Ramapo Alumna Grace Helbig Publishes ‘Guide Book’

Photo courtesy of Tammy Richards

Ramapo alumna Grace Helbig, a popular YouTuber and comedian, has gone from screen to print with the publication of her new book “Grace’s Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up.”

Helbig’s book hit the shelves on Tuesday and is now available in booksellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle and iBooks.

“I’ve been watching her YouTube videos for years. I’m so excited she came out with a book and I’d definitely buy it,” said junior Christine DePope.

According to the Washington Post, Helbig, who previously studied screenwriting and contemporary arts at Ramapo, initially began working for the online network My Damn Channel in 2008. Later, in 2010 the network moved to YouTube, where Helbig gained 2.1 million subscribers with her channel “DailyGrace.” In 2012 Helbig split from My Damn Channel and began a new YouTube channel, “It’sGrace,” which now boasts 1.9 million subscribers, while her videos have amassed over 51 million views.

Backed by her online success, Helbig has made the jump from digital to print content. “Grace’s Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up” is described by Touchstone, the publishing company for the book, as, “a tongue-in-cheek handbook for millennials, encompassing everything young or new (or regular or old) adults need to know.”

True to its name, the book is categorized into sections like “Your Professional Life,” “Your Social Life” and “Your Love Life.” In each section Helbig delves further into the different factions of the broader subject, using her trademark humor, personal stories and wacky acronyms to impart her wisdom. Taking advantage of the full-color print, the text is embellished with vivid blues, pinks and greens, along with graphics and countless pictures.

“Knowing her humor, I’m not sure what I could take seriously from her book,” commented DePope. “That being said, I would read it just for the humor alone.”

“Grace’s Guide” has garnered praise from people like Andy Cohen, the host of “Watch What Happens Live” and New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson.

“Grace’s genius is to make you laugh even when faced with something as mundane (and terrifying) as a job interview,” Johnson said of the book. “And her honesty about her struggles with anxiety is particularly inspiring. I’ve been an adult longer than Grace, but I was doing it wrong.”

Helbig has made a name for herself outside of the publication of this book through her web series and other projects, including producing and starring in the film “Camp Takota” and touring with fellow YouTubers and comedians Hannah Hart and Mamrie Hart in their sold-out comedy tour entitled #NoFilter. Helbig has been named one of Forbes’s “30 under 30” and one of Variety’s “Top 10 Comics to Watch,” being described by Variety as, “one of YouTube’s most endearing personalities.”

Her next venture may be to host a talk/comedy show on the E! Network, according to the Daily Dot. The pilot is currently titled “The Grace Helbig Project” and could potentially fill the slot left by “Chelsea Lately.”

While her future in television remains uncertain, with the publication of “Grace’s Guide Book,” Helbig can now be considered an author, comedian and YouTuber.

rking2@ramapo.edu