However, serious literary publications and glossy upmarket magazines are not selling well. On the other hand, professional periodicals and magazines on finance, economics and law command greater attention from Chinese readers. In the magazine category alone, there are more than 8,100 titles. Their circulation exceeds 1.8 billion. Most of the readers go for publications that touch on contemporary life, according to the State Press and Publications Administration.
Literary merit is a secondary consideration.
As circulation increases, the quality and coverage of popular publications also improve. For many publishers, their profits come mainly from advertising. Overseas sales of books published in Mainland China reach 500 million each year. Many of the buyers are university libraries and research institutes. In great demand are rare old books and titles covering minority nationalities, religion, traditional Chinese medicine and health care.