How Casey Anthony Could Turn Pariah Status Into Profit

July 6, 2011 — -- Casey Anthony may be one of the most vilified women in the country right now, but if she plays her cards right, she could also become one of the richest.

Literary agents and publicists contacted by ABCNews.com said that the 25-year-old mother, who on Tuesday was found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, could make upwards of $750,000 with a book deal. It's likely that television and movie producers will also compete to score a coveted first interview and rights to her life story.

"Anything to do with a mother and a dead child tends to attract lots of attention," said Linda Konner, a New York City based literary agent who has brokered deals for actors, singers and lawmakers. "I think there will be some frenzy among publishers to acquire her book."

Konner said that it's "not impossible" to expect Anthony to get an advance between $750,000 and $1 million for her memoirs. On top of that, Anthony would receive a cut from the sales of the book. If a TV or film studio acquires the rights to it, she would profit even more.

Ostensibly, Anthony could make this money from prison. Her maximum sentence -- four years in prison for lying to law enforcement -- does not bar her from making book, movie or TV deals. Her ensuing probation will also not affect her ability to capitalize on the case.

Anthony has expressed interest in writing a book. In a letter written to her jail house friend Robyn Adams during her two and a half year long prison stay, Anthony referred to a book she dreamt of penning, describing it as a "partial memoir/comedy/relationship advice book for those not in the know." She added that it would be a way to settle many rumors and to share insight about love, life, and God.

Konner speculated that Anthony's book could sell well, with a caveat.

"Because she got off, she is being viewed by some segment of the population as innocent," she said. "Readers want to read books about people who are sympathetic. But part of the problem is that so much of the story has been told. We may not have heard all of it, but there's been so much media coverage that it actually hurts her in terms of book possibilities."

Readers initially flocked to books by public figures who weathered trials similar to Anthony -- O.J. Simpson and Amy Fisher. Simpson's 2007 "If I Did It" reached the No. 2 spot on the New York Times bestseller list and was estimated to have sold between 100,000 and 120,000 copies in its first month. Fisher's "If I Knew Then," which came out more than a decade after she shot her husband's lover and earned the nicknamed "the Long Island Lolita," sold nearly 30,000 copies in its first week, forcing its publisher to print another 20,000 books.

TV interviews are another potential source of profit. Roger Neal, a Hollywood publicist whose past clients include Donny Osmond and Bob Hope, speculated that there will be a bidding war between broadcast and cable shows to secure Anthony's first sit-down. He also sees the potential for a reality TV show in her future.

"Somebody in Hollywood's got the door open," Neal said. "I think they'll pay her big money because let's face it, no matter what you think about what happened, it's huge ratings."

For similar reasons, Neal said he would represent Anthony if she wanted a publicist. Konner said she'd be Anthony's literary agent. But not everyone in the entertainment industry is so open to working with her, or so optimistic about her future.

"I would not work with her," said Lizzie Grubman, a publicist who endured her own high-profile felony trial and sentence in 2001. Though Grubman believes that Anthony will be "a changed person" after her ordeal, "I wouldn't be her publicist because I don't trust her not to lie to me."

As for Anthony's money-earning prospects, Grubman said, "She's going to be a porn star. There's a lot of money in porn and there's not many jobs for someone like her."