Wen Yu Wenjun (President of Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House).
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that we should adhere to the people-centered creative orientation and launch more excellent works that enhance the spiritual strength of the people. This has pointed out the way forward and provided a fundamental guide for us to do a good job in publishing at present and in the future. Doing a good job in theme publishing is an effective way and a powerful starting point for publishing work to undertake cultural missions, promote mainstream values, serve the overall situation, and serve the masses. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the importance of theme publishing has become more prominent, and theme publishing has a lot to do and do.
As a well-known literary publishing house in China, Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House has always been characterized by "producing famous works, producing high-quality works, seeking innovation and seeking quality", and has a good reputation in the hearts of readers. In recent years, in accordance with the group's deployment of theme publishing work, according to its own positioning, actively focus on the overall situation of the work of the party and the country, compare important nodes, anchor important awards and major projects, adhere to the professional endowment and resource advantages, focus on the main theme line, focus on the layout of long-form literature, reportage, and online literature, increase theme publishing work, and actively develop excellent theme reading materials that highlight the style of the times, respond to readers' concerns, and have distinctive characteristics and other national awards.
Wangdao: The Past and Present Life of the Communist Manifesto, the first full translation of Chinese (referred to as "Wangdao"), won the special award of the 16th Central Propaganda Department's "Five One Project" book category for spiritual civilization construction, "The Story of Calligraphy", "Yanyuntai" and "Wangjiangnan" 3 books won the 2020 and 2022 "China Good Books", "Suzhou River", "Echoes of the Mountains" and "Big Dipper Stars" 3 books were selected as the theme key publication topics of the Central Propaganda Department in 2022 and 2023, and "Wake Up" was selected as the 2020 Central Propaganda Department. "He Came from the Warm Wind" and "Heavenly Sacred Order" were selected as the "Excellent Online Literature Publishing Project of Realistic and Historical Themes" by the National Press and Publication Administration. The practice of the theme publishing work of Zhejiang Literature and Art Society is as follows.
Based on professional advantages, build a theme product matrix
As the only professional literary and artistic publishing house in Zhejiang Province, from the perspective of historical inheritance, Zhejiang Literature and Art Society has a certain brand advantage and professional experience in creating literary and artistic masterpieces and impacting national awards, and has won the "Five One Project" award of the Central Propaganda Department for 6 times, and has been deeply cultivated for a long time in the professional fields of long-form literature, reportage, and network literature, and has accumulated rich editorial experience and author resources, which is where our professional advantages lie in theme publishing.
1.Pay attention to the in-depth layout in the professional field, and maintain long-term cooperation with authoritative authors. Long-form **, reportage, and online literature are the professional advantages of Zhejiang Literature and Art Society to do a good job in theme publishing, and we are actively cultivating the layout. Inviting authoritative authors to create topics is the key to ensuring the success of theme projects, so it is necessary to establish long-term, stable and close long-term cooperative relationships with excellent authors.
Wang Xufeng, winner of the Mao Dun Literature Award, as a famous writer who has long-term cooperation with Zhejiang Literature and Art Society, has established a deep friendship between editors and writers. Mr. Wang Xufeng is also an award-winning professional household of theme publishing, "There is Jiamu in the South", "The Flower of Ism", "The Book of the Family" and other four won the "Five One Project Award" of the Central Propaganda Department, and in 2022, the new work "Wangjiangnan" won the "China Good Book", and was selected for the "Five One Project" award of Zhejiang Province, and it is recommended to participate in the "Five One Project" award of the Central Propaganda Department.
Hai Fei, a famous screenwriter and writer, is also a powerful writer who has cooperated with Zhejiang Literature and Art Society for many years, planning and organizing the launch of the red theme series "Hai Fei Spy War World", "Going Home" won the 13th "Five One Project" award of the Central Propaganda Department, "Wake Up" was selected as the "Excellent Realistic Literary Publishing Project" of the Central Propaganda Department in 2020, "Suzhou River" was selected as the "2022 Theme Publishing Key Publication Topic" of the Central Propaganda Department, and we will continue to launch its new work "Big World" in 2024.
Classic case: Give full play to the characteristic advantages and create high-quality online literature themes, such as "Yanyuntai" and "Tiansheng Order" by Jiang Shengnan, the great god of the Internet. Based on the excellent traditional Chinese cultural gene heritage and the expression that the masses like to see and understand, the influence of online literature among the younger generation and overseas readers continues to expand, and online literature has also been highly valued by the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee and the China Writers Association, and has occupied a place in the selection of major national awards.
Zhejiang as the capital of China's Internet literature, Zhejiang Literature and Art Society is the benchmark and important town of online literature publishing, has been focusing on the excavation of online literature writers, the cultivation and publication of online literature products, gathered a large number of network gods who have a high reputation in the country and overseas, over the years insisted on telling Chinese stories well with network literature, and established a benchmark for the best-selling quality of Zhejiang version of network literature in the country. On the other hand, it serves the central work of the party and the state, organizes excellent historical and realistic online literature theme boutiques, and wins good social benefits.
Focusing on the launch of the National People's Congress, Jiang Shengnan, a great god of the Internet, reflected the sense of community of the Chinese nation with a large historical view of the work "Yanyuntai", which was selected as the "Good Book of China" in 2019 and successfully selected as an online literary work with the theme of "Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China"; "Heavenly Sacred Order" was selected as the "Excellent Online Literature Publishing Project of Realistic and Historical Themes" by the National Press and Publication Administration. Other online themed books include "He Came from the Warm Wind", "The Big Dipper", "The Shield of the Sky", and so on.
2.Pay attention to in-depth development and create a theme product matrix in a multi-dimensional series. Systematic development of major themes is adopted to form a large-scale theme project and maximize the two benefits. Product matrix, such as Wang Xufeng's series of works and Haifei's series.
Classic Case: "Wangdao" and "The Taste of Truth" special textbooks. As the first reportage in China to systematically and comprehensively examine the Communist Manifesto, Wangdao has won many national honorary awards since its publication. As early as May 2020, when planning and organizing the 2021 annual topic selection plan, in view of the fact that 2021 is a major festival of the centenary of the Communist Party of China, the whole party will carry out party history learning and education, and 2022 is the year of the "Five One Project" award of the Central Propaganda Department, and the theme book on the theme of party building is believed to be the focus of the award. Therefore, he planned to organize a gift to the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.
On the basis of market research and visits, from the "taste of truth is very sweet" emphasized by the general secretary many times, telling the story of Chen Wangdao, a native of Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, who translated the first full Chinese translation of the "Communist Manifesto" 100 years ago, firmly believed, did not forget the original mission, and pursued the great truth, and got the inspiration for topic selection, and decided to take the unique perspective of "the taste of truth is very sweet" as the entry point for the topic selection, Chen Wangdao is also a native of Yiwu, Zhejiang, starting from Chen Wangdao's translation of the full Chinese translation of the Communist Manifesto, Reportage works that reflect the Communists' pursuit of truth and adherence to their ideals and beliefs will certainly have commemorative significance and publication value.
There are many reportage writers, but different writers are good at different fields and topics, and to write a theme book with a solid foundation and popular content puts forward high requirements for the author's political literacy, party history, and literary level. Who should write it? How do you write something new? This is something that must be considered. After many search and recommendation, Xu Jingeng, a member of the Chinese Writers Association, director of the China Reportage Society, and director of the Shandong Branch of the People's ** Society, was finally identified as the best author in his mind, and was also a native of Quzhou, Zhejiang. As a long-term worker in the party newspaper, both a reporter and a writer, and has won the Lu Xun Literature Award, the "Five One Project Award" of the Central Propaganda Department, and the winner of the Xu Chi Reportage Award, Xu Jingeng is the absolute best author candidate.
However, the process of requesting the book was also full of twists and turns. At that time, he was busy creating other works, and when he first asked him for a manuscript, he refused because he had no time to do it. Before the author's third refusal, I said that the book was written as a topic for Chen Wangdao's translation of the Communist Manifesto, and Xu Jingeng immediately changed his mind, hit it off, and immediately agreed: "I can write it!" Because he is interested in this subject, he already has a lot of information in his hands, as long as he interviews on the spot, he will be sure. Xu Jingeng's interest and grasp come from the accumulation of creation over the years.
Looking back on the planning and organization of "Wangdao", it can be called a "textbook-style manuscript request" - from "the author's rejection" and "the publisher's three visits to the thatched house" to "the two sides hit it off".
In order to meet the needs of party members and cadres for education and reading, and invite Xu Jingeng, director of the Shandong branch of the People's Society, to create the reportage "Wangdao", we also organized and planned to launch the local ideological and political special textbook "The Taste of Truth" with Zhejiang characteristics and national significance suitable for primary and secondary school students to carry out the "four history" education, forming a series of products from primary school students, middle school students, college students to cadres and the masses. The textbook "The Taste of Truth" is used by more than 100,000 students in Zhejiang Province every year.
It is based on the good cooperation of "Wangdao" that Zhejiang Literature and Art Society recently continued to invite Xu Jingeng to create a long-form reportage "Doolittle Action" in advance, through on-site visits, combined with historical materials, vividly recorded the thrilling, singing and crying story that occurred in the land of Zhejiang during World War II when China and the United States jointly resisted the Japanese invading army, as a key topic reserve to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Anti-Japanese War in 2025.
Excavate Zhejiang's characteristics and create a national theme boutique
1.Give full play to Zhejiang's unique political advantages. Zhejiang, as the "three places", "important window" and "two firsts", has unique political advantages, and can organize and plan theme projects with Zhejiang characteristics and national significance. For example, Chen Wangdao's translation of "Wangdao", the first full Chinese translation of the "Communist Manifesto", cuts in depth from a small angle, traces back to the roots, and tells the whole process of Marx and Engels' "Communist Manifesto", Chen Wangdao's translation of "The Communist Manifesto", and the birth of the Communist Party of China, showing the brilliant century-old historical journey of the Communist Party of China; For example, "Lu Guanqiu: The Growth History of a Chinese Farmer, Reformer, and Entrepreneur" reflects the growth history of Lu Guanqiu, a famous entrepreneur and "reform pioneer"; For example, "Reform Pioneer Xie Gaohua: A Brave Communist" who reflects the growth and political path of the "reform pioneer" Xie Gaohua.
2.Excavation totalZhejiang has leading the benchmarking practical experience in the country. The vivid stories of the vast number of cadres and masses in Zhejiang faithfully implementing the "88 Strategy", striving to create an "important window", and striving to promote the "two firsts" of socialism with Chinese characteristics and provincial modernization, are rich resources for us to do a good job in theme publishing, and it is worth digging deeply. Respond to the questions of China, the times and the world with Zhejiang's answers, tell China's stories well, and spread China's good voice.
For example, Shanghai writer Jian Ping's "Power List: Thirty-six Articles" to write about the modernization of grassroots governance capabilities, Zhejiang writer Li Ying's "Governing Villages in a Great Country" that reflects the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", rural revitalization, and common prosperity, and "Echoes of the Mountains" which focuses on 26 mountainous counties in Zhejiang Province and excavates the vivid stories behind common prosperity. "List of Powers" was selected as the "Excellent Literary Publishing Project on Realistic Themes" by the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, "Governing the Village in a Great Country" was selected as the national publishing ** project, and "Echoes of the Mountains" was selected as the theme of the Key Publication of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee.
Adhere to the "traffic" thinking and let the theme of good book marketing "out of the circle".
1.Adhere to user-oriented, innovate marketing methods, and maximize the double effect of themed readings. In order to achieve the double effect of theme books, it is necessary to better reach the majority of readers and become the conscious consumption of the people, so as to maximize the publicity and education function of theme books and achieve the purpose of inspiring people with excellent works. In recent years, the sales channels, reading habits, and consumption patterns of the book market have undergone tremendous changes, how to adapt to the needs of users in the era of traffic and digitalization, and achieve better communication, promotion, sales, and conversion? How can we disseminate good books more effectively in the new media environment, so that they can reach readers more accurately and powerfully? This also raises new challenges.
Classic case: the theme bestseller "Wangjiangnan". Based on this situation, according to the market trend in the digital era, we adhere to the principle of "traffic is in, users are in, and marketing is on" Before and after the publication of "Wangjiangnan", according to the law of traffic, through the new ** matrix and Douyin live broadcast account built by Zhejiang Literature and Art Society, strengthen online marketing and publicity, focus on Xiaohongshu platform marketing, attract user attention through online drainage, gather traffic, and then divert to traditional e-commerce, so that marketing drainage and channel transformation complement each other. It further drives offline readers to buy, and at the same time actively develops and utilizes the talent database, effectively broadens the channel for influencers to bring goods, and directly expands online sales conversion.
For example, through the promotion of "Wangjiangnan" by Sister Fudou, 8,000 copies were directly generated and 20,000 copies were indirectly sold. It is the use of social e-commerce traffic communication methods to implement precision marketing and promotion that has laid a solid foundation for the market success of "Wangjiangnan", which has distributed more than 200,000 copies in one year, becoming a phenomenal book in the literary market in 2022.
The market sales effect of Wangjiangnan has expanded the social influence and popularity of the book, helped the award promotion work, and helped the book win the 2022 "China Good Book" and was selected as an excellent publication bibliography recommended to the elderly across the country organized by the National Press and Publication Administration. The selection of these awards and lists, in turn, further enhanced the influence of the works and authors, and many provincial institutions and book fair organizers have invited the author Wang Xufeng to give lectures across the country, so that the popularity of "Wangjiangnan" has continued to this day, with more than 400,000 copies distributed, together with the best-selling "Tea Man Tetralogy".
2.In line with the trend of integrated publishing, we will promote the multi-media development and multi-carrier presentation of paper, audio, and audio-visual courses, extend the industrial chain, and enhance the value of thematic content. "Youth Red Culture Classroom" is a collection of audio, short, offline activities in one of the theme publishing projects organized and planned by our society, through the Zhejiang Literature and Art Society to train the reading promoter "Sister Peach" into the campus bookstore to achieve effective dissemination, play a role in the theme of publishing to serve the education of young people, to help young people bacon cast soul, enlighten wisdom, and tie the first button in life.
Source: Zhejiang Publishing Media.
Proofreading: Ma Kui.
Editor: Chen Lin.
Re-examination: Zhang Weite.
Final review: Song Qiang.