Author Guide · Comedy Memoir
Books Written by
In 1999 Tina Fey became the first woman to be head writer of Saturday Night Live; in 2008 her impression of Sarah Palin made her one of the most-watched people on American television. Bossypants, published in 2011 while she was running 30 Rock, is her account of how she got there: a comic memoir about growing up near Philadelphia, improv in Chicago, writing for SNL and being a woman in charge. She reads the audiobook herself. This guide covers her 1 key book and where to begin.
By Lisanne Swart · 1 key books · 2011–2011 · Updated October 2026
ClickTap a spine to jump to that book below.
Quick answer
Tina Fey has written one book, Bossypants (2011), a comic memoir about her childhood, Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock and motherhood. It topped The New York Times best-seller list. Start with the book or the audiobook she narrates.
Where to Start with Tina Fey
If you want her story on paper
→ Bossypants (2011) — the 2011 memoir.
If you would rather listen
→ Bossypants (2011) — the audiobook, read by Fey.
1 Tina Fey Book
Bossypants
A memoir in comic essays, published by Little, Brown on 5 April 2011: growing up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, the improv company Second City in Chicago, becoming head writer of Saturday Night Live, playing Sarah Palin in 2008, creating 30 Rock, and juggling work with being a mother. It topped The New York Times best-seller list for five weeks and had sold more than 2.5 million copies by 2014; her own reading of the audiobook was nominated for a Grammy.
How to Read Tina Fey
There is only one book. The chapters run roughly in order from childhood to 30 Rock, but each works as a stand-alone essay.
If you prefer listening, the audiobook is read by Fey herself.
A reading path
1. Bossypants (2011)
2. Bossypants audiobook, read by Fey
The years · 1970–2011
Quick facts about Tina Fey
- Known for
- Tina Fey is known as the first female head writer of Saturday Night Live, the creator and star of 30 Rock and the writer of Mean Girls.
- 1970
- Born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
- 1999
- Head writer of Saturday Night Live
- 2004
- Mean Girls released
- 2011
- Bossypants
- Born
- 18 May 1970, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
- SNL
- Writer from 1997; first woman head writer, 1999
- Television
- Created and starred in 30 Rock (2006–2013)
- Film
- Wrote Mean Girls (2004)
- Book
- Bossypants, 2011
The red mark is 2011: Bossypants, her memoir.
How Tina Fey Writes
Bossypants reads like the work of a sketch and sitcom writer: short sections, quick reversals, and jokes that land at the end of a paragraph. Fey mixes short comic pieces with straight memoir.
Much of the book is about work and authority: what it was like to be a woman running a writers’ room, how decisions get made at SNL, and the lessons she took from improv.
She keeps the tone light throughout. For other comic writers who mix memoir and essay, see David Sedaris and Nora Ephron.
Watch
Tina Fey on Bossypants
Tina Fey talks about Bossypants at Talks at Google in 2011.
Frequently asked questions about Tina Fey’s book
How many books has Tina Fey written?
One: Bossypants (2011).
What are Tina Fey’s books in order?
There is only one so far: Bossypants (2011).
Where should I start with Tina Fey?
With Bossypants, in print or as the audiobook she reads herself.
What is Tina Fey’s most famous book?
Bossypants (2011), her only book, which topped The New York Times best-seller list for five weeks.
Did Tina Fey write Bossypants herself?
Yes. No co-writer is credited; Fey has been a professional comedy writer since the 1990s.
Who narrates the Bossypants audiobook?
Tina Fey reads it herself, and the recording was nominated for a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album.
Does Bossypants talk about Sarah Palin?
Yes. One chapter covers her 2008 impression of the vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live.
Is Bossypants worth reading if you’re not a fan of 30 Rock?
Much of the book is about childhood, improv and being a woman in charge at work, so it does not depend on knowing her shows.
Has Tina Fey written another book?
Not under her own name as of 2026. Her other writing is for the screen and stage, including Mean Girls (2004) and its later musical version.
Footnotes
- Tina Fey reveals all in Bossypants — NPR, 2011
- Tina Fey, as expected, a totally normal person — NPR, 2011
- Bossypants — Wikipedia
- Tina Fey — Grammy Awards
- Tina Fey — Wikipedia
Bibliography last verified 9 October 2026. Where sources give different first-publication years, this page uses the year in library catalogues or the publisher’s own record.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
If this shelf interested you, the full bookshelf has more: reading lists by theme, author guides, and notes on what is actually worth your time.
Browse the full bookshelf Get book recommendations