Philip Cotterell

Timing is everything.

1964 - Failed "A" levels - Accused of being layabout. Dad said "I can get you a job either as a runner at a market research firm, assistant receptionist at a book publishing firm or teaboy at the BBC. I asked "which one is the easiest?"; he said "publishing" ... the rest is history ...

1964-8 Bodley Head - receptionist; assistant to export manager. 

1966-8 educational rep; S.East England and South London; still hold the record I think of being youngest book pub rep at 19 - first company car (the MD Max Reinhardt's mini countryman - handed back as a wreck when I left - his chauffeur devastated): first shag of a customer on expenses (motel - Bexhill-on-Sea) - teacher who said she was a nymphomaniac - ended when she picked up West Indian at local swimming baths - traumatised. Best improvement in sales of anyone in company.

1968 - Travelling - overland to India; SE Asia, Australia

1969-71. Sydney. Educational rep for Horwitz Martin/Ure Smith - territory Eastern and Southern Suburbs, Sydney; youngest rep in Oz - second company car (saw whole eastern seaboard of Oz - handed back as a wreck as caught in a cyclone in Qld - sales director would have been devastated had he not been fired) - Bondi Beach Primary visited regularly throughout summer including holidays - made redundant when company closed because their list was crap - subsequently found out i was known as the "Phantom Rep" 'cos I never went into the office - achieved highest growth in sales while there

1971/2 Darwin - flatmate, ex Miss South Pacific, ran employment agency in Double Bay. Out of work 48 hours; took office job with company that did assaying for mining companies. Six weeks later asked to run office in Darwin, including building the laboratory, hiring staff etc .. drove there in old banger which was wrecked at Julia Creek, east of Mt Isa - I was devastated! .. rest of journey by bus. One of the first NT employers to hire local Aboriginies; learned all about walkabout, dreamtime etc - especially useful when they disappeared from time to time. Only connection with head office was telex. Mining boom - "wild west" territory outside town ..

1973-7 UK - Dobson Books (Dennis Dobson) - Sales Director - in interview equated small publisher to supporting small football team. "My children are QPR supporters, can you take take them". Got job. Favourite years - wonderful people, totally bonkers, seven kids and office all out of Kensington Church Street - used to pack up mid Dec to second week Jan 'cos they needed my desk for extension to their family dining table for the duration. Totally self financing, always in debt; baliffs regular visitors; taught me how not to publish (unintentionally) as well as how to - terrific publishers - Sci-fi; Children flats; classical music lists. First forages to European booksellers inc Stars 'n Stripes; Frankfurt Book fair etc. 

Waikiki Beach with David Gadsby.

First overseas trade mission 1973 - (sponsored at the time by BOTB) led by Edmund Fisher to San Fransisco; Hawaii; Sydney: Hong Kong - see photo of Waikiki Beach with David Gadsby, MD A& C Black. Found Dobsons a castle, Brancepeth Castle, in Co. Durham - 250 rooms £42K - cheap 'cos someone had taken all the lead off the roof - I have a dungeon I can call my own if i ever fall on hard times. 

Philip and Judy Piatkus, 1982.

1978-81 - Severn House - Sales Director - Partnership at the time between Edwin Buckhalter and Judy Piatkus - Judy left in '79 - I rejoined her two years later (see photo). Tried to launch SH paperback list - failure in both UK and Europe - best learning curve of the lot.

1982 - 2007 Piatkus - Sales and Marketing Director/Deputy MD/Company Secretary - swapped office in Bond Street for Judy's house in Loughton. Built up totally self financing independent publishing company from total investment of £24K to turnover coming up for £10 million., buying own office premises in Windmill Street off Tottenham Court Road in 1984. Started mmpb paperback list twice; first time a failure, second one (c1994) a success and competed effectively against the great and the good, with, especially in the export markets, their assistance. Broke through in Europe via Eddy de Roojt (right spelling?), Van Ditmar; followed by Petersen; Commercial Atheneum, OLF; and Libri - never cracked Belgium! Co-ran boat in Frankfurt for 17 years - it became very well known in certain circles. Sold more tickets off the stand than books at one point. Best one was the Mississippi River boat we hired at the ABA in New Orleans in 1985. Around 2003 we decided to get the company in a position to have the choice to sell - by 2006 it was obvious the publishing world was going to change. We sold mid 2007 for a better than expected price. The stock market crashed six weeks later. And, as we all know as reps or ex-reps, its all about timing - as illustrated in the photo at the top. 

2007 to date .. after a period of navel gazing; lotus eating, thumb twiddling, enjoyable lunches, while getting to the point where one Greek island starts looking like another, and being totally depressed at the thought of a future playing golf. The advantage of "keeping ones hand in" led to non-exec direcs and coming back as MD of Icon Books (everyone is devastated) ... so the circle is squared ... Frankfurt, Australia and some points in between - an OEL who refuses to get old; has passport - will travel; and kids himself he's still a bit of a lag ..

OEL's don't have any pretences
When breaking down buyers defences
They are somewhat quixotic
With tastes quite exotic
And a shag on their clients' expenses

________________________________________
email: philip@philipcotterell.com