Sharky Chen

Editor-in-chief of commaBOOKS Publishing House.

There is a voice being heard—On self-publishing in Taiwan

03 2015 | Issue 3

Because of its freedom of speech and highly competitive market, Taiwan stakes a claim in the Chinese-language publishing world in terms of quality and quantity. Though the Taiwanese publishing industry at large has reported declining sales, local publishers continue to put out new releases that come in a variety of genres, which results in a very lively publishing scene as all kinds of publications play off against one another in different bookstores.


While self-publishing e-books is gaining momentum in Europe and the United States, amateur writers in Taiwan break into the market with an impressive array of publications. Self-publishing used to be very difficult and laborious involving a certain amount of capital. The publishing industry in Taiwan has come into its own from the front end of editing and design, to printing and marketing at a later stage (some can even provide direct outsourcing). Together with digital manuscript production and the rise of independent bookstores, many amateur writers are prompted to join the ranks of self-publishing authors.


Today, with the growing number of publishers and convenience of web search engines, readers no longer need to support titles from a particular publisher unlike in the past. Self-publishing works in the opposite way—it allows readers to follow the imprints or collect the publications on a regular basis. This phenomenon, in fact, has something to do with the constraints posed by self-publishing.


What makes self-publishers most different from traditional publishers is that they are short of resources. As high-minded self-publishers usually resort to working several jobs to make a living, they fall short of their marketing goals—a majority of them can only rely on the internet, with a relatively few can create their own promotional materials or special displays at the bookstores. Not only does the heavy use of social media allow self-publishers to highlight the strengths of their imprints, it is also where readers can access behind-the-scenes articles on how a book is made. The internet brings together readers from different places and turns them into devoted followers with purchasing power who would discuss what’s up with the imprints. As self-publishers have a close relationship with online communities, their readers tend to be a young demographic who are heavy internet users. This sets self-publishers apart from their traditional counterparts.


While the whirlwind popularity of self-publishing among young readers might not be followed by best-selling chart success, its steady growth allows for some genres to stand out. Therefore, some major online shops and bookstore chains have started to pay attention to the releases from self-publishers, sometimes even recommending self-published titles as their monthly selections to readers.


What self-publishers lack the most are resources. Bound by limited exposure, they are incapable of organising high-cost sales initiatives like an international book fair. Four years ago, four independent publishers (Alone Publishing, Homeward Publishing, Hong Kong’s Click Press, and commaBOOKS founded by the writer of this article) launched a joint exhibition called “Read and Travel” at Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE). Presenting itself as the “book fair of book fairs”, the medium-sized exhibition managed to score a success as it helped other self-publishers physically get their titles onto the bookstore shelves. As the event takes on a special theme every year (such as airport departure lounge, retro station, a small universe, ethnic tribes), it has become the biggest highlight of the annual Taipei International Book Fair, attracting participation from many independent publishers in Hong Kong and China with exhibition booth sales exceeding TW$ one million in 2014.


A vibrant self-publishing scene is not just commercially viable, but also brings dramatic changes to the publishing industry. Two years ago, Comma Books Publishing House and Alone Publishing launched their first cross-publishing marketing collaboration called “Project Midnight in Paris”. Its success has prompted the Taiwanese publishing industry to ponder the possibilities of “cross-publishing collaboration”. The project shows that Taiwanese self-publishers are not just into sharing resources, but also helping one another and exchanging ideas.


When you walk into any bookstore in Taiwan, there is no harm in asking the staff to recommend several self-published publications. Read them and learn first-hand how the diverse voices of a society are expressed through the medium of self-publishing. I believe self-published publications, with a relatively low print run, will make the best souvenir to keep from a trip to Taiwan.