Chinese bookstore owner’s business of selling old books flies in face of e-book boom

Despite the rising challenge to brick-and-mortar bookshops from e-books and online retailers, ZHANG YEHONG, who runs Beepub Bookstore, in Beijing, tells LAURA ZHOU he has plans to open a new shop in the capital, selling old books

How did you get involved in the publishing industry?

After graduating from university in 1996, I was worked as an editor at a state-owned publisher in Shenyang, in northeastern Liaoning province. I studied finance, but was always interested in reading and arts. I love reading, and worked as an editor, first on finance-related books and then arts books. Later I became director of the editorial department, and deputy director of the whole publishing house.

Why did you quit that job?

My life as an editor at a state-owned publishers was stable, but Beijing was more attractive to me, especially when the internet became increasingly popular on the mainland 10 years ago. I wanted more freedom, uncertainties and passion instead of my routine life.

So I moved to Beijing in 2005 and published a few books about the major internet companies in China, and helped to organise an online literature competition. It proved a valuable experience for me. In Shenyang, I thought I was capable of doing anything, but in Beijing I realised that sometimes it is the platform provided to you by employers that empowers you, and not your own ability.