8:50p.m. ET, October 13, 2004

Forget about an issue of Martha Stewart Living on how to get through prison: She may just write a whole book on the subject. According to sources within the publishing industry, lawyers working on behalf of Martha Stewart have been quietly approaching book publishing executives to do some sort of memoir that would be written by the domestic diva while she serves her five month prison sentence. The initial word was a “prison diary” but the book might reach further back than that, said sources. Inquiries to interested parties were made by Stewart’s lawyers last week during the Frankfurt Book Fair, creating logistical problems since Stewart was free to meet for less than 48 hours, after which she was being incarcerated. Still, one source told New York, “People will be happy to go see her in West Virginia. And why not? She’s got a good story. The money is getting very high, but she could deliver it when she came out and have it out by the summer.”

While no deal has yet been struck, Crown is emerging as a strong contender. Stewart could easily receive over $5 million for the tome, sources said. Representatives for Stewart could not be reached at press time.

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• Archive: “Intelligencer Features”
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