Digital publishing - an inefficiently exploited 'gold mine'

In that context, the Vietnamese publishing industry considers this an important opening to truly transform towards the goal of building a national digital publishing platform that develops synchronously and integrates with the world .

Photo caption — Delegates shared at the open discussion session "New models of publishing in the digital age".

Digital publishing - an inevitable trend

In the digital age, publishing is no longer just a printing activity, but has become a comprehensive management process of the content lifecycle - from creation, publishing, distribution to restructuring and exploitation. Digital publishing not only helps to cut costs, shorten the intermediary chain but also makes knowledge more accessible to everyone.

Alpha Books Chairman Nguyen Canh Binh said that content can now exist in many different formats and experiences. From a book, it is possible to create ebooks, audiobooks, summaries, online courses (e-learning) and many other forms. An original content can create dozens of versions, from audiobooks with Southern, Northern, male, female accents, to English, Vietnamese ebooks or summary, illustrated, and video versions.

"In the past, a book was a single, self-contained product. Today, a piece of content can develop into an entire ecosystem. This means that a book is the starting point for a product line - a series of synchronized content that can continuously develop according to user needs," Mr. Nguyen Canh Binh shared and emphasized that this requires publishers to change their thinking, not only creating products but also creating experiences and values for the community.

Sharing the same view on content digitization, emphasizing that digital transformation is not only a technological revolution but also a shift in thinking about approaching knowledge, Mr. Le Quoc Vinh, Vice President of Fonos Joint Stock Company, said that the important thing is that whether in the form of text, images or sound, digital books still retain the same emotions as when readers experience printed books. Digital books cannot replace printed books but will be a platform, supporting each other so that both can develop together. Many people, after listening to audiobooks, want to own a printed copy for reference or vice versa, buy audiobooks to listen to on the go.

According to Mr. Le Quoc Vinh, diversifying content will help knowledge reach even those who do not like reading. If readers are afraid to read an 800-page book, they can now choose many more suitable forms.

Lack of diverse copyright ebook distribution platforms

Experts say digital publishing is a “gold mine”. In 2024, the publishing market will reach about 151 billion USD, of which ebooks and audiobooks will account for 30% of the market share. China is a prominent market with estimated ebook and audiobook revenue of 10.7 billion USD. Korea is also booming with ebooks, especially novels and chapter books.

According to Mr. Nguyen The Hung, Director of Aki Electronics Co., Ltd., these two markets have many similarities with Vietnam, but in Vietnam, ebooks only account for less than 5% of the total revenue of the publishing industry. In Vietnam, the "gold mine" of digital publishing has not been effectively exploited due to problems with technology, awareness and especially the problem of copyright infringement.

It is estimated that Vietnam currently has about 300,000 e-reader users, with an annual growth rate of about 15%. However, the lack of a diverse, convenient and accessible copyright ebook distribution platform makes it impossible for users to buy copyrighted books easily. As a result, the habit of reading "illegible" books has formed, and copyright infringement is widespread. For that reason, young readers like Gen Z, even though they do not want to, are forced to gradually get used to "illegible" products.

Mr. Nguyen The Hung commented that a complete ecosystem - where users can access knowledge easily, legally and effectively includes devices - content - distribution platforms. If we do not quickly change our thinking and become more open in digital publishing, the Vietnamese publishing industry will fall behind and miss the opportunity to reach the young generation of readers.

According to information shared by delegates at the Forum, the scale of the Vietnamese publishing market is currently not commensurate with its potential. The publishing market is about 4,000 - 5,000 billion VND. With a population of more than 100 million people, the Vietnamese publishing industry can completely develop to 20,000 - 40,000 billion VND. Therefore, to seize this opportunity, delegates believe that there needs to be a synchronous transformation - from editorial thinking, technology, distribution to value chain linkage strategy to form large publishers with long-term vision and the ability to lead the ecosystem. Publishers also need to renew themselves with truly useful products, meeting the needs of readers, easy to access, and providing a better experience thanks to the support of technology.

Working with technology, from a single piece of content, publishers can create a huge content ecosystem. Then knowledge becomes a commodity product that meets all market needs, benefiting all parties involved: publishers expand their market, increase revenue; customers have access to appropriate, cheap, and useful knowledge.

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/chuyen-doi-so/xuat-ban-so-mo-vang-khai-thac-chua-hieu-qua/20250625090922592

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