Featured, the AI co-pilot for PR, 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 allows users to type a location or genre into 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, email addresses. For example, a request such as "Bookstores in Texas that host author signings" or "Mystery bookstores in California" returns matching stores with details on their programming. Users can then ask Featured to draft a pitch in the same chat. Find Bookstores is available on every Featured plan, including the free tier.
The launch addresses a growing opportunity in the book market. According to the American Booksellers Association's 2025 annual report, 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 venue and audience.
"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 Featured's database, 59.9% link to a public events or calendar page and 37.6% publish an email address for the store. 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. It is live now at featured.com.
The implications for authors and publicists are significant. With independent bookstores multiplying, identifying which stores host events and how to contact them has become a time-consuming task. Find Bookstores automates that research, allowing authors to focus on outreach and tour planning. Book publicists can also plan the rest of the tour in the same place: Featured answers requests for bookstores and speaking opportunities in the same chat, and Find Podcasts covers the interviews around each stop. By integrating bookstore discovery with pitch drafting, Featured aims to lower the barrier for first-time authors and streamline the book tour process.
