What kind of books do you generally look for?
Authentic local life stories in English. So many people have these interesting and sometimes terrible pasts, but the language barrier means they're not accessible to the world. Two of our bestsellers are by local authors: Diamond Hill by Feng Chi-shun, a retired doctor, and Hong Kong State of Mind by Jason Y Ng, a lawyer. They provide insights you can't get from Western residents. And they sell so well, so I would like more of them! But they're hard to find because most local Chinese authors write in Chinese, naturally.
Have you ever thought about translating any suitable Chinese manuscripts into English?
It's always at the back of my mind and I've researched best-selling Chinese books. But I haven't done it yet because I'm flooded with manuscripts coming in unbidden and I keep finding my next project from those. I haven't had to find works in Chinese and translate them, because these other books in English occupy all my attention.
How do you choose which manuscripts you do end up publishing?
I read the first five pages and that tells you whether they have a good subject, can write and can pace a story. The manuscripts I get are from all around the world and, to be honest, most aren't publishable or relevant – I've no idea why they send them to me! After a couple of years, I learned the key is to choose a niche and then make it your own, so you become the go-to publisher for certain genres or subjects. I've had a few forays out of my specialist area – Mongolia, Vietnam or Thailand – but not beyond. I can't convince bookshops to sell unrelated manuscripts.
