Religious presses reported a nearly 23% increase in e-books for the first 10 months of 2012 versus January-October 2011, with sales of more than $48 million, according to the latest figures available from the Association of American Publishers (AAP). The association has also seen double-digit growth in religious digital books during several past reports.

Overall, religious book sales for the year-to-date versus the same time frame in 2011 saw a more than 6% drop to more than $473.7 million. AAP has seen a decline in overall religious book sales during recent reports.

Religious paperback sales experienced a nearly 18% decrease for the year-to-date versus January-October 2011, with sales of more than $144 million. In the same date range, religious hardcover sales were down 4.5%, with sales of more than $234 million.

With nearly 1,200 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 represented by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.