Getting Real About the Publishing Industry, Motherhood, and Staying Fly with “The Book of Possibilities” Author Bee Quammie
"Since I turned 40, I've reached that level of self-acceptance that so many 40+ women talk about," Bee says.
Possibility. It’s a word I’ve always been attracted to, taking several leaps of faith in my life/career while holding on to that word’s very meaning.
Cue author Bee Quammie and her debut book, The Book of Possibilities: Words of Wisdom on the Road to Becoming.
Fun Fact: I first met Bee when we played masquerade during Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival, casually known as Caribana (more on that unique experience in the future!). We’ve chipped down many roads donning feathers (in North America and across the pond in the islands) ever since!
One thing that’s close to my heart as a writer is community with fellow writers/creators—whether that’s mutually sharing each other’s work or convening in conversation about the realness of navigating the craft. So, when I saw Bee’s honest testimony navigating the challenging road as a Honey writer promoting her debut book, I knew we had to chat on this platform.
Along with that realness, we talked more about the meaning of “possibility” from her perspective, how she carries her “possibility model” into motherhood, advice for Honeys-in-training, and more! Get into our convo below!
YES, HONEY (YH): Let’s start with a wellness check. How has 2025 been for you so far… really?
Bee Quammie (BQ): It's been...overwhelming, in good and not-so-good ways. The external world is in a state of complete chaos, but my internal world has been an equally chaotic blend of excitement, stress, burnout, and hopefulness in this first quarter.
YH: What does “possibility” look like for you, specifically during your Honey era (in your 40s+)?
BQ: For a long time it felt like life was just happening to me and I was being dragged along, unmoored. The first step to embracing possibility was to remember that I am my best thing, like Toni Morrison wrote. That helped me to realize that, in my Honey era, I am more in charge of my life and the things that happen within it than I used to think. I also reestablished a relationship with imagination, curiosity, and not fearing failure—and all of a sudden, it felt like the brush and overgrowth in my life have been cleared and new pathways are right in front of me.
YH: I am very intrigued by your philosophy of turning the term “role model” on its head and instead embracing your own term, “possibility model.” What does that mean for you?
BQ: Being called a "role model" has always carried a lot of responsibility and expectation that I've never felt comfortable with. It felt like when people looked at me that way, there was no room for me to mess up or to admit I was just figuring things out as I go. Being a possibility model means that I am an example of what it looks like to live life in any given way. I offer a model of the possibility of being a divorcee raising 2 young girls, or being a woman who made a career change in her 30s, or being a Black woman in spaces where there aren't many of us. It doesn't mean I am the way to live, but I am a way to live.
YH: What has been your journey toward living an “unconventional” life? The ups and downs? How have you rejected and/or accepted that over time?
BQ: I've always been someone who knew I wasn't going to have just one career. As a kid, my dream career was "to be a doctor, writer, and model" and I thought I'd do them all simultaneously. I had a fairly stable career in healthcare out of university, then dabbled in modeling and started freelance writing—and things unfolded from there into television, radio, public speaking, and a book deal. I struggled at times with feeling like I was supposed to pick one thing, or that I was a "Jack of all trades, master of none" that no one would take seriously. I got over that once I realized that the reason "why" I did so many different things was more important than narrowly defining "what" I did—and as long as I kept following my passions and working at my craft, everything would make sense.
YH: As you were once a little Black girl, how has that experience framed the way you raise little Black girls—especially given the shifts in these modern times?
BQ: It's an interesting experiment raising young Black girls as a former young Black girl myself. It brings up so many emotions that you have to parse out: is this to help raise them, or is it to help heal me? So, I think I raise them with as much care and awareness that I can. I just want to ensure that I raise two Black girls who are good people and who know themselves fully, because there are so many aspects of life and society that benefit from them not knowing themselves. I never want them to fall victim to that.
YH: In that same vein, what has motherhood taught you about yourself?
BQ: Motherhood has made me realize that I can do hard things and I'm braver and stronger than I thought I was; it's shown me how much love/energy/effort I have to give but has made me incredibly protective of how I give them and who I give them to; and it's also helped me to reconnect to my inner child, which has impacted my creativity and the way I seek joy in my life.
YH: I also can’t help but note how fly you are—we see those IG pics! What do you love about showing up and showing out as a Honey? Embracing your flyness, beauty, and sexy?
BQ: Baby, listen—I love showing out! Since I turned 40, I've reached that level of self-acceptance that so many 40+ women talk about, and I frankly think I look the best I've ever looked in life. I don't think we should be afraid of basking in our beauty. It doesn't make you any less professional, or take away from your role as a mother, or any of the other untrue messages we've been fed about embracing this facet of ourselves. Not enough of us realize how beautiful we truly are, and I hope more of us begin to.
YH: You’ve rightfully been vocal about the discrepancies faced as a Black woman in publishing. Can you speak more on that—unpacking what the masses may not know about the intricacies of publishing as a Black woman?
BQ: There are a couple of different things to consider as a Black woman in the traditional publishing industry. One is that when you realize that publishing is a business within an artform, some insidious doubts might creep in and you may begin to question your voice: is it too "Black"? Who will it appeal to? Who will be turned off? Trying to appeal to the masses by sacrificing the craft in order to succeed at the business is the wrong move. Yes, you want to sell books—but, you have to ensure you are authentic in telling the story you want to tell and trust that it will find who it's meant to find. Also, when you've written the book and it's time to get on your marketing and promotion game, you'll likely have to play a role in the planning if it's important for you to get your book into Black readers' hands. Often, our own channels of marketing and promotion aren't top of mind for people in the industry, so you may have to be the one to say "Please send an ARC (advance reader copy) to these Black book influencers" or "Please pitch for me to attend Essence Fest". If you wait for folks to recognize all the unique opportunities available to you to promote your work, you might be waiting a long time.
YH: What do you hope to see in terms of change within the publishing world for Black women? What support do you need?
BQ: In terms of support, I need it all! People to buy, read, share, offer to host book events, share space on their platforms (like we're doing right now!)—I'd love for The Book of Possibilities to be a best-seller, but I'm most excited about getting it into the hands of who it's meant for. Once that happens, there's no telling what successes may come next. As far as changes within the publishing industry, I want to see more opportunities for Black women writers to tell the stories we want to tell, with the financial backing and support that we deserve. We need more industry experts who understand the vision we have—or at least trust the vision we have—and give us what we need in order to execute it.
YH: Lastly… What's one piece of advice you once received from an elder that you’d like to pass forward to a Honey-in-training?
BQ: I wrote an essay about this in The Book of Possibilities: when I got my first job as a teen, my mom always told me to pay myself first—meaning that when I got a paycheck, I was supposed to take a little out for my own savings before devoting any money to bills. She stressed that my bills always needed to be paid, but if I took even $2 out for myself first, it would remind me to value myself. Now, years later, I still follow her advice not only with money, but time. I try to carve out time each week, so that no matter what obligations pop up, I've protected time just for me. It's a game-changer!
Bee Quammie is a writer, radio host, television personality, and public speaker. She was the co-host of the “Kultur’D” podcast on Global News Radio and is a regular guest on “The Social.” Her writing has been featured in publications including The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, Chatelaine, EBONY, Flare, and Hazlitt among others, and covers topics spanning race and culture to parenthood to health and wellness. She lives in Toronto.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
TALKBACK
Whewwww, Honeys…Bee unpacked so much and we need to chat about it! What part of our Q&A resonated with you the most? What is your journey with possibility? Aspiring and current book authors, tap in below! 📚
TAP IN
YES, HONEY is a HONEY CHILE thang. HONEY CHILE is a multiplatform media company celebrating the power and possibilities of Black women 40+. We create stories, spaces, and strategies for women who refuse to shrink.
Check out our sister platform The Sweet Build, also powered by Substack, which is from our Head Honey Felicia and delivers insight, news, and tools for storytellers serious about business.
Become a PAID subscriber and join YES, HONEY+ for more Honey storytelling and goodness.
Donate to the HONEY Fund (all donations are tax writeoffs!) and become a HONEY Champion. Support the stories you want to see in the world.
Sponsor an issue of YES, HONEY.
Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Threads, and Linkedin.
*Our newsletter may contain affiliate links, so if you buy through them, we get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). We only recommend stuff we actually dig!