Distribution Channels

Distribution channels determine where your book is available for purchase. You can choose to sell through our store and bookstores, or keep your book available for author bulk orders only.

Available Channels

• Quill & Courier Store – Your book is listed on our online store for readers to purchase directly.
• Bookstores – Your book is made available for bookstores to buy directly from our store at the wholesale discount you set.
• No Distribution (Bulk Orders Only) – Your book is not listed anywhere. You can still order copies yourself for personal sales, events, or giveaways.

QC Store and Bookstores Are Always Enabled Together

The Quill & Courier Store and Bookstores channels must be enabled together. You cannot enable one without the other. This is because bookstores purchase your book directly from our store, so your book must be listed on the QC Store for bookstores to place wholesale orders.

When you select either channel, both are automatically selected. When you deselect either channel, both are removed and distribution is set to "No Distribution."

Requirements for Enabling Distribution

• A valid 13-digit ISBN must be entered for the book
• Only one book per ISBN can have distribution enabled at a time

If your book does not have an ISBN, distribution channels will be disabled and your book will default to "No Distribution (Bulk Orders Only)." You can add an ISBN on the Publishing tab to enable distribution.

Wholesale Discount

The wholesale discount (between 30% and 55%) determines the price at which bookstores can purchase your book. A higher discount makes your book more attractive to bookstores but reduces your per-copy earnings from wholesale orders. A lower discount gives you higher earnings but may limit retail interest.

Changing Distribution

You can enable or disable distribution at any time. If you disable distribution, your book will be removed from the QC Store and will no longer be available for bookstore orders. You can re-enable distribution later if you change your mind.

Free ISBNs and Distribution

If you are using a free ISBN from another source, that ISBN may have restrictions that prevent distribution. In that case, you should keep distribution set to "No Distribution." Check with your ISBN provider about their specific restrictions, and see Free ISBN for what we can and cannot print.