Balancing the Books

This article was written by Kelly Her and published by the Taiwan Review on February 1, 2006. It features three long-established literary publishing houses in Taiwan, who are striving to boost sales and expand reader choices. These three publishing houses are Chiu Ko Publishing Co., which was established in 1978; Elite Books, which was established in 1975, and Hung-Fan Bookstore, which was established in 1976.

In the 1970s and 1970s, "printing books was like printing money", and it was easy for these publishing houses to sell tens of thousands of copies of a title in a relatively short time. However, the dawning of the Internet era in the 1990s saw sales of books decrease year after year. About half of all the published books are returned by bookstores because no one is buying them. While in the past seven out of ten book buyers read literature, today the ratio has plummeted to one in ten.

The three publishers have responded quite differently to the environmental changes that have posed serious challenges to their livelihoods. Hung-Fan, for example, finds joy in bringing good books to appreciative readers and does not feel compelled by market forces. It also publishes literary works by established novelists and poets, whose popularity among Taiwan's readers never fails.

Chiu Ko, too, is supported by established writers. But it is also actively seeking new, talented writers who are able to produce quality literary works. In 1992, the publisher established a cultural and educational foundation to organize lectures, seminars, writing classes and award ceremonies in order to cultivate young literary talents. In 2004, the publisher set up a grant program to provide financial assistance to new novelists. Most significantly, the publisher also concentrates on compiling modern Taiwanese literature. The most representative poetry, fiction, drama and essays of Taiwan from 1970 to 2003 were published in a total of 27 volumes. About 80 to 90 percent of the books published by the publisher were by Taiwanese writers.

Finally, Elite has survived the downturn of the book market by staying small. The company still manages to produce 20 titles every year, as it is its belief that reading literature enriches one's spiritual life.

All three publishers agree that the plurality of Taiwan's publishing industry today is an irreversible fact. It is important to diversify titles and publish books for the general public. Chiu Ko, for example, now publishes 80 to 100 mixed literature for both adults and children. Apart from the literary values of these books, the company has to take into account their readability and marketability.