Faith-based publishers reported a modest sales dip in August, though net paperback sales grew 13.6% versus the previous August, according to the latest figures available from the Association of American Publishers (AAP).

Religious presses’ net sales of all titles, including ebooks, shrank from $50.5 million in August 2012 to $49.5 million in August 2013, a 2.1% decrease. Total net sales from the first eight months of 2013 fell by 3.2% over the same period last year—$347.2 million versus $358.6, respectively.

Paperback sales from religious presses improved from $9.1 million in August 2012 to $10.4 million in August a year later. Those increased sales helped to bring the total net paperback sales for the first eight months of 2013 to $91.7 million, the same amount as for the same period in 2012.

Religious presses’ e-books continue to show gains—$4.9 million in August 2013 versus $4.7 million in August 2012, a 4.9% increase, helping to boost e-book sales for first eight months of 2013 to $42.7 million, a 2.6% increase over the $41.6 million sold in the same period of 2012.

Hardcover sales from religious presses sank—a 7.6% net decrease between last August’s even $30 million and this August’s $27.7 million. A comparison of the first eight months of the year shows a 8.5% decline in hardcover sales in 2013 versus 2012—$163.6 million and $178.8 million respectively.

With nearly 1,200 publishers reporting, AAP's Monthly StatShot report includes data from Crossway, Gospel Light, Moody Publishers, David C Cook, Thomas Nelson and Tyndale House Publishers, among others represented by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

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