COLPORTAGE

'Colportage' is the distribution of religious publications, books, tracts, etc., by carriers called 'colporteurs'.
The term is an alteration of French ''comporter'', "to peddle" as a portmanteau or pun with the word ''col'' (Latin ''collum'', "neck"), with the resulting meaning "to carry on one's neck". ''Porter,'' is from Latin ''portare'', "to carry."
The American Bible Society and the American Tract Society were among the largest organizations involved in colportage in the United States.
The term may also be seen referring to any kind of book peddling, not only the religious ones.