She cooked for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for 25 years and now Marta Sgubin has received reportedly a million-dollar advance to publish a cookbook with Scribner imprint Lisa Drew Books. Sgubin was represented by Barney Karpfinger of The Karpfiner Agency, with Lisa Drew, a friend and colleague of Mrs. Onassis, approaching Sgubin to do the book. The as yet untitled book will be published in the fall of 1998.
She may have been called the "Duchess of Pork," but now Simon &Schuster has just confirmed that it will publish in January Dining with the Duchess, a low fat cookbook (including a "lite" high tea) to be written by Sarah ("Fergie") Ferguson, the Duchess of York and Weight Watchers, for which the Duchess of York recently signed on as spokesperson. S&S had published Ferguson's bestselling, multimillion-dollar advance autobiography last year. S&S spokesperson Victoria Meyer told PW that the cookbook is for now a one-time deal for Weight Watchers to publish away from its traditional publisher, Macmillan, which is coming out with its Simply the Best this fall. Both books will detail a new Weight Watchers program to be unveiled this fall and for which Ferguson serves as spokesperson. Macmillan's title will include Fergie's favorite recipe: angel hair pasta with plum tomat s and fresh basil.
And given that Patti LaBelle's bestselling autobiography Don't Block the Blessings, detailed the diva's cooking on the road, it's no surprise that Riverhead senior editor Mary South, who edited the previous book, has signed up an LaBelle cookbook to tentatively be published in fall 1998. Laura Randolph, who served as cowriter on Don't Block the Blessings, will collaborate here as well. The deal was negotiated by agent Al Lowman for a reported substantial six-figure advance.
