The ’90s and early 2000s were a time like no other. From Baby Phat jeans to chunky sandals, hip-hop beats and rhymes that actually made you think, to Black films and magazines that represented us in all our diverse glory, it’s understandable if you want to take a trip back.
If I Ruled the World, the debut novel from award-winning media executive and author Amy DuBois Barnett, takes readers on a grand, sizzling, and fun ride down memory lane to the golden age of that era through the eyes of protagonist Nikki Rose, a young Black magazine editor trying to get hers in a world that would rather she play small. After a stressful and adventurous climb through the ranks of a mainstream, mostly white publishing company in Manhattan, Rose trades the big leagues of magazines for a shot at being the boss at Sugar, a fledgling urban brand with serious potential.
Right out the gate, If I Ruled the World snatches readers up and flips them onto the proverbial bed with a spicy storyline that launches a journey centered on revenge and redemption. Ms. Rose may have crossed the wrong powerful man in the media industry just as she was on the come-up. While her love life may recover with the introduction of other men and relationships, there’s a lingering discomfort she must work through as she dodges her ex-boss at every turn.
One of the most engaging storylines in If I Ruled the World centers on Nikki Rose and her boyfriend Joseph, a dashing Wall Street prototype of a “high-value” Black man. Although she is a Harlem native and a proud HBCU alumna, there are days when the fullness of who she is seems to be minimized in Joseph’s presence. The book challenges readers to look beyond the surface in both love and life to better understand what truly drives our attachments.
This may be DuBois Barnett’s debut novel, but she is no stranger to storytelling or media. A double Ivy League graduate with a degree from Brown University and an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, she once ran in both mainstream and indie publishing worlds herself. As the former editor in chief of Honey, Teen People, and Ebony—and a former deputy editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar—DuBois Barnett has plenty of real-life inspiration to draw from in crafting her first work of fiction. Still, this story is not her autobiography.
“This is not a roman à clef—this is not my personal journey in this book at all, but it is largely inspired by my experience as an editor in chief, specifically of Honey magazine,” DuBois Barnett tells theGrio.
“I was also 30 years old when I became editor in chief for the first time. And while I didn’t have this exact journey as my protagonist, I also went through moments where I had to question my decisions, and I was faced with complex moral choices. I had to decide how messy I did or did not want to be and what sacrifices I was willing to make as I moved toward my dream life. And so I’m excited for people to follow her on this journey.”
DuBois Barnett also went on her own journey to finish the novel that had been on her heart since her days at Honey. After writing 100 pages in her early 30s, she put the manuscript down for decades before returning to it after leaving corporate media in 2023. The safe space she found to complete her goal came through a community created by another prolific Black woman storyteller: Mara Brock Akil.
“I was able to be an artist in residence at Mara Brock Akil’s Writer’s Colony. It was like a gift,” DuBois Barnett tells theGrio. “It gave me the gift of a month of real, pure creative freedom and license to be in a beautiful environment, which a writer’s colony absolutely is. To just focus on my creative voice—something I hadn’t been able to do since I earned my MFA in creative writing in my 20s—gave me the start I needed to finish this novel.”
If I Ruled the World hits stores January 27, 2026.
Watch the full interview with Amy DuBois Barnett in the video player above.
Natasha S. Alford is SVP & Chief Content Officer at TheGrio. A recognized journalist, filmmaker, and TV analyst, Alford is also the author of the award-winning book, “American Negra.” (HarperCollins, 2024) Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @natashasalford.
