Sugar’s Secrets: Real-Life Socialite-Fiction Editor Tells All
The hype is on to make Sugar Rautbord, one of Chicago’s most overexposed socialites, into the next Judith Krantz or Danielle Steel. That may be a tall order in the fickle world of women’s commercial fiction, but Diane Reverand, publisher and editor in chief of New York-based Villard Books (a division of publishing giant Random House) and a fan of Rautbord’s, is betting it could happen. “Sugar is incredibly lively and a savvy person when it comes to marketing herself,” says Reverand. “I really think she has a lot of qualities that can help sell a book.”
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The book in question is Rautbord’s Sweet Revenge, scheduled for publication by Villard in early June. As the jacket copy states, it promises to take us inside the tantalizing world of a “real-life” socialite, replete with “glamorous parties, steamy affairs, high-stakes business deals, and secret intrigues.” Rautbord’s first novel, Giris in High Places, coauthored with Liz Nichols and published by New American Library, made best-seller lists and caught the attention of Reverand, who met up with Rautbord on New York’s social circuit. “We hit it off,” says Reverand. So much so, in fact, that Rautbord got out of a contract at New American Library to work with Reverand on Sweet Revenge.
Rautbord and her book also stand to get mileage out of a perfume tie-in. The fragrance division of Givaudan-Roure has developed a new perfume called Sweet Revenge that will debut at the same time as the book, and the book will be sold with Sweet Revenge-scented bookmarks. Book buyers can order a complimentary perfume sample from an 800 number. “We thought it would be fun,” explains Reverand, who also thinks the perfume connection may prompt some business-page stories.
