Ciliang, the company's director of international publishing, said illustrated books in foreign languages sold better overseas. "But sales channels, brands, and human resources are a whale of problem," said Chen.

According to Chen, foreign publishers and agencies controlled most sales channels of exported Chinese books in the global market. Chinese publishing houses had not established a famous brand internationally, making promotion even tougher.

As for the human resources, Chen believed people conversant in both foreign languages and publishing were in desperately short supply.

Above all, Chinese publishers still do not know the Chinese subjects overseas readers want to read about.

With rich cultural heritage and historical relics, China has every reason to be proud of its books on traditional literature, art, medicine. These titles used to dominate China-themed books in the international market. However, as China's position shifts from an old civilization to an energetic global player, international readers are eager to read about the new China.

Linda Empringham, sales director of Brill Academic Publishers in the Netherlands, told China Daily that books about China's history and culture have sold very well for a long time outside China. But more and more books about contemporary China are coming out, she said, "people everywhere are fascinated by China because of its huge economic growth."

"China's position in the world is changing," said Empringham, "so they want to try to learn about China."

Kathinka Frst, editor-in-chief of Norwegian Notabene Forlag A.S, agreed with Empringham. She would like to learn experts' description of contemporary China. "The 'old China' is still attractive, but I also want to read about common people's everyday life."

New initiatives

Mark Tan, publisher of Page One, a Singaporean publishing group, said many Chinese publishers did not work hard to understand their readers' needs. Page One is renowned in Asia for its exquisite bookstores, art and design books, and ambition to spread Asian culture.

Tan, a Chinese descendant himself, dreams to sell Chinese and Asian culture internationally. To him, some Chinese publishers, being satisfied with the national market, are not publishing books for the world at all.

"Some international publishers are telling better stories about China than Chinese do," said Tan. "That's very sad."

Wu Wei also believed many Chinese publishers did not think making a harder effort was necessary.

"They think the national market is a cake big enough," noted Wu. "They say that since it is so hard to explore overseas market, why should we do it?"

But complacency could only hurt their future. Since China entered the WTO, it was only a matter of time before the publishing market would be open to all players. The sense of a possible crisis for the home publishing is beginning to be felt at the BIBF. And projects have been initiated to learn more about the international market and overseas readers.

Jiang Xiaojuan, who works for the Chinese Institute of Publishing Science (CIPS), a subsidiary of General Administration of Press and Publication, is examining the status quo of Chinese books in the global market and her research team asks four questions. How many books about China are being sold in the international market? What are they about? Who wrote them? Who published them?

Jiang hopes the research can identify global reading trends about China. Also, the research will answer questions about who the best authors and publishers are on issues about China.

Publishers are trying their best to figure out the overseas readers' taste, too, especially the Western readers.

Chen Ciliang, from Liaoning Science and Technology Publishing House, is proud of his "copyright for ideas" way of negotiation with foreign publishers.

When foreign publishers buy copyright, they have to purchase some books of the publishing house too. By following the sales volume and readers' feedback, Chen and his colleague gradually have a grasp of their target readers' preference.

They get the information not only from the foreign publishers, but also from two international editors who recently joined them. Daniel Schulz, a former architect and Glenn Vincent Kraft, a veteran geographic designer, choose subjects, discuss ideas with their Chinese teammates, and decide suitable topics to publish in the Western market. Sometimes they also compile the book themselves. "Maybe the only thing imperfect is our Chinese partners are too kind to give critical opinion," said Daniel. "Still the job is exciting."

While doing her research, Jiang Xiaojuan also cautioned publishers not to blindly cater to international readers.

"Some of our movies used to be criticized because they presented one side of China which can be easily misunderstood by Western people," said Jiang. "It's the same case with the book trade. We should spread the cream of Chinese culture, not the dross. But we should do it in a way that whets Western readers' appetites."

(China Daily September 7, 2006)