Rod Blagojevich may not have been able to sell Barack Obama's US Senate seat (allegedly) but he is seeking to cash in on selling something else: books.

Today the former Illinois governor signed a six-figure deal with Beverly Hills-based Phoenix Books. The deal is the largest advance by the independent publisher. The company has previously published books by the likes of CNN's Larry King and rock star Gene Simmons.

Glenn Selig, Blagojevich's publicist, said the former governor will pull no punches in the book and that "there were some people in high places who didn't want the governor to write this book".

The book should be released in October and is tentatively titled The Governor.