Not only digitalization, Vietnamese publishing needs a content ecosystem suitable for the market

Breakthrough opportunities in the new wave of technology

On June 24 in Hanoi , Alpha Books Joint Stock Company (Alpha Books) in collaboration with the Vietnam Digital Content Creation Alliance (DCCA) and the Digital Copyright Center (DCC) organized the Digital Publishing Summit 2025 (DPS 2025) with the theme "The future of the publishing industry in the digital age".

Speaking at the forum, Dr. Nguyen Minh Hong - Chairman of the Vietnam Digital Communications Association, said that digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, big data, blockchain and especially artificial intelligence (AI) are deeply penetrating all areas of economic and social life. These technologies not only change the way people communicate, study or work but are also reshaping the way they approach and consume knowledge.

Dr. Nguyen Minh Hong - Chairman of Vietnam Digital Communications Association.

In that context, the publishing industry, which is closely linked to tradition and culture, is facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges. No longer a purely production sector, publishing today has transformed into a content industry, where technology plays a central role.

Sharing at the forum, Mr. Nguyen Canh Binh - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alpha Books said that if in the past publishing was simply creating a book, now a content can be converted into many different formats to suit the diverse needs of digital users.

A book is now not just a single product but the core of a content ecosystem, with versions divided, reorganized, and flexibly adjusted for each target group: children, academics, literature, medicine...

Mr. Nguyen Canh Binh - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alpha Books.

By joining hands with technology, publishers can create a huge content value chain, helping knowledge become a flexible, convenient, useful and scalable “commodity product”.

According to Mr. Binh, the core value is still that the knowledge content must be useful and valuable to readers because "what has value will survive" and develop sustainably.

Mr. Le Quoc Vinh - Vice President of Fonos affirmed that audiobooks are an effective tool to expand the reading experience. Book lovers, when they cannot read paper books because of their busy schedules, can still continue to "read" through listening. Audiobooks are the way for knowledge to reach users anytime, anywhere.

Fonos also identifies its mission as not only serving traditional readers, but also attracting young people – the generation that grew up in a digital environment – back to reading culture, starting from a digital platform and gradually sticking with printed books.

Three pillars of the digital publishing ecosystem

According to global statistics, by 2024, the publishing market will reach a size of about 151 billion USD, of which e-books and audiobooks will account for 30% of total revenue. Notably, China has emerged as a leading market, with revenue from e-books and audiobooks estimated at 10.7 billion USD. South Korea has also made its mark with the strong development of e-books, especially novels and chapter-based reading models.

Mr. Nguyen The Hung - Director of AKI E-commerce Co., Ltd. said that China and Korea have many similarities with the Vietnamese market. However, revenue from ebooks and audiobooks in Vietnam currently accounts for less than 5% of the total revenue of the publishing industry. "This shows that we are moving slower than the world ," Mr. Hung commented.

According to Mr. Hung, to develop a sustainable digital publishing ecosystem, it is necessary to converge three main pillars: devices, content and distribution platforms.

In which, content is the most important pillar, the “soul” that publishers and authors need to grasp firmly. Because without good enough content, no matter how modern technology is, it cannot retain readers.

In addition, the trend of content consumption is changing dramatically, especially among young people. “Today’s readers not only read but also listen, watch, and interact with knowledge. Carrying a thick paper book to read anytime, anywhere is not easy, but with an electronic device, users can access hundreds of books at any time,” Mr. Hung said.

At the event, speakers shared the view that technology can be a powerful catalyst, but the core values remain useful content and respect for copyright. Only when these are guaranteed can Vietnamese publishing develop sustainably in the digital age.

Thu An

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/chuyen-doi-so/kinh-te-so/khong-chi-so-hoa-xuat-ban-viet-can-he-sinh-thai-noi-dung-phu-hop-thi-truong/20250624051251887