RELIGIOUS E-BOOK SALES UP

Religious presses reported a 36.5% increase in faith-based e-books for the year-to-date versus January-July 2011, with sales of nearly $40 million, according to the latest figures available from the Association of American Publishers (AAP).

Overall, religious book sales from publishers for the year-to-date versus the same time frame in 2011 saw almost a 9% drop to more than $324 million.

Religious paperback sales experienced a nearly 29% decrease for the year-to-date versus January-July 2011, with sales of more than $98 million. In the same date range, religious hardcover sales were down .4%, with sales of $158.2 million.

With 1,184 publishers reporting, AAP's Monthly StatShot report included data from Concordia Publishing House, Gospel Light, Moody Publishers, NavPress, Thomas Nelson and Tyndale House Publishers, among others in the Christian market.