Quadrille scoops self-promotion guide from Sword-Williams in four-publisher auction

Quadrille has scooped F*ck Being Humble, a “clever and timely” guide to self-promotion by Stefanie Sword-Williams in a four-publisher auction.

Susannah Otter, commissioning editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Kate Evans at PFD for publication in spring 2020.

The book will cover skills including knowing what you stand for, networking, realising self-worth and managing emotions at work. It includes exercises and steps to follow alongside real life stories and case studies.

Sword-Williams, an advertising account director and founder of the "F*ck Being Humble" event series and online platform, said: “I’m really excited to be partnering with Quadrille on this book. Self-promotion has been dismissed and overlooked for years now, but through the 'F*ck Being Humble' platform I hope to change the negative perceptions around the topic. Self-promotion shouldn’t be a dirty word, and the sooner we embrace the skills needed to stand out, the sooner we can feel confident enough to strive for the future we deserve.”

Otter added: “Whether it’s through our parents, our education, our bosses, our colleagues or the media we consume, we are constantly told that being humble is essential to our professional success. That discovering our achievements for ourselves and learning how to shout about them effectively is to the detriment of our careers.

"But in a modern workplace, where the conventional, steady, linear career path is becoming rarer and rarer, this advice seems ever-more obsolete. In the age of flexible working, side hustles and portfolio careers, it’s time to f*ck being humble, and I can't wait to spread Stef's clever and timely message and effective strategies to help readers all over the world with this now-essential modern skill.”