Where Authors Can Pitch: Independent Bookstores and Author Events in the United States

Findings

• FEATURED FIND BOOKSTORES REPORT · OCTOBER 2026
• <p>What 1,093 independent bookstores across all 50 states and the District of Columbia publish about how to reach them and what events they run, based on the records compiled for Featured's Find Bookstores.</p>
• Prepared by Featured, October 2026
• 1,093 — Independent bookstores tracked (Across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, in 796 cities)
• 61.5% — Link to a public events page (Stores whose public website links directly to an events or calendar page)
• 37.5% — Describe author events (Stores that describe author events, readings or signings in their own words)
• Three in five stores already tell you where their events live
• <p>Authors, publicists and publishers spend a great deal of effort assembling lists of bookstores to pitch for readings, signings and talks. Most of that effort goes into answering two questions store by store: can this shop be reached, and does it actually host events? Featured compiled 1,093 independent bookstores for its <a href="https://featured.com/product/features/find-bookstores">Find Bookstores</a> capability, recording each store's public website, contact channel and a short description of its programming.</p><p>The headline is that the independent bookstore channel is more open than it may appear. A majority of stores link directly to a public events or calendar page, more than a third publish an email address, and taken together 74.7% of stores offer at least one of those two direct routes in. Programming is widespread but uneven: well over a third of stores describe author events in their own words, while book clubs, storytimes and local-author programs are each run by a smaller, more specialized group. Geographically, the stores concentrate in a handful of coastal states and a few dense cities, yet most cities in the database have exactly one listed store.</p>
• Most stores publish a route in, but few publish a form
• <p>The first hurdle in pitching a bookstore is finding the right door. 61.5% of stores (672) link directly to a public events or calendar page, the clearest signal a store sends about its willingness to host: it shows the cadence of events, the kinds of authors who appear and, often, who to contact. A further 38.6% of stores (422) publish a general email address for the store, which remains the most common way to make a first approach. Only 5.9% of stores (64) have gone as far as publishing an online form for booking or requesting an event, so for the overwhelming majority the pitch still arrives by email or through an events coordinator named on the calendar page.</p>
• How independent bookstores can be reached
• Links to a public events or calendar page: 672 · 61.5%
• Publishes a store email address: 422 · 38.6%
• Publishes an online event-booking form: 64 · 5.9%
• Share of 1,093 stores whose public website offers each channel.
• Author events are common; specialized programs are not
• <p>Each store's description was written from its own public materials, so the programming measures reflect what stores say about themselves rather than an outside judgment. On that basis, 37.5% of stores (410) describe author events, readings or signings. That is the core audience for any author pitch, and it is large enough that a national campaign can be selective about fit rather than sending to everyone.</p><p>The more specialized programs are run by a much smaller group. 13.9% of stores run a book club, which matters for backlist and paperback campaigns where a club adoption can produce a sustained run of sales. 12.3% run storytimes or children's programming, the natural venue for picture-book and middle-grade authors. Just 4.5% of stores (49) describe a dedicated local authors program, a formal pathway for writers from the surrounding area that often includes consignment terms and a recurring showcase event.</p>
• What independent bookstores say they run
• Describes author events, readings or signings: 410 · 37.5%
• Operates a cafe, bar or wine program: 154 · 14.1%
• Runs a book club: 152 · 13.9%
• Runs storytimes or children's programming: 134 · 12.3%
• Describes itself as among the oldest in its area: 115 · 10.5%
• Runs a dedicated local authors program: 49 · 4.5%
• Share of 1,093 stores whose description mentions each kind of programming or venue.
• Five states hold a third of the stores; most cities hold one
• <p>The database spans all 50 states and the District of Columbia, but the distribution is steep. California (11.8%), New York (9.8%), Texas (5.3%), Washington (5.0%) and Oregon (3.5%) have the most stores, and together those five states account for 35.4% of the total. The West Coast and the Northeast are the center of gravity, with Texas the only large interior market in the top five.</p>
• States with the most independent bookstores
• California: 11.8%
• New York: 9.8%
• Texas: 5.3%
• Washington: 5.0%
• Oregon: 3.5%
• New Jersey: 2.7%
• Massachusetts: 2.5%
• Pennsylvania: 2.3%
• Colorado: 2.3%
• Minnesota: 2.3%
• Share of 1,093 stores, top ten states.
• Densest cities