Book design and contents have both been taken up a notch in Vietnam since the Law on Publication took effect. As society advances, people are demanding more and more information.

Le Hoang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Publishers Association, said: “Ideological, scientific, and artistic features make books different from other products. It’s necessary to persuade readers that they can acquire information or ethic lessons in books. If the majority of the books they read satisfy their needs, they will develop a passion for reading.”

A Fahasa book stall at the 2017 spring book fair

Private publishing companies have blossomed in the past decade. Nha Nam, Bach Viet, Alpha, Thai Ha, and Booksnews are some of the more successful publishing houses. They risk large sums of money to acquire foreign publishing rights to bring best-selling books around the world to Vietnamese readers as soon as they hit the shelves in other countries. Numerous Vietnamese books are getting published in foreign markets.

Pham Minh Thuan, Director General of the Fahasa Publishing House, said: “Private publishers have been trained in Vietnam and overseas, many of them young people with passion and great operational strategies. Every year, they release thousands of new books which have attractive content and beautiful designs”.

About 400 million copies of 30,000 titles are published in Vietnam each year. The sector has an annual growth rate of 10% in number of titles and 20% in number of copies.

Khuc Thi Hoa Phuong, Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Women’s Publishing House, told VOV: “We pay special attention to the development of personnel who can capitalize on the most up-to-date and professional publishing trends in the world. We focus on interactions with our readers to raise the public’s awareness of the importance of a reading culture”.

The advent of bookstores owned by publishing houses and book streets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city signals the maturity of Vietnam’s publishing sector, which is finding innovative ways to boost book sales.

Nguyen Le My Hoan, Head of the Publishing Office of the Huy Hoang Culture Company, said: “Book streets, where books of all publishing houses are showcased together, provide another way for publishers to share their experience. Book street talks that introduce new authors and their books are attracting lots of readers”.

The improvements in print publications are exhilarating and—in an increasingly digital era—essential to the survival of the industry.