Penguin China
Penguin First International Publisher to Distribute eBooks in China
In April, Penguin became the first international publisher to sign a distribution agreement for eBooks in China. Founder Apabi — China's biggest eBook vendor — is now distributing the full UK and DK list of titles in English language e-book form, with more than 2000 titles available to date.
New Local Publishing List Established by Penguin China
Timed to coincide with China's position as Guest of Honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair, in October Penguin announced the establishment of a local publishing list that will see approximately five new works on China and from Chinese authors published each year by Penguin China for primary distribution in the Asia-Pacific region.
Unprecedented Viral Marketing Campaign Breeds "Penguin Feathers"
The biggest story for Penguin in China throughout the year was the growth of our viral marketing project to promote titles to Chinese fans of Penguin's English language publishing. China's top bibliophile bloggers were given the chance to receive advance copies of key English titles, provided they post an article within thirty days of receiving their copy. The Penguin "Feathers" — members of the Penguin China online club — were then encouraged to meet together on and off-line to talk about our new publishing, creating buzz for a wide range of titles. The project is the first time a publisher in China has embarked on a broad brand-building campaign of this kind, and we plan to develop this project further in 2010, to reach more Chinese readers of English.
In the Night Garden in Mandarin Crosses 1 Million Sold Mark
Chinese children were treated to new children's publishing in Mandarin courtesy of Flower Fairies and In the Night Garden, which sold more than 1 million copies within the first three months of the year. Spot also continued to extend its range in Chinese.
Penguin China Looks for New Writers and Offers Training to Translators
Penguin China also continued to reach out to new and emerging Chinese writers through its sponsorship of "The Next", a star search for the next big thing from China's young authors. For the second time, we organized the now annual Chinese-English Literary Translation Course, offering training in literary translation best practice to early and mid-career translators of both Chinese and English.
Diverse Range of Penguin Authors Featured at Events in China During 2009
Penguin China author events this year featured such acclaimed authors as Marina Lewycka, Colm Tóibín, Martin Jacques, Jonathan Fenby, Sebastian Faulks, Jonathan Fenby, Martin Jacques, Julia Leigh, and many, many more. They spoke to audiences ranging from Chinese college students to the international business community, and in a market where author tours are still a rare occurrence, helped to place our authors at the centre of people's minds.