China’s Publishing Industry: From Mao to the Market

China’s Publishing Industry: From Mao to the Market takes a long view in understanding the profound changes to China’s publishing industry, covering a period from the ‘socialist transformation’ under Mao to more recent reforms. The book investigates the impact of the changing social, economic and ideological environment on the structure and operation of the industry, also exploring how the burgeoning digital publishing business is shaped by the broader social context. In addition, it reveals that the process of commercialization in China’s publishing industry has been marked by persistent tensions and contradictions, using case studies to demonstrate how tensions have impacted everyday practices.