Sales that speak volumes

"The lists reveal the fact that the majority of readers in the country are children and teenagers," Wu says. But Rowling's new adult novel The Casual Vacancy is still popular among Chinese readers.

Wu says the younger generation of Chinese parents thinks highly of education and reading, so they're willing to spend on books for their children and on books that teach them how to educate.

In the cases of Rowling and Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, books that are best-sellers globally are also popular in China's market, with proper marketing strategies, Wu says.

He also believes Chinese readers love biographies, especially about people who changed many lives, such as Apple founder Steve Jobs. Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson is listed second richest this year.

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Book critic Zhi An notices five Japanese writers listed among the top 15 foreign writers.

Although many Western writers enjoy good sales, Zhi says, "Chinese readers feel they're closer to Japanese literature and culture".

"Detective stories, serious literature and children books are what Chinese readers like to read from Japanese writers," he adds.

"Fairytale King" Zheng Yuanjie, Nobel laureate Mo Yan and children's literature writer Yang Hongying are on top of the 2012 Chinese Writers' Rich List.

Wu says he hopes that by publishing the two lists together, when foreign publishers notice the foreign writers' list, they'll get to know more about the Chinese writers, too.

"The foreign publishers and readers might know Mo Yan.

"And then they can move on to get better knowledge of the other Chinese writers," he says.

Contact the writer at meijia@chinadaily.com.cn.