If I Ruled the World

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 walks away 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 the era’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-boyfriend and former boss, who’s 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 romp through one of the most dynamic eras in pop culture history—a story of ambition, friendship, love, and the journey to finding your own voice.

An award-winning media executive and author, Amy DuBois Barnett earned national acclaim as the editor in chief of Ebony, Teen People—where she made history as the first Black woman to helm a major mainstream magazine in the US—and Honey, as well as 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 brands. Barnett has a BA from Brown and an MFA in creative writing from Columbia. She resides in Los Angeles. If I Ruled the World is her debut novel.

• Publisher: Flatiron Books
  
• Publish Date: January 27, 2026
  
• Pages: 352
  
• Language: English
  
• Type: Hardcover
  
• EAN/UPC: 9781250378125
  
• Dimensions: 234.9 X 6.1 X 1.0 inches | 1.0 pounds
  
• BISAC Categories: Popular Fiction