VOL.80/2025.03

Woods of Mind's Books

Books with questions are the secret to readers' love

 

2020.05.04

 

There is a publisher that stands out in the field of cozy and sentimental essays. It is Woods of Mind's Books that is putting utmost effort into making books that contribute to cultivating healthy minds and building wisdom. Let's take a more in-depth look into Woods of Mind's Books, which is expanding its influence by producing books linked with TV shows and sensible essays written by famous writers with its years of experience in publishing sentimental essays.

 

Logo of Woods of Mind's Books

 

Please introduce Woods of Mind's Books to the subscribers

 

Under the slogan of making "mind-resting stories," Woods of Mind's Books is a 14-year-old publisher with nature, spirituality, literature, and heart-touching essay as major fields.
We publish various books; not only essays written by literary writers such as Kim Yeon-Soo, Moon Tae-Jun, and Ra Hee-Duk, but also essays including I Decided to Live as Myself and Red Hair N are the best examples. We have been leading the picture essay field in the industry. On top of this, Daejoyeong and Empress Ki, novels written by dramatist Jang Yeong-Cheol, and Kingdom 2, a script book by Kim Eunhee are examples of broadcast-related titles we are publishing. Also, we are expanding the scope of books we publish by producing books written by famous figures such as Are You Familiar With Seogwipo by Seo Myung-Suk who first established Jeju Olle Trails, Only Talk of Hope by mountaineer Um Hong-Gil, and Sorry for Loving Him More by the former spokesperson of Cheongwadae (Blue House) Ko Min-Jung.

 

 

Woods of Mind's Books prioritizes publishing books
that help readers strengthen their minds and find peace.

 

 

If there is a value you put the greatest emphasis on in publishing books, what would it be?

 

We believe that books are the driver for healthy and good minds. Woods of Mind's Books prioritizes publishing books that help readers strengthen their minds and find peace. We pursue the value of heart-warming impression, goodwill, and genuine sincerity of people and nature. They help our invisible but existing minds to stay healthy and function well.

 

A classic edition of I Decided to Live as Myself was published to celebrate selling a million copies. Please tell us the secret to receiving such a great love from the readers along with a brief introduction of the book.

 

I Decided to Live as Myself is a book that makes modern people exhausted by life living as adults to think about the life that they can truly live as themselves. It throws profound questions such as "Are you living as the TRUE YOU?" or "Where is the TRUE ME?" and suggests ways to find an answer for them. After reading the book, readers can learn how to accept and love the way you are, not mimicking nor envying others.
"Being Myself" that encourages you to live the way you are while having your viewpoint as the absolute standard had been the core trend in 2019. Wouldn't it be one of the secrets that the title of the book and the trend were corresponding? I Decided to Live as Myself continues on with the "Being Myself" trend in 2020 as well, and is helping modern people to build up identity amidst the frustrating situation where they are losing their selves due to their busy back to back daily life. We believe that it could be so loved by many readers who hope to discover and take care of the true self.

 

I Decided to Live as Myself is known to be receiving good response from local readers after its publication rights were exported to Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and Thailand. If there is a special episode about the export process or local readers, please share it with us.

 

The so-called "Visual Books" are trending across the world. The words put together with friendly and heart-warming pictures are preferred by many young people. Also, today, the young generation cries out to the world with frank and honest words while prioritizing the life and leisure of themselves, reluctant to follow the society that forces them to work without pay but have passion with unconditional obedience. Such a social phenomenon is taking place not only in Korea but also in China and Japan. The local agency in Japan often contacts us and say that the readers are so passionate about the book. It is good to see that amid the political conflict between Korea and Japan, young Japanese people are having deeper communication through a Korean book.

 

Not only are cozy picture essays your speciality, but also heart-warming and delicate essays written by literary writers have been published, too. Please tell us more.

 

We would like to introduce Slowcoach Mind, the first essay collection of poet Moon Tae-Jun that talks about mind relaxation and his second essay collection When the Wind Blows, the Branches Dance in the Wind that wholly reflects the power of spirituality and nature-like minds. You will be able to meet the sensitivity of poet Moon Tae-Jun filled with sophisticated delineation with refined sentences.
Another book we recommend is Remember Those Lights, an essay collection written by Na Hee-Duk, who is a representative poet for lyric poetry. The book is sensibly organized by bringing Kandinsky's "dots, lines, planes" into individuals, relationships, and society respectively. You will be able to feel the warm heart of the poet who hopes to be a little light that lightens up your path by gathering heart-warming moments covered in the heart-broken life.

 

 

 

We are expecting to discover manuscripts on nature, ecology, environment, mind, spirituality,
and heart-touching essays from around the world.

 

 

Please introduce books that you wish could enter the overseas publishing market.

 

It's okay since it's your first time living (written and illustrated by Yo Zuck) is a picture essay in which penguin Popo, who brings up the topic of "what is living?" meets numerous animals on Earth and asks about the meaning of life. Selling 20 thousand copies, the book had been hugely loved by readers. This time, penguin Popo came back with another question "what is love?". It's okay since it's your first time in love, a follow-up work of writer Yo Zuck, who is endlessly seeking for the meaning of love, is set for release. We truly believe that this book as well will receive great love from readers.
There is another book that we found very impressive. It is If life were easy, nobody would have dreamed (written and illustrated by Da-in) which is composed of interviews with nearly 200 people across the world after not deciding to go to high school with a question "what is your dream?" in mind. It looks at the dream from various perspectives. As it features ideas from people living from around the world, wouldn't overseas readers find it interesting too? It seemed that global readers tend to like books that throw a question to them.

 

What is the future plan of Woods of Mind's Books?

 

We are planning to translate and publish books from other countries as well. So in the future, we are expecting to discover manuscripts on nature, ecology, environment, mind, spirituality, and heart-touching essays from around the world. If you have good manuscripts, please send them to maumsup@naver.com

 

 

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Organized by Choi Hyo-Jun