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In the previous year, the top-selling original titles from Jieli included Han Xu’s Mr Octopus Sells Umbrellas, the Monster Master series’ Volume 20: The Thundering Four-God Base, and Li Qiuyuan’s Zhong Nanshan: The Guardian of Life, which achieved sales of 61,100 copies, 54,700 copies, and 44,800 copies, respectively.
The Monster Master series, initiated by Leon Image in 2012, has become an extraordinary phenomenon, with sales exceeding 25 million copies across its 22 volumes. Excitingly, both a comic adaptation and the first season, comprising 26 animated episodes, are set to launch later this year.
Despite the fantastical nature of its main titles, the success of Jieli Publishing hinges on a foundation of factual analysis and careful planning. “Our focus is on the readers; we strive to fulfill their reading expectations,” states Bai Bing, the general manager and senior editor-in-chief. “We delve into readers’ psychological preferences, track market movements and trends, and conduct thorough research. This includes analyzing similar titles and sometimes sharing manuscripts with distributors and audiences for feedback.”
Before any manuscript can be considered, it must navigate Jieli’s stringent selection process. Bai notes, “The acceptance rate for topic selection hovers around 6% to 8%, allowing us to eliminate average or uninspired themes.” Once a proposal is accepted, it undergoes a comprehensive three-tier evaluation process that scrutinizes content, pricing, sales projections, author agreements, and the potential print volume.
Conversely, the selection process can sometimes be refreshingly straightforward. For example, Gerelchimeg Blackcrane’s short animal stories, inspired by his experiences in Inner Mongolia, were so compelling that Jieli commissioned the full-length novel Black Flame. To date, the publisher has released over 20 of his works.
A pivotal moment occurred with author Han Xu during her studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. Bai recounts, “We were immediately drawn to her graduation project, Little Red Riding Hood from the Forest, which we published in 2016. It garnered numerous accolades and found international success in markets like France, Italy, and Sweden. We subsequently encouraged her to create her own intellectual property, leading to the highly successful Mr. Octopus series, which has sold 500,000 copies and has been translated into nine languages.”
This year highlights two distinctive series: a picture book featuring stories about Chinese pioneers across various sectors, and the My Moon Exploration Plan series, which delves into subjects like astronomy, mathematics, and physics. “Our publishing strategy consistently mirrors readers’ interests, prevailing events, and market trends,” Bai observes. “This approach has been the backbone of our success for the past 35 years and will persist in guiding us in the future.”
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A version of this article appeared in the 03/24/2025 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: Jieli Publishing House
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