Which books has ilhan omar authored or co-authored and what were their advance amounts?
Executive summary
Ilhan Omar is the credited author of one memoir, This Is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman, sold to Dey Street Books (an imprint of HarperCollins) and published in 2020 [1]. Reporting about the financial terms is sparse and contested: Forbes and other outlets have reported an advance in the low six figures (commonly cited as roughly $100,000 or more), while some conservative outlets have claimed larger figures (up to $250,000); Omar’s literary agent says any advance went to her co‑writer and that Omar herself has not personally received book income [2] [1] [3].
1. The book and its authorship: one memoir, co‑written with a collaborator
The only book attributed to Ilhan Omar in major trade reporting and bookstore listings is her 2020 memoir, This Is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman, which was acquired and marketed by Dey Street Books (HarperCollins imprint) and described as covering her life from Somalia to the U.S. Congress [1] [4]. Multiple reports also note that Omar worked with a collaborator or co‑writer on the project; Forbes and reporting that cite Omar’s agent identify Rebecca Paley as the collaborator who received contractual funds [2].
2. Reported advance figures: low six figures widely reported, higher claims exist
Business reporting first published an estimated advance in the “$100,000‑plus” range for the memoir—language that has been repeated by outlets summarizing the original trade reporting [2] [1]. Other outlets, often ideologically aligned with critics of Omar, have reported a higher cap—“up to $250,000”—in stories arguing the deal should have been disclosed on ethics filings [3]. Trade reporting from 2019–2020 (Forbes) and subsequent summaries anchor the more conservative estimate; the larger figure appears largely in watchdog or opinion pieces pressing for disclosure [2] [3].
3. Who actually received the money, according to Omar’s camp and agent statements
Omar’s literary agent, Steve Ross, stated explicitly that “any advance for the book went to the congresswoman’s collaborator and not to the congresswoman (per House Ethics guidelines), and she has not earned any money from the book,” a claim repeated across summaries of the reporting [2] [5]. That assertion is the principal explanation offered for why Omar’s annual congressional financial disclosures did not show a book advance for the years surrounding the contract [2].
4. Disclosure disputes and ethics follow‑ups: watchdogs, a board recommendation and a committee decision
The book deal became the subject of scrutiny from conservative watchdogs who argued the contract and any advance should appear on congressional financial disclosures; at least two watchdog groups asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate [2] [3]. The nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics board in December 2021 unanimously recommended dismissing related allegations, and the House Ethics Committee in March 2022 said it would not review the matter further, according to reporting summarized by Forbes [6] [2]. These official actions do not resolve all public debate, but they indicate ethics bodies did not advance a formal inquiry on the book‑deal disclosure question at that time [6].
5. Limits of available reporting and where uncertainty remains
Public reporting confirms the title, publisher imprint, collaborator’s involvement and agent’s statement about who received the advance, and it records differing published estimates of the advance amount [1] [2] [3]. What is not fully documented in the assembled reporting available here is a definitive, published contract figure paid directly to named parties by the publisher; trade estimates and watchdog assertions diverge, and Omar’s camp maintains she personally did not receive the advance [2] [1] [3]. That mix of trade reporting, agent statements and watchdog claims produces the current, somewhat contested record about which books she authored (one memoir) and what was paid up front (commonly reported as ~$100,000+, with some outlets asserting up to $250,000), with the agent saying the money went to the co‑author [2] [1] [3].