Representing just 6% of the total trade book market, the science fiction/fantasy segment will grow 3.4% in 2011, reaching $578.6 million, despite the overall market’s expected 5.2% decline. According to a report published by media and publishing forecast firm Simba Information, the science fiction and fantasy categories experienced double-digit increases in title output, along with stronger ratings on the consolidated bestseller list in 2010.

According to the report, the science fiction/fantasy segment is gaining market share, adding half a percent in 2011 compared to 2010, as it more than triples its 1% growth rate from the past two years.

“The sci-fi/fantasy segment has been a stable growth segment for the past few years,” notes Michael Norris, Simba Information’s senior trade analyst.

By Kim G Lain

• Creative Control – Design your own cover or let us help you!
• Financial Control – Determine the number and type of books you want!
• Inventory Control – Order when you want to and when you need to!
• Competitive Pricing - (as in VERY affordable – compare for yourself!)
• Fast Turnaround - As quick as 7 days!

You can develop your manuscript on your time, at your leisure, at your own pace, right at your PC and then simply upload and wait for your professionally bound, bookstore quality books to arrive.

USA TODAY has expanded its coverage of books with its new online destination books.usatoday.com. The new site allows consumers to discover, discuss, share, preview and purchase books online. It is available on computers, smart phones and tablets.

Books.usatoday.com provides readers with an interactive experience to browse books across a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction and children’s books; read reviews; and, share personal recommendations in conversations that also allow for tweeting about books or responding to other readers’ comments.

Unique to the books.usatoday.com site is the opportunity for consumers to now preview a book from the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list and purchase it from a vendor of their choice, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the iBookstore or IndieBound, an association of independent booksellers.

USA TODAY’s respected Best-Selling Books list ranks the 150 top-selling titles each week, based on analysis of sales from such U.S.

By Shelley Hitz

Interested in self-publishing books? If you have a website, you can re-purpose your top articles into a book. Think about it. After you write heaps of quality articles and lots of traffic on your website, why not reuse it, all the same articles in a printed book, PDF eBook, audio books and Kindle book getting the most out of your time and work.

These are My 8 Painless Steps to Self Publishing Books:

1. Write down an layout for the book chapters with the top articles from your website.
2. Enter your book in a Microsoft Word template (or your preferred software) formatted for your preferred book size.
3. Save your book to PDF.
4. Select a book designer for your book cover or choos a DIY format.
5. Decide amongst all the publishers who you want to use to publish your book.
6. Sign up for an account with self-publishing and upload your documents, if relevant.
7. Now begin your book marketing by selling copies online at Amazon, via your own website and in person when you speak or at events.
8. Now it is the time to layout the book into a PDF ebook, audio book and Kindle book.

This is what I did with my website Teen-Beauty-Tips.Com.