Featured, the 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, available on every Featured plan including the free tier, allows users to name a location or genre in the company's chat interface and receive a list of stores that host author events, complete with links to each store's website or events page and, when available, an email address.
The launch comes as independent bookstores are experiencing a resurgence. 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 of those stores represents a potential venue and audience.
Find Bookstores is built to simplify the tour-planning process. A user can type a request such as "Bookstores in Texas that host author signings" and receive matching stores, each with a name, location, a short description of its programming, a link to its website or events page, and an email address when the store publishes one. Users can then ask Featured to draft a pitch in the same chat. Book publicists can also plan the rest of a tour in the same place, as Featured answers requests for bookstores and speaking opportunities together, and its Find Podcasts feature covers interview bookings around each stop.
Brett Farmiloe, founder and CEO of Featured, said the tool addresses a gap he experienced firsthand. "When my book came out, I pitched Changing Hands in Tempe for a talk and signing," Farmiloe said. "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."
The database's coverage is broad: the stores span all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 796 cities. Of the 1,093 stores, 59.9% link to a public events or calendar page, 37.6% publish an email address, and 36.6% describe author events, readings, or signings in their own words. Find Bookstores runs inside the same Featured chat that users already employ to find Substack publications and TV stations. It is live now at Featured.
The launch matters for an industry where authors, especially debut ones, often lack the resources to identify and contact potential venues. With independent bookstores growing at their fastest pace in decades, the challenge has shifted from finding a bookstore to finding the right ones. By consolidating store data and pitch drafting into a single interface, Featured aims to reduce the friction that can keep authors from pursuing in-person events. The tool also reflects a broader trend of AI-assisted workflows entering publishing, where publicists and authors increasingly rely on automation to manage outreach and scheduling.
