How One First-Time Author Sparked a Six-Figure Bidding War

Not long ago, a submission came through our general inbox that stopped us in our tracks.

The author was Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, a family physician and health equity advocate. She didn’t arrive through a referral or an inside connection; she came through our general submissions inbox, carrying both a mission and a message she knew women needed.

Her book, How to Talk to Your Doctor, went on to ignite a six-figure bidding war across the industry, ultimately landing at Penguin Life. And it’s no mystery why. The book offers a framework for helping women take control of their care—and, by extension, the care of their families. Drawing not only from her medical practice and public advocacy, but also from her own experience as a doctor-turned-patient who saved her own life twice, Dr. Bayo created a guide that feels both urgent and deeply human. It speaks directly to women who’ve been dismissed or overlooked in healthcare settings, and gives them a way to become—powerfully and practically—the “Chief Medical Officer” of their own lives.

Here’s what helped her rise above a crowded field:

1. She led with a Big Idea that instantly registered.
Dr. Bayo’s pitch opened with a truth every woman recognizes: we are often the point people for our families’ health decisions, and many of us still struggle to be heard in the exam room. Her book promised to change that, from understanding the dynamics at play to having scripts and strategies to advocate for care. Editors felt the need before reading a single page.

2. She showed how readers were already turning to her.
Her platform wasn’t presented as a résumé—it was already a living conversation. Hundreds of thousands of women engaged with her content. She was a regular voice on NBC News, ABC, and Katie Couric Media. And as one of the 2% of practicing physicians in the U.S. who are Black women, she brought a perspective both underrepresented and urgently sought. That resonance was impossible to ignore.

3. She submitted a proposal that carried substance, authority, and heart.
The storytelling, the structure, the examples of women she has treated or advised—it all worked together. The proposal didn’t just outline a book; it delivered an experience. Editors could hear her voice, feel the stakes, and imagine exactly how readers would use it. That’s when high-stakes auctions happen.

In other words, her proposal embodied the Three Keys of Get Signed: a standout Big Idea, an irrefutable platform, and irresistible writing—working together in exactly the way agents look for.