Abstract:

Throughout the global book market, children’s books have become a driving force for the entire
publishing market. Children’s book publishing has grown into the most dynamic sector in China’s publishing
industry. The past decade between 2006 and 2015, has been the golden decade for the flourishing development
of Chinese children’s book publishing industry, which has become a hot topic in the publishing and academic
circles. Book price can be taken as a research point to analyze the industry ecology of children’s book publishing in
the past decade. From the data analysis of Chinese children’s book prices, we can understand the publishing,
pricing and competition of children’s books in China: children’s book publishing is an important part of the
publishing industry in China, and the competition among children’s book publishing industry is very fierce; the total
price of children’s books has grown rapidly, and the average price of single children’s book has risen steadily;
big differences exist in pricing for different kinds of children’s books; children’s book prices present two levels
of differentiation. Children’s book prices reflect some problems of the industry ecology of Chinese children’s
book publishing: the overall level of Chinese children’s book pricing is high, which brings negative effects; bundling
sale exists on the market of children’s book series; the book prices of online bookstore seriously impact
physical bookstore; children’s book royalties rise continuously and thus affect children’s book prices. Whether
Chinese children’s book publishing will usher in the next golden decade, will depend on whether the whole
children publishing industry can achieve a healthy development, in which high quality original content and orderly
children’s book publishing environment are the most important factors.