Preliminary Advice

Bookstores--have thought about it myself--pretty hard finding decent stuff to read in Central America or Mexico.
Prices--most people do not realize that a lot of libraries do not buy books--they rent them--a lot of those fairly new rentals are returned to a company near where I live. Periodically they have their "Buck a Book" sales for new books and Buck a Bag sale for slightly older books--example are LP travel books more than a year or two old. I would imagine I could buy books by the ton from them and if South Africa can make money selling coal in Boston for $30 a ton, then there should be some money in books.

From what I've learned, books are not expensive but Import duties on books are incredibly high! The thing that I find discouraging about a possible bookstore is realizing how few people actually read anything at all.

You've made a good point xinloi. What percentage of people actually do any real amount of reading? That means the number of ex-pats in a given location is only the first number to look at. If only 15% of them are readers, that's the real potential market.

As a published author of Xin Loi, Viet Nam, while trying to get published I had many editors gently remind me that more books were published each year during the 1920's than what are published each year now a days. People just don't read very much.

I think 15% is pretty high of an estimate--I would guess about 2%--and that might be high.

as asked before - do you speak any Chinese? I just came back from China and I felt like muted as basically no one spoke Englsih

I live in Hong Kong and can tell you that the expat magazine scene is pretty much done to death here. There are several freebies printed on a weekly/bi-weekly basis, which cover all bases.

In terms of moving here it is quite closed now unless you are a professional with skills that te locals cannot provide. So unless you are an investment banker being moved over on a contract, or your partner is a well qualified english teacher (TEFL rarely does it these days, though it's not impossible) with a B.Ed or PGCE (or equivalent), the chances are slim. Lack of chinese doesn't have to be a barrier in HK if you have the right skills in other areas.

Plus even if he does get a job here, you will need to get married so you can stay with him as a resident (or get an employment visa off your own back - see previous comments).

It's hard, but not impossible. I wish you luck whatever you decide to do.