Featured, an AI co-pilot for public relations, has launched Find Bookstores, a searchable database of 1,093 independent U.S. bookstores designed for authors and book publicists planning signings and book tours. The tool lets users name a place or genre in Featured’s chat and receive a list of stores that host author events, complete with links to each store’s website or events page and, where available, an email address.
The launch matters because it removes a major bottleneck for authors, especially debut ones, who often lack the industry knowledge to identify which stores host events and how to reach them. By typing a request such as “Bookstores in Texas that host author signings” or “Mystery bookstores in California,” users get matching stores with names, locations, short descriptions of programming, website links, and emails when published. They can then ask Featured to draft the pitch in the same chat.
The timing is significant. Independent bookstores are expanding: the American Booksellers Association’s 2025 annual report counted 605 new bookstore businesses opened in 2025, including 399 storefronts, against 65 closures, with openings up 87% from 2024. ABA membership reached 3,417 members operating 3,783 locations, nearly double the 1,775 members the association counted in 2016 and, according to the Associated Press, the highest since the late 1990s. For authors, each store represents a potential room and a crowd that chose to attend.
“When my book came out, I pitched Changing Hands in Tempe for a talk and signing,” said Brett Farmiloe, Founder and CEO of Featured. “What made it tough is that as a first-time author, I had no idea what I was doing when it came down to promoting my book. Featured simplifies that path, and connects authors with the stores that host events and can move product.”
Of the 1,093 stores in the database, 59.9% link to a public events or calendar page and 37.6% publish an email address. The stores span all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 796 cities, and 36.6% describe author events, readings or signings in their own words. Find Bookstores runs inside the same Featured chat users already use to find Substack publications and TV stations, and it is available on every Featured plan, including Free. Book publicists can also plan the rest of a tour in the same place, as Featured answers requests for bookstores and speaking opportunities in one chat, while Find Podcasts covers interviews around each stop.
The tool is live now at Featured, free to start with no credit card required.
