Actor Mun Ka-young / Courtesy of Peak J Entertainment By KTimes Recently, there was some heartwarming news: actor Mun Ka-young donated 100 million won ($75,000) to Ewha Womans University Medical Center. The money came from part of the earnings of her first essay collection, "PATA," published in March. Given that the publishing market has long been in a slump, it seemed questionable whether such an amount was even feasible.
However, officials from publishing companies said that earning 100 million won in royalties is "not an unreasonable number." In the publishing industry, it’s common for authors to receive 10 percent of the cover price per book sold. With "PATA" priced at 22,000 won, the royalty per book would be 2,200 won.
Selling around 45,500 copies would bring in over 100 million won. Mun Ka-young's essaby "PATA" / Courtesy of Kyobo Bookstore "PATA" created quite a buzz, going into a second print run just a day after pre-orders began. Her book debuted at number four on Kyobo Bookstore’s comprehensive bestseller list.
Last month, the book also secured rights deals with publishers in Taiwan and Indonesia, paving the way for its international release. However, this marks another example of the severe wealth gap in the publishing world. An official at a publishing company said, "Mun Ka-young is well-known as an actress who reads a lot, so even regular readers would be curious about her book.
It's true that a well-known author with a fanbase will find it easier to sell books than an average writer." Mun's influence as a "book lover" is indeed remarkable. After she recommended Somerset Maugham's "The Razor's Edge," part of Minumsa’s World Literature Collection, through Kyobo Bookstore last month, orders for the book surged.
According to Minumsa Publishing, on Aug. 28 alone, they received hundreds of orders from bookstores. If you want to see the positive influence of a celebrity who loves books, look no further than actress Mun Ga-young.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times..
