Not only does this format help bring books closer to young readers, it also contributes to rekindling reading habits in the community. To effectively take advantage of this trend, there needs to be a coordinated participation of publishers, distribution units and management agencies to bring the publishing industry to sustainable development in the digital environment.
Sold thousands of books in a few hours of livestream
In recent years, along with the explosion of social networks, a series of book-related trends such as book reviews (ratings, comments), book challenges (book reading challenges), or BookTok trends (book trends, trends on TikTok), book livestreams on Facebook, YouTube have made book publishing and dissemination more lively and effective. Many books have been "revived" in the digital environment, creating publishing phenomena.
A typical example is the book "Red Rain" by writer Chu Lai that has been "feverish" recently. Colonel Pham Van Truong, Director - Editor-in-Chief of the Army Publishing House, said that from the beginning of 2025 until now, the book "Red Rain" has released up to 81,000 copies. In addition to the effect of the movie of the same name, this success also comes from a strong communication strategy on Facebook, TikTok; promoting online sales points on Shopee, Tiki... At the same time, book review content from influencers - the "word of mouth" method in the social network era has shown clear effectiveness.
Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Trong Lam, Director - Editor-in-Chief of the National Political Publishing House, believes that the past 5 years have been the period of the strongest transformation of the publishing industry when publishing and promotion activities have expanded to the digital space. If in the past, books were mainly distributed through traditional bookstore systems, now e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Tiki, Lazada or social networks such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube have become strategic channels for many publishers.
In just 6 months of 2025, book sales via TikTok reached 600 billion VND, demonstrating the spreading power of online platforms. Some pioneering units such as the National Political Publishing House Truth, Youth Publishing House, Vietnam Education Publishing House... have built a complete "publishing - distribution - service" model on a digital platform, forming a modern publishing ecosystem.
In particular, the Truth National Political Publishing House has implemented many large-scale digitalization programs, developing online publishing sites such as stbook.vn, thuviencoso.vn, sachquocgia.vn. In June 2025, the publisher continued to launch ST Store - an official paper and electronic book publishing channel, integrating smart search utilities, online payment, and home delivery.
According to Dr. Pham Thi Lien (Academy of Journalism and Communication), livestreaming book sales on TikTok can generate nearly VND300 million in revenue, selling more than 2,000 books in just 3 hours. From 2023, Tiki will sell more than 1.9 million publications/year, while FAHASA recorded a 50% increase in e-commerce revenue in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period. Readers no longer go to bookstores to buy, but often refer to video reviews, BookTok shares or discussions on social networks before ordering.
Director - Editor-in-Chief of Science - Technology - Communication Publishing House Tran Chi Dat said that currently, platforms such as Shopee, Tiki, FAHASA account for up to 40% of the publishing revenue. Organizing a national online book fair is also contributing to promoting reading culture widely, effectively supporting publishing activities.
Trendy, sustainable development
Currently, book publishing is moving clearly. Besides the shift of publishing to online spaces such as book365.vn, sachdientu.vn, ebook.gov.vn and online trading floors, the omni-channel publishing model - combining printed books, e-books, audiobooks and integrated product packages, is opening up a new approach, especially for the young generation who love digital content.
Another trend is the use of user data in strategic planning. Publishers track downloads, responses, and reading habits to adjust content, design, and communication campaigns. The “data-driven publishing” model is helping to optimize costs, increase reach, and respond more quickly to reader needs.
According to Director - Editor-in-Chief of Science - Technology - Communication Publishing House Tran Chi Dat, this transformation does not stop at the publishing stage but also covers the entire publishing process, from product planning, cover design, to promotional communication. If in the past, publishers focused on expanding physical sales points, now the goal is to distribute images and videos of books to as many "touch points" online as possible. This is in line with international trends.
In order for digital book publishing to develop sustainably and promote the publishing industry, Mr. Tran Chi Dat said that it is necessary to invest in digital human resources, train in artificial intelligence (AI) skills, data analysis, digital marketing; develop shared digital infrastructure; promote public-private cooperation, expand links with international platforms such as Amazon, Google Books to learn from experience and expand the market; invest in communications on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, encourage the use of specialized reading devices...
Dr. Pham Thi Lien (Academy of Journalism and Communication) proposed that, on the part of state management agencies, it is necessary to perfect the legal framework and enforcement mechanism on communication, digital marketing and electronic publishing, especially on copyright and online distribution issues; organize annual online book fairs, support businesses in developing digital platforms, and at the same time propagate to raise consumers' awareness of copyright and build a healthy consumer culture.
Publishing books on digital platforms is an inevitable trend of the times. Taking advantage of this opportunity will promote the Vietnamese publishing industry to catch up with global trends, bringing knowledge to everyone, everywhere, at all times.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/phat-hanh-sach-tren-nen-tang-so-huong-but-pha-cho-cong-nghiep-xuat-ban-720178.html
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