Delegates sharing insights during the open discussion session "New Publishing Models in the Digital Era" in 2025. Photo: VNA

Positive momentum

According to the Publishing, Printing and Distribution Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the sector recorded encouraging results in 2025. Revenue from publishing and distribution activities was estimated at 5.23 trillion VND (201 million USD), up 8.96% year-on-year. A total of 610 million books were distributed, marking a 5.9% increase, while imported publications reached 25.5 million copies, up 6.25%. Exports totalled 350,000 copies, rising 9.4%.

The printing industry generated revenue of 104.16 trillion VND, with after-tax profits of 3.817 trillion VND. Publication export turnover reached 1.78 million USD, up 7.2%, while imports rose 9.6% to 20.5 million USD. Notably, 35 out of 52 publishing houses, or 67.3%, have now been authorised to publish and distribute electronic publications.

Distribution posted the strongest performance, surpassing the 8% growth target with nearly 9% expansion, reflecting improved market demand, a more diversified product mix and deeper international integration, said Nguyen Ngoc Bao, Deputy Director of the department. Overall, the industry exceeded its growth targets, contributing to sector-wide growth of 6–7%.

Digital transformation remained a key strategic direction throughout the year. By the end of 2025, two-thirds of publishers had been licensed for electronic publishing, signalling growing awareness and concrete action, although progress remains uneven across the sector.

Adapting for growth

Globally, digital publishing is emerging as a major growth engine, with revenues estimated at up to 120 billion USD. This presents significant opportunities for Vietnamese publishers, who are being encouraged to accelerate their shift towards technology-driven and commercially oriented models, to build publishing groups capable of competing regionally.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr Pham Minh Tuan, Chairman of the Vietnam Publishers Association, digital transformation offers an opportunity to modernise editorial and distribution processes, expand markets and promote Vietnamese culture internationally. He stressed the need to improve workforce quality, invest in technology and adopt policies that foster creativity to keep pace with global trends.

More than 60% of domestic publishers have already begun digitising content, with some applying AI in editing, personalising reading experiences, analysing reader demand and producing e-books. A notable example is the Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House, which launched the “President Ho Chi Minh E-Library” comprising 135 titles to mark the 135th anniversary of his birth, marking a significant step in disseminating Ho Chi Minh Thought in the digital space.

Advances in technology brings multimedia approaches to books to people and readers across the country, shaping new reading habits that keep pace with contemporary trends. Photo: vov.vn

The Vietnam Education Publishing House, meanwhile, faces the challenge of transforming its extensive legacy of educational publications into a dynamic digital resource. Its Deputy Editor-in-Chief Pham Quynh said the publisher is accelerating the development of a big data system for educational books, laying the foundation for long-term digital transformation and expanded public service capacity.

Dinh Quang Hoang, CEO of e-book platform Waka, recommended that publishers prioritise e-books and audiobooks, streamline licensing and release processes, and consider digital-only titles to capitalise on timeliness and improve market control.

Publishers were also urged to transform static e-books into interactive publications incorporating multimedia elements such as audio, video and quizzes, while expanding content libraries, particularly audiobooks, optimising subscription pricing, strengthening security and building consumer trust to maintain a competitive edge against piracy.

Policy support for digital publishing

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phan Tam emphasised that publishing is increasingly viewed as a modern content and knowledge industry. Management efforts are moving towards expanding the space for lawful and innovative business activities, alongside the development of a flexible legal framework that accommodates new publishing models, technologies and distribution methods.

He underlined the importance of building digital infrastructure, promoting modern publishing models and restructuring distribution networks to improve efficiency.

Nguyen Nguyen, Director of the Publishing, Printing and Distribution Department, said amending the Law on Publishing is a key task to ensure the legal framework keeps pace with practical developments, particularly in managing and promoting digital publishing.

Looking ahead, the sector must accelerate comprehensive digital transformation, enhance economic efficiency while fulfilling political and social missions, and step up efforts to combat piracy and copyright infringement. Institutional reform, digital investment, workforce development and a healthy business environment will be decisive factors for sustainable growth in the next phase, he said.

In 2026, the department will focus on guiding and supporting publishers in digital transformation, strengthening editorial, management and business capabilities, and gradually narrowing disparities across the industry./.