As the "World Book Day" approaches, on April 21st, the seventh season of "Duoduo Reading Month" kicked off as scheduled, lasting for a month. It's that time again for book enthusiasts to dive into their reading frenzy.
After the accumulation of the previous six seasons, this season's reading month activities deepen the strategy of knowledge accessibility, inviting over a thousand bookstores on the platform to participate. With the addition of a billion-yuan reading fund and official subsidies, for the first time, subsidies are directly provided to over ten thousand types of books from the source.
At the same time, this season's reading month activities also collaborate with major publishers to select the best among the best, featuring a curated selection of 1,000 classic works, directly subsidizing 5 million copies. This includes works by renowned authors from both domestic and international literary awards such as the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Mao Dun Literature Prize, the Booker Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, and others. Also included are books that dominated various annual bestseller lists last year, as well as books in the social sciences and philosophy that interpret the laws of social operation.
"Duoduo Reading Month" is a large-scale knowledge accessibility initiative launched by Pinduoduo since April 2021, in collaboration with authoritative domestic publishers, book publishing companies, etc., establishing a billion-yuan level reading fund to subsidize high-quality and classic books, providing consumers with affordable genuine books. Over the past three years, "Duoduo Reading Month" has gradually grown into a major IP event in the domestic book market. During the event, readers can participate by searching for "Duoduo Reading Month" on Pinduoduo.
Today, "Duoduo Reading Month" has become an increasingly important way for more and more people to consume books, with some even including it in their annual consumption budgets ahead of time. "The focus of nationwide reading is the nation as a whole, and we hope to continue increasing the breadth and depth of subsidies for high-quality book products, allowing more people to enjoy the benefits of knowledge accessibility," said the project leader of "Duoduo Reading Month." "We will also continue to strive to build an efficient and transparent genuine book supply chain system, promoting mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between consumers and publishers."
The subsidy to bookstores breaks through a thousand for the first time
From the previous participation of hundreds of publishing houses and book companies each season to over a thousand joining in this subsidy feast this season, it's one of the highlights of this reading month.
This season's reading month has selected the "Spring Reading List" for consumers, including classic works by well-known domestic and foreign authors, such as Camus' "The Plague"; books selected from awards like the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Mao Dun Literature Prize, the Booker Prize, and the Pulitzer Prize, such as Kafka's "The Trial"; bestsellers like "Blooming" due to the popularity of TV dramas; and social science and philosophy books like "Chip Wars" and "Three Questions on Humanity".
This year marks the return of Boku Books to the Reading Month activity after many years. Boku.com is a well-known comprehensive book sales service provider nationwide, and has been operating a flagship store on Pinduoduo for 4 years. The most popular categories of books among platform consumers are literary fiction and textbooks for learning. For this "debut" in the Reading Month, they have prepared classic literary and social science books such as Kafka's "The Trial," the highly rated economics theory book "General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money" on Douban, and the biography of Pink Floyd, "The Endless River."
"The influence of 'Pinduoduo Reading Month' in the industry continues to grow, and our willingness to participate is very strong," said the person in charge of Boku Books store, attaching great importance to this activity. "It's very valuable and meaningful, helping to enhance the overall society's attention to reading and also an important opportunity for us to showcase and promote reading."
Since Shanghai Century Publishing Group joined Pinduoduo in 2021, literary and social science, cultural education, and ancient book categories have been widely welcomed by platform users. Now, they have participated in five Reading Months and are regular attendees.
"The 'Pinduoduo Reading Month' held twice a year has greatly helped our bookstore's book sales. Both Reading Months are the peak sales period for our store each year. Many of the books recommended during the event have been sought after by readers, and sales have increased significantly compared to usual. For example, books such as 'The Brothers Karamazov,' 'Immersed in Things,' 'Dictionary of Tang Poetry Appreciation,' 'Three Hundred Years of the Civil War,' and 'Retracing: Searching for Southwest Associated University on Highways, Rivers, and Post Roads' sold over 5,000 copies during the last Reading Month," said the person in charge of the Shanghai Century Publishing Group store.
Facing many new players in this season's Reading Month, the above-mentioned person in charge sees it as a completely new challenge. This season, they bring readers excellent works in the categories of art, history, and social sciences, such as "The London City Chronicles," "Good Books You Can Read for a Lifetime," "The Beauty of Japanese Architecture," and "The Dunhuang Scroll."
To strengthen intellectual property protection and promote the sustainable development of a fair-priced legitimate book market, "Pinduoduo Reading Month" has been held continuously for six seasons since its launch in the first quarter of 2021. During this period, Pinduoduo, together with authoritative publishers and book publishing companies such as Peking University Press, Unread Books, Commercial Press, Tiandi Publishing House, Writers Publishing House, CITIC Press, Guomai, and Idealkingdom, has subsidized over 6,000 types and more than 26 million copies of high-quality books.
"Great Service + Great Savings" Boosts Book Consumption Upgrade
As the "Many Books Month" enters its seventh season, over the past three years, book consumption on Pinduoduo has maintained rapid growth, driven by the platform's efforts. More high-quality book products have been discovered and loved by consumers, while book enthusiasts have also enjoyed greater affordability.
"In recent years, readers of all ages on the platform have shown increasing enthusiasm for book purchases, with user demands trending towards personalization and diversity. Books that require immersive reading such as social sciences, arts and philosophy, literature and novels, as well as history and biographies, have become popular. Sales of functional and practical books for self-improvement, exam preparation, and health maintenance have also remained robust," said the head of the "Many Books Month" project.
However, there is still much room for improvement. According to the "20th National Reading Survey Report," the comprehensive reading rate among Chinese adults was 81.8% in 2022, with an average of 4.78 physical books read per person. Among those aged 0 to 17, the average number of books read per person was 11.14. 45.5% of adults prefer to "read a physical book," while over sixty percent express dissatisfaction or only average satisfaction with their reading habits over the year.
According to the aforementioned spokesperson, the platform's book consumption is showing a growing demand for upgrades. For example, some classic literature, social sciences, and biography works have been perennial bestsellers, with special editions such as hardcovers and signed copies becoming consumer highlights. At the same time, pop-up books, audiobooks, and especially interactive sets like children's touch-and-read kits have seen significant sales growth. "Some 'highly aesthetic' books have even begun to be sought after as home decor by young consumers."
Adhering to the principle of "providing subsidies for what consumers need," this year's Many Books Month event has expanded the subsidized book product variety from over a thousand to tens of thousands, covering literature, history, philosophy, education, children's books, economics, management, business, arts, and popular science fields. This aims to meet the diverse needs of more regions and demographics, striving for a wider range of inclusive benefits.
In addition to offering greater affordability, the Many Books Month continues to improve book services to encourage more book lovers to make purchases. Currently, all books participating in the reading month have the "Buy with Confidence, Easy Returns" service from the platform's Billion Subsidy Channel as a standard feature. This means that buyers automatically receive the platform's "Quality Assurance," along with benefits like free shipping, price compensation for overpaying, and 48-hour delivery. For issues such as corner wear during book transportation, platform booksellers will promptly provide partial refunds or handle returns accordingly.
Furthermore, since July last year, Pinduoduo has been implementing free delivery services to villages in Xinjiang, shortening the distance between terminal delivery points and consumers to within 2 kilometers and reducing the delivery time to 24 hours. Books are one of the key categories covered by the free delivery to villages service in Xinjiang. Thanks to this, in March this year, the volume of book orders in Xinjiang exceeded 1 million, an increase of around 80% compared to the previous year. During this season's Many Books Month, areas in Xinjiang covered by the free delivery service to villages can also enjoy the same knowledge benefits as the "free shipping areas" such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai.
"Universal reading, not a single one less. Pinduoduo connects the widest range of readers and booksellers, and through increased subsidies and improved service mechanisms, the Many Books Month hopes to facilitate the distribution of books, allowing consumers to buy good-quality products affordably and with peace of mind. It also aims to give valuable books better exposure, promote the listing of more affordable genuine books, and practice universal reading," said the head of the Many Books Month project.
