If I Ruled the World

Barnett offers a unique vantage point…[She] draws on her lived experience of the late nineties, built into a fictional world that reflects the cost of ambition, the politics of media power, and the personal trade-offs Black women dealt with to achieve success * Ebony *
A nostalgic debut about ambition, power and self-discovery…Barnett taps into her years as an industry insider to capture the glamorous toxicity and debauchery of the 1990s magazine industry. In this story about a Black editor who quits a gig at a glossy to take over a struggling hip-hop magazine, main character Nikki is Carrie Bradshaw meets Kimora Lee Simmons * People *
Packed with glitzy fashion, steamy sex, delicious drama, and fierce ambition…The page-turner is fast-paced and offers healthy doses of ambition, drama and love all with a sexy backdrop of the 1990s hip-hop, fashion and magazine industries. It is guaranteed to have your group chat buzzing! * Essence *
Captivating…Fast-paced, juicy, glamorous…If I Ruled The World does an exceptional job of shining a light on the underbelly of taxing and toxic workplaces, and provides an unflinching look at what it costs women to succeed in male-dominated spaces * Forbes *
A sharp, glossy throwback to 1999 New York…Barnett’s insider industry perspective gives every office power play and party scene a lived-in charge…This is set to be the first can’t-miss page-turner of 2026 * Oprah Daily *
‘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, bestselling author of The Idea of You
‘I’m always here for ‘90s 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


‘Amy DuBois Barnett’s debut sparkles with drama, scandal and ’90s New York energy. She powerfully captures a pressure-cooker moment of transition – the messy work of growing past bad choices, squaring ambition with integrity and holding on to your ride-or-dies. It’s a pitch-perfect depiction of a world I didn’t want to leave’ Essie Chambers, national bestselling author of Swift River

‘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 ad 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
‘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

Amy DuBois Barnett is an award-winning media executive and author who earned national acclaim as editor-in-chief of Honey, Ebony and Teen People – where she made history as the first Black woman to helm a major mainstream US magazine – and as 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.

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