Black Women 'Rule The World' In Debut Amy DuBois Barnett Novel
Amy DuBois Barnett’s Juicy Debut Novel ‘If I Ruled the World’ Spills The Tea On Power, Hip-Hop, And The Price Of Being The Only Black Woman In The Room [Exclusive]
Amy DuBois Barnett doesn’t just break glass ceilings—she shatters them with style, confidence, and a whole lot of truth.
The 54-year-old trailblazer made history as the first Black woman to lead a major mainstream U.S. magazine, stepping into the editor-in-chief role at Teen People in 2003. Since then, she’s helmed iconic publications including Honey and Ebony, shaping culture while breaking barriers in rooms that were rarely built for women like her.
Now, Barnett brings that insider perspective to fiction with her debut novel, If I Ruled the World, a fast-paced, juicy story set in 1999—a time when hip-hop was booming, fashion was larger than life, and Black women were quietly carrying entire rooms while being told they didn’t belong.
The novel introduces Nikki Rose, the only Black editor at a prestigious fashion magazine, who is told, bluntly, “Black girls don’t sell magazines.” The hell they don’t!
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In true Barnett style, Nikki refuses to accept it. She quits, takes over Sugar, a struggling hip-hop lifestyle magazine, and has six months to prove herself in a world of high stakes, power plays, and very bad boys—including a married ex determined to destroy her.
In an exclusive interview with MadameNoire, Barnett explains how she created her perfectly imperfect protagonist. Nikki is “messy but magnetic. You continue to root for her as she contends with really challenging stressors and antagonists in her life.”
Barnett also draws on the era’s glamour and danger, saying, “It was such a sexy era… but beneath all of that lurked real danger. It was a perilous time to be an ambitious woman.”
And yet, she makes ambition look thrilling: “Fear equals growth. You can’t possibly evolve into the woman you’re meant to be unless you step outside your comfort zone.” From late nights at the office to navigating romance and power, Nikki’s journey mirrors the realities Barnett and other Black women have faced in industries designed to underestimate them.
The book is also unapologetically fun, smart, and inspirational. “I want y’all to have a good time,” Barnett said, laughing, “It’s a juicy book. It’s a sexy book. It’s a page-turner.” She shares lessons for women chasing big dreams while staying true to themselves: “We’re being asked to sacrifice our authenticity, our voice, our peace. But you have to step into your full power anyway.” And on love? “You attract more interesting men when you yourself are doing something interesting… walk up, say hey, and take your ego out of it.”
If I Ruled the World is more than a novel—it’s a love letter to ambitious Black women everywhere, a peek behind the curtain at a transformative cultural era, and a reminder that finding your voice matters more than anyone else’s approval.
Watch MadameNoire’s full exclusive interview above, hosted by Managing Editor Danica Daniel, and listen to Barnett share the real stories behind the fiction, the inspiration for Nikki Rose, and the advice every Black woman needs to hear as she claims her power.
If I Ruled the World hits bookshelves on January 27, 2026.
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