Asian Publishers Week
Participant
Hoang Thanh Van
Country : Vietnamese
Company : Hy Vân Agency
Job Title : Director
E-mail : van@hyvan.vn
Work Experience in Publishing
My publishing career began in 2008 at the Centre for Research in Teaching Aids Production of Hanoi National University of Education, where I developed educational publications and gained first-hand experience in editorial processes, content development, and book production. In 2010, I moved into international publishing rights at Alpha Books, where I progressed from Rights Executive to Rights Manager, International Cooperation Manager, and ultimately Project Director. Over more than a decade, I acquired translation rights, negotiated with hundreds of publishers and literary agencies worldwide, and developed strategic partnerships across Asia, Europe, and North America. Beyond rights licensing, I led cross-sector projects that used books to foster educational innovation, public policy dialogue, and social impact. These included initiatives inspired by Let There Be Water on sustainable water management and Finnish Lessons 2.0 on education reform, alongside numerous publishing and cultural programs developed with embassies, international organizations, universities, and government agencies. Since 2023, as Director of Andrew Nurnberg Associates Hanoi, I have represented more than 70 international publishing partners, advising Vietnamese publishers on rights acquisition, facilitating negotiations, and strengthening international publishing cooperation. My experience spans the full publishing value chain, from editorial development and rights management to international collaboration and strategic project leadership.
Current Projects
I am currently establishing Hy Vân Agency, the first step in building Hy Vân Culture & Knowledge Studio, a long-term publishing and cultural content ecosystem in Vietnam. At this stage, my primary focus is representing Vietnamese authors internationally, introducing outstanding Asian books to Vietnam, and developing rights and licensing partnerships that connect Vietnamese publishing with the wider Asian and global markets. I see rights trading not only as a business, but also as a bridge for cultural exchange and the international circulation of ideas. Building on this foundation, I plan to expand Hy Vân into three additional areas. Hy Vân Studio will create original Vietnamese intellectual properties inspired by the country’s history, culture, and contemporary life for development across multiple media. Hy Vân Publishing will publish both original Vietnamese works and carefully selected international titles. Hy Vân Experiences will extend books and IPs into exhibitions, workshops, educational programs, and other cultural experiences that deepen reader engagement. To support this growing ecosystem, I am gradually integrating AI and digital tools into research, editorial preparation, rights management, and business operations, allowing a small independent team to work more efficiently while preserving human creativity, editorial judgment, and meaningful international collaboration.
Experience Related to This Year’s Topic
between publishing and technology communities. I have also contributed to newspaper interviews and a Voice of Vietnam (VOV) radio program on publishing in the age of AI and digital transformation, as well as the international development of Vietnamese intellectual property. Alongside these industry activities, I continuously explore how AI can support a small publishing and rights business. I regularly experiment with new tools to understand their practical applications in publishing and business management. AI assists with market research, editorial preparation, English sample translations, and submission materials, while I also explore its potential to improve rights management, project coordination, and administrative work, reducing repetitive tasks and allowing more time for editorial judgment, relationship building, and strategic decision-making.
Vietnam remains one of the region’s most AI-open markets. In 2025, almost every publisher was looking for books about AI and its applications, driven by widespread curiosity and fear of missing out (FOMO). By 2026, however, the focus had shifted. Publishers are once again seeking books that offer original ideas, deep expertise, and enduring value rather than simply capitalizing on AI as a trend. Publishers, booksellers, translators, and authors are exploring AI to support research, editorial preparation, translation, marketing, and business operations. However, the extent to which AI has been adopted across Vietnam’s publishing industry has not yet been systematically measured. While many younger audiences now consume short-form content, dedicated readers have become increasingly sensitive to AI-generated translations, illustrations, or cover designs, often questioning the quality and authenticity of publishers that rely too heavily on these tools. Vietnam has not yet seen major legal disputes concerning AI in publishing, but public opinion has become the strongest form of accountability. One publisher withdrew its plan to replace 70% of its editorial staff with AI after facing widespread public backlash. AI is also changing relationships between publishers and authors. Editors report receiving many more AI- assisted manuscripts from aspiring writers who overestimate their readiness for publication. While AI can generate text, many submissions still lack structure, originality, and coherent arguments, requiring extensive editorial work. Ironically, this makes editorial judgment more valuable than ever. The challenge is not whether to adopt AI, but how to use it to improve efficiency without compromising originality, academic integrity, or the distinctive voices that define great publishing.
What would you like to discuss related to this year’s topic?
I would like to discuss how AI is redefining the value of publishing beyond simply making content creation faster. From my observation, AI is lowering the barriers to producing text, yet this has made editorial judgment, originality, and trust more important than ever. Publishers are receiving more AI- assisted manuscripts, but many still require substantial editorial work because technology cannot replace clear thinking, strong structure, or authentic voices. I am also interested in discussing how this shift affects the publishing workforce. In the AI era, I believe editorial thinking will become an essential skill for everyone, not only professional editors. Authors, translators, rights professionals, and even readers increasingly need the ability to evaluate, refine, and question AI-generated content. Finally, I hope to exchange ideas on how AI can empower smaller publishing markets to participate more actively in global publishing while preserving cultural diversity and ensuring that technology strengthens, rather than weakens, the originality and credibility of books.
Connection to Korean Publishing
During my time at Alpha Books, I became closely involved with the Korean publishing industry through a series of publishing, rights, and cultural exchange projects. These included the Vietnamese edition of The Park Chung Hee Era by Kim Byung-kook and Ezra F. Vogel, developed in cooperation with the Park Chung Hee and Saemaul Leadership Research Institute, the Korea High-tech Industrial Association, and leading Vietnamese research institutions; the Vietnamese edition of The World Is Wide and There Is Much to Do (세계는 넓고 할 일은 많다) by Kim Woo Choong, published in collaboration with Daewoo Vietnam; and the Vietnamese editions of Professor Kim Rando’s Youth, It Hurts and Future, My Job, accompanied by author events in Vietnam. The period also included close cooperation with Eric Yang Agency, collaborated with Kyowon, and studied the educational publishing models of Chunjae Education and VISANG Education while coordinating a study visit for senior Vietnamese publishing executives. More recently, through Andrew Nurnberg Associates and Hy Vân Agency, K-Book Market provided opportunities to build relationships with publishers including Wisdom House, Woongjin ThinkBig, Aram Books, ChoiceMaker Korea, and KSI, further strengthening my understanding of Korea’s publishing ecosystem and opportunities for future cooperation.
I would particularly like to meet representatives from the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), and publishers such as Changbi, Munhakdongne, and Wisdom House. Beyond learning about individual publishing programs, I am interested in understanding how Korea has built an ecosystem where books serve as the foundation for cultural industries and national soft power. I hope to learn how these organizations identify and nurture original Korean authors, develop high-quality intellectual properties, support international rights and translation, and expand successful books into films, television, webtoons, tourism, education, and other creative industries. As I am currently establishing Hy Vân Agency and planning its future expansion into original content and cultural IP development, these conversations would provide valuable insights into how a publishing company can grow beyond book publishing to become a creator and exporter of cultural content. I believe many of Korea’s experiences could offer valuable inspiration for Vietnam’s publishing industry.
Your reasons for applying to Asian Publishers Week 2026.
I am applying to Asian Publishers Week 2026 because I believe the challenges brought by AI cannot be separated from the broader transformation of publishing. Across Asia, publishers are not only adapting to AI, but also responding to social media, short-form content, and changing reading habits that are reshaping how people discover, consume, and value books. As someone working in international publishing rights and now establishing Hy Vân Agency, I hope to learn how Korea and other leading Asian publishing markets continue to build sustainable publishing businesses, develop original intellectual properties, and transform books into the foundation for wider cultural and creative industries. I am particularly interested in how publishers maintain readership, expand stories into new formats, and remain commercially successful while preserving editorial quality and cultural value. These questions are especially relevant to Vietnam, where most publishers are still small organizations facing limited resources and slow market growth. I also hope to exchange ideas on promoting Asian stories internationally through stronger cooperation in rights, translation, and cultural exchange, while building lasting professional relationships across the region. I believe these shared experiences will help strengthen both Vietnam’s publishing industry and the wider Asian publishing community.
Your Company Profile Andrew Nurnberg Associates Hanoi Company Limited (currently in
Company Name: Andrew Nurnberg Associates Hanoi Company Limited
Company Address: No 7, D2, TT4 Bac Linh Dam, Nguyen Huu Tho Street, Dinh Cong Ward, Hanoi
Number of Employees: 1
Specialty: Literary Agency
Andrew Nurnberg Associates Hanoi (currently transitioning to Hy Vân Culture & Knowledge Studio) is an international rights and publishing company based in Hanoi. Established in 2023 as the first representative office of a global literary agency in Vietnam, it is part of Andrew Nurnberg Associates International (ANAI), one of the world’s leading literary agencies with offices across Europe and Asia. Since its establishment, the company has served as a bridge between international rights holders and Vietnamese publishers, representing a wide range of leading publishers and authors, including Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and internationally acclaimed writers such as Dan Brown, Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, and Nobel Laureate Jon Fosse. Beyond rights licensing, the company provides marketintelligence, rights consultancy, contract negotiation, and strategic matchmaking between publishers, helping bring high-quality international books to Vietnamese readers while supporting the professionalization of the local rights market. In 2026, following ANAI’s strategic restructuring in Southeast Asia, the international rights licensing business for Vietnam was consolidated under the Bangkok office. Building on its experience and extensive publishing network, the Hanoi office is now evolving into Hy Vân Culture & Knowledge Studio, an independent company dedicated to developing, publishing, and promoting original Vietnamese cultural intellectual property (IP) for both domestic and international audiences. Alongside this new direction, the company continues to collaborate with publishers, literary agencies, and rights holders across Asia, including China, Taiwan, South Korea, and other regional markets, to introduce outstanding international titles to Vietnam while strengthening cross-border publishing partnerships. Its long-term vision is to connect Vietnamese stories with the world and bring global cultural works closer to Vietnamese readers through rights exchange, original publishing, and international collaboration.