The Emmy winner’s new title arrives April 6, 2027 from William Morrow, drawing its name from a line in her 2023 Critics Choice Awards acceptance speech.
Sheryl Lee Ralph is adding another book to her shelf. The Emmy winner has revealed the cover for her upcoming release, You Better Love What You See: Living with Joy, Confidence, and Unapologetic Self-Worth, set for publication on April 6, 2027 through William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins.
The book’s title comes from a now widely referenced line in Ralph’s 2023 Critics Choice Awards acceptance speech, and its central message centers on internal validation over external approval. Across its pages, Ralph shares personal stories tied to her many roles in life, as a performer, mother, daughter, sister, wife, and self-described wise, wild woman, while reflecting on obstacles she faced along the way, including being the only BIPOC girl in her childhood Catholic school and being let go from a television role for not being considered Black enough.
The book also revisits major milestones in Ralph’s career, including her historic 2022 Emmy win for Abbott Elementary. Ralph has described the project as an outgrowth of noticing how many people, in both public and private conversations, have found strength in the words from her award speech, and said the process of reflecting on the wisdom she’s gathered throughout her life ultimately led her to put it into a new book. She’s said she hopes the book reminds readers that reinvention has no expiration date, and that whatever chapter they’re in now isn’t necessarily their last.
This marks Ralph’s third book. Her first, Redefining Diva: Life Lessons from the Original Dreamgirl, published in 2012 through Simon & Schuster, became a national bestseller centered on reclaiming the word diva as a symbol of strength and self respect, while detailing her early career struggles in Hollywood and her origination of the role of Deena Jones in Dreamgirls on Broadway. Her second book, DIVA 2.0: 12 Life Lessons From Me For You!, followed in 2023 and expanded on those themes with a structured set of life lessons, along with details on her advocacy work founding the DIVA Foundation for HIV and AIDS awareness.
You Better Love What You See runs 240 pages in hardcover and will also be available in eBook and audio formats. It is available now for preorder ahead of its April 2027 release.