아시아출판주간

Asia Publishers Week

Participant

Lin Shuya

Country : Taiwan
Name : Lin Shuya
Company : Azoth Books
Job Title : Editor-in-Chief, Editing Room-No.2
E-mail : yazmine@azothbooks.com, yazmine.lynn@me.com

Work Experience in Publishing

I have worked in various types of publishing houses, starting my career with mass-market books. Later, I joined a publishing house specializing in reference books under a large publishing group. Ten years ago, I joined my current company, where I began overseeing categories that are my favorites: art and humanities books. In the past two years, my focus has increasingly shifted toward literary books, particularly Korean novels. Last year, our company launched a children's book imprint (Running Kids), where I also participated in title curation and occasionally in picture book editing. Due to my interest in Korean culture, I am now in charge of acquiring Korean book rights.

Current Projects

Currently, I am working on graphic novels, graphic books, genre fiction, and Korean literature: *Graphic Novels: In September, we will release the original graphic novel of the film《Robot Dreams》. In October, we will publish a bestselling German graphic novel that has been sold in over ten languages across Europe. In January 2025, we will release 《Brian Blomerth's Mycelium Wassonii》, an American artist's work that tells the story of the American anthropologist Robert Gordon Wasson. *Graphic Books: published 《도치의 요모조모 내 맘 탐구일지》 (by 최고심) and 《모 이야기》 (by 최연주). *Genre Fiction: published 《지구 끝의 온실》 (by 김초엽) and will soon release 《호러만찬회》 (by 신진오, 전건우) in September and 《직장 상사 악령 퇴치부》 (by 이사구) in November. *Korean Literature: published 《작별인사》 (by 김영하) in May, and 《새의 선물》 (by 은희경) in July, and will release 《모순》 (by 양귀자) in 2025. In 2025, in addition to our existing series of Korean literary fiction, I am planning to launch a new series of young adult fiction and a grand series of Korean web novels in the first quarter.

Main Interest

Literature, Graphic novels, Graphic books, Web novels, etc.

Experience Related to This Year’s Topic

When approaching a book, I begin by contemplating the inherent value of its contents. I seek to identify universal values, those unaffected by time and space, or even uncover new ones. Regardless of the subject matter, the key to resonating with readers lies in the intrinsic value of the content itself, particularly the aspects that set it apart from others. This includes the author's own attributes, the uniqueness of the material, the distinctiveness of its form, and the completeness of its composition (such as illustrations and layout), among other factors. For instance, last year, I curated a series titled "Youth in Classic Literature," selecting classic novels that have entered the public domain. The design concept was centered around the theme "May all children have a future as colorful as a rainbow." Each book was themed with a specific color—so far, four volumes have been published, each corresponding to a different color: red, orange, yellow, and green. When the series is complete with seven volumes, it will form a rainbow. Additionally, each pair of books is unified by a common theme. For example, the yellow volume, 《The Wind in the Willows》, and the green volume, 《The Secret Garden》, are grouped together under the theme "Psychological Growth through Nature Literature." We invited a well-known psychotherapist to write introductions and discussion topics for book clubs, to help young readers discover the timeless values in these classic works that resonate with contemporary needs. Another example is the publication of the Korean modern classic 《새의 선물》 (by 은희경) this past July. Given that the story is set in the late 1960s, a long long time ago, we wanted to prevent readers from being distanced by the "period feel" and to highlight the unique character development and introspective depth of the protagonist. To achieve this, we invited a popular Vtuber, known for her dedicated followers on a book-themed YouTube channel, to create short videos reading some of the book's most profound and insightful passages. By leveraging modern visual technology, we aimed to capture the attention of younger generations, helping them to see that, despite the temporal distance, the world depicted in the book addresses challenges and situations that resonate with their own, offering values that are worthy of being shared and experienced together. Additionally, on the distribution side, we deliberately choose the monthly membership discount day of Taiwan's largest online bookstore as the release date for our new books. This allows readers to purchase the latest releases at the most affordable prices on that day, creating a surge of popularity around the book launch.

What would you like to discuss related to this year’s topic?

I would like to discuss two aspects: 1. Content Aspect: Values In recent years, the sales of psychology books have seen significant growth in Taiwan’s publishing market, which has also driven the popularity of healing fiction. This trend reflects the strong demand among Taiwanese readers for inner balance and psychological comfort amidst a high-pressure lifestyle. However, due to this surge, healing fiction has become overly saturated, leading to a predicament of homogeneous values, whether in translated works or locally produced books. As publishers, under this circumstance, how can we provide readers with diverse values? Additionally, after the surge of healing fiction, what will be the next trend? What are the latest publishing trends in Taiwan and Korea? What trends are currently brewing? What value do they hold? This is one of the key points I wish to discuss with Korean publishers. Currently, there is a trend in Taiwan’s publishing industry: children’s book publishing. An increasing number of publishers, who traditionally focus on adult books, are now venturing into children’s books. What does this signify? Will adults in Taiwan, who never read picture books, begin to support them as strongly as in Western, Japanese, and Korean societies? Last year, in Taiwan’s publishing market, the number of Korean children's books published even surpassed that of Japanese ones... 2. Marketing Aspect: Strategies and Approaches In Taiwan's physical book market, sales figures have been sharply declining. We urgently need new marketing and sales strategies. Taiwan lacks BookTok influencers, and previously effective marketing activities, such as interactive marketing on social media and sample chapter distribution, now seem stagnant. I would like to discuss how we can make readers recognize the value of the contents (by developing new methods) and in what possible ways we can deliver valuable content directly to the target readers. On the other hand, the tendency for young people to purchase e-books has significantly increased, and they are actively participating in marketing activities on e-book platforms. This raises the question: Should e-books no longer be viewed as merely an "appendage" to physical books? Should we consider a reverse approach, where e-books are published first, and physical books are released later, in a more refined and value-added format, after the e-book has achieved sales success? This approach is similar to the current publishing model for web novels in Korea. Lastly, I would like to exchange failure cases with Korean publishers: Which books have “failed”? Why did they fail? I believe we can all learn valuable lessons from these experiences.

What would you like to discuss related to this year’s topic?

I would like to discuss two aspects: 1. Content Aspect: Values In recent years, the sales of psychology books have seen significant growth in Taiwan’s publishing market, which has also driven the popularity of healing fiction. This trend reflects the strong demand among Taiwanese readers for inner balance and psychological comfort amidst a high-pressure lifestyle. However, due to this surge, healing fiction has become overly saturated, leading to a predicament of homogeneous values, whether in translated works or locally produced books. As publishers, under this circumstance, how can we provide readers with diverse values? Additionally, after the surge of healing fiction, what will be the next trend? What are the latest publishing trends in Taiwan and Korea? What trends are currently brewing? What value do they hold? This is one of the key points I wish to discuss with Korean publishers. Currently, there is a trend in Taiwan’s publishing industry: children’s book publishing. An increasing number of publishers, who traditionally focus on adult books, are now venturing into children’s books. What does this signify? Will adults in Taiwan, who never read picture books, begin to support them as strongly as in Western, Japanese, and Korean societies? Last year, in Taiwan’s publishing market, the number of Korean children's books published even surpassed that of Japanese ones... 2. Marketing Aspect: Strategies and Approaches In Taiwan's physical book market, sales figures have been sharply declining. We urgently need new marketing and sales strategies. Taiwan lacks BookTok influencers, and previously effective marketing activities, such as interactive marketing on social media and sample chapter distribution, now seem stagnant. I would like to discuss how we can make readers recognize the value of the contents (by developing new methods) and in what possible ways we can deliver valuable content directly to the target readers. On the other hand, the tendency for young people to purchase e-books has significantly increased, and they are actively participating in marketing activities on e-book platforms. This raises the question: Should e-books no longer be viewed as merely an "appendage" to physical books? Should we consider a reverse approach, where e-books are published first, and physical books are released later, in a more refined and value-added format, after the e-book has achieved sales success? This approach is similar to the current publishing model for web novels in Korea. Lastly, I would like to exchange failure cases with Korean publishers: Which books have “failed”? Why did they fail? I believe we can all learn valuable lessons from these experiences.

Your Company Company Name: Azoth Books

Company Address: 2F-6, No. 88, Sec. 2, Chongqing N. Rd., Datong Dist., Taipei City 103008, Taiwan Number of Employees: 20 Specialty: Mainly literature Company Profile (in approximately 300 words): Azoth Books, established in 2007, has proudly published over 800 titles to date. We specialize in both literary and genre fiction, as well as non-fiction works encompassing arts, business, popular science, psychology, and philosophy. Notably, 70% of our publication comprises translated works. In November 2023, we introduced Running Kids Books, an imprint under the Azoth Books umbrella, to broaden our editorial offerings within the realm of Children’s books. Our primary objective is to delight and enlight children aged 3 to 13 through a combination of high-quality text and vibrant imagery. We are committed to fostering a love for reading that transcends mere enjoyment, laying the foundation for a lifetime of learning and creative exploration. ■ Reading for Joy: lively and entertaining content that satisfies the desire to understand oneself and the world. ■ Reading for Literacy: high-quality text and image expressions that lay the foundation for literacy and essential learning abilities. ■ Reading for Creativity: unleash the wings of imagination to cultivate a creative mind, shaping the innovators of the future. ■ Reading for Growing: manuals for the use of diverse knowledge, catering to the developmental needs of children at each stage.

출판사 소개 Company Name: Azoth Books

회사 주소: Jl. Jagakarsa Raya no.40, RT.007/RW.004. Jagakarsa, Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia Noura Publishing은 2012년에 설립되어, 아동부터 성인 문학까지, 소설에서 비소설에 이르기까지 현지 및 번역 작품을 포함하여 1,000권 이상의 제목을 출판했습니다. Noura는 독자에게 영감을 주는 콘텐츠를 지속적으로 출판하고 있습니다. 아동 도서 분야에서는 'Tayo the Little Bus', 'Cloud Bread', 'Rainbow Ruby'와 같은 인기 있는 한국 TV 시리즈 각색판을 출판했습니다. 일반 보드북과 개념책은 모든 가정에 필수적인 책으로 제공되며, 읽어주는 시리즈의 아름다운 현지 그림책 목록도 다양하게 제공하여 아이들을 즐겁게 하고 있습니다. 몇몇 출판물은 IKAPI(인도네시아 출판사 협회) 상을 수상했으며 TaCiTa 상 후보에 오르기도 했습니다. 또한 팝업북, 플랩북, 라이트북 등 아이들이 즐길 수 있는 물리적 특징을 가진 도서를 통해 혁신을 추구합니다. Noor H. Dee의 'The 25 Prophets & Messengers'라는 보드북 제목은 거의 90,000부가 판매되었습니다. 소설 분야에서 Noura는 Stephanie Garber, Rick Riordan, Victoria Aveyard, Sue Lynn Tan, Kathryn Littlewood 등의 작가의 판타지 소설 시리즈에서 탁월합니다. 또한 Ruth Ware, Alice Feeney, Un Su Kim의 번역 스릴러를 출판하는 데 성공했습니다. 또한 Coniglio, Hae Hwa, Kim Eun Sook 등의 한국 작가의 책도 출판했습니다. 인도네시아 문학 작품에 대한 젊은 독자들의 친숙함을 위해 Noura는 Budi Darma의 'The Bloomington People'과 같은 유명 작가의 고전 문학 작품을 재출판하고, Chandra Bientang의 'Two AM and The Fortune-Teller', Grace Tioso의 'The Illegitimate Child Club'과 같은 흥미로운 새로운 목소리를 제공하여 Ayu Utami 문학상을 최근 수상했습니다. 이러한 노력은 Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, O. Henry와 같은 국제 고전 작가의 출판과 일치합니다. 비소설 분야에서 Noura는 철학, 육아, 자기 계발, 심리학 등 다양한 장르의 책을 출판했습니다. 우리의 베스트셀러 제목에는 Viktor Frankl의 'Man's Search for Meaning', 고전 스토아 철학 책 'Meditations', 'A Happy Life', 그리고 Austin Kleon의 'Steal Like an Artist', 'Show Your Work!', 'Keep Going' 등이 포함되어 있습니다.
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