If I Ruled the World: A Novel by Amy DuBois Barnett (Hardcover)

Fiction - Women - City Life - African American and Black

RELEASE DATE: 1/27/2026  (WILL SHIP DIRECTLY FROM OUR SUPPLIER'S WAREHOUSE)

A fast-paced, juicy debut novel that peeks behind the curtain at the cutthroat world of hip-hop music and the glamorous magazine scene in the late 1990s, written by the ultimate insider

It's 1999, and Nikki Rose is the only Black editor on the staff of a prestigious fashion magazine she once thought would be her ticket to becoming a respected editor in chief. But after being told one too many times by her boss that “Black girls don’t sell magazines,” she quits to take over Sugar, a struggling hip hop music and lifestyle magazine with untapped potential.

Thrown into an entirely new world of wealth, decadence, and debauchery, Nikki has just six months to save Sugar―and her own dreams. As she pulls all-nighters at the office and parties with New York City’s most influential bad boys, Nikki must prove she has what it takes to lead. But her most dangerous challenge is evading Alonzo Griffin, her very married, very powerful ex-lover and former boss, who is determined to destroy both her and Sugar. Along the way, Nikki leans on a circle of loyal friends and navigates unexpected romances that force her to reckon with what―and who―she truly wants.

If I Ruled the World is a smart, utterly immersive journey through one of the most dynamic eras in pop culture history―a story of ambition, friendship, love, and finding your own voice.

AUTHOR BIO: 

An award-winning media executive and author, Amy DuBois Barnett made history as the first Black woman to helm a major mainstream magazine in the US, as editor in chief of Teen People. She also served as editor in chief of Ebony and Honey, and was the deputy editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar. She has held senior leadership roles at Paramount, Hearst, Disney, Time Inc., and several independently owned media brands. Barnett has a BA from Brown University and an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. She resides in Los Angeles. If I Ruled the World is her debut novel.

Review Quotes:

"Funny, sexy, witty, and full of grit, If I Ruled The World is for anyone who's spent a lifetime climbing a ladder that keeps adding rungs. This fierce, unputdownable, guilty pleasure of a novel steps back into the uniquely fabulous and ruthless New York hustle at the turn of the century, through the eyes of a real Working Girl and industry insider, when the biggest players moving the needle of culture were grinding for recognition in a society that would rather look away. An utterly intoxicating debut."
--Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming

"I'm always here for 90's nostalgia, especially of the NYC variety--and Amy Dubois Barnett's If I Ruled the World scratches the itch. As a major player in the fashion and music scenes of the era, who better than Barnett to weave a world sizzling with such delicious romance, swagger, and intrigue? A sexy, fast-paced ride!"
--Tia Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

" If I Ruled the World had me hooked from the very first page. This fascinating story from inside magazine publishing--and the music world--really hits all the right notes: it's meaningful, nostalgic, heartfelt, and resonant."
--Kate Fagan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Three Lives of Cate Kay

"With a keen eye and an accomplished voice, Amy DuBois Barnett takes us on a thrilling ride through the high-stakes world of magazine publishing in 1990s New York. At the intersection of fashion and hip-hop, If I Ruled the World captures the glamour, danger, and magic of a defining moment in American culture. An utterly dazzling debut!"
--Robinne Lee, international bestselling author of The Idea of You