Is there any cooler place for an author or reader than a book store? We think not! Today’s savvy independent booksellers have so much to offer both authors and readers, from special events and book signings to local affiliated book clubs, to reading lists and more.

The trouble is, unless they’re in your own neighborhood, they can be tough to find.

So, below are all the links (in RED) you’ll need to easily find the booksellers near you (and those not so near as you branch out!).

Barnes & Noble: Visit this link to find a store near you – You can select a state to be shown all the B&N stores in that state. To date the chain operates 627 retail stores.

Books-A-Million: Visit this link to find a BAM near you – You can search by state, city or zip (we suggest “state” to find the maximum number of entries in each state. BAM operates 260 stores.

American Booksellers Association: The ABA has a convenient locator map. To broaden your search, leave all fields blank for example except state abbreviation – that will get you all the member stores in that state!

FINALLY, below are the NINE linked regional bookseller associations in the U.S.:

New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA): Includes stores in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont

Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA): Their “Authors Round the South” page includes stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia

Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association (MPIBA): Includes stores in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA): Includes stores in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington

Southern California Independent Booksellers Association (SCIBA): Includes stores in Southern California

Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA): Includes stores in Northern California

New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association NAIBA): Includes stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, northern Virginia, and West Virginia

Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association (GLIBA): Includes stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio

Midwest Independent Booksellers Association (MIBA): Includes stores in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Michigan (UP)

HINT: If the bookseller isn’t a member of either the ABA (above) or one of these regional groups (below), you should determine how promotionally-minded they are. Do your homework and make sure if the store isn’t a respected member of a booksellers group that they’re still active in the community and doing right by participating authors.