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The Accidental Pornographer: A Story About Having a Go - And Succeeding... in Failing [Paperback]

Gavin Griffiths
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Book Description

29 Aug 2008 1906465258 978-1906465254
Gavin Griffiths was a fairly straight–laced, newlywed shipping executive when he bought a magazine called The Erotic Review for #1 – not just one copy, the whole business! Little did he know it would soon become the darling of the chattering classes, and a case study in heroic failure. More in the tradition of Tony Young (How to Lose Friends & Alienate People) than Felix Dennis (How to be Rich), in this highly entertaining memoir readers discover just why only one in ten new businesses make it, and what happens to the other nine.

Product details

  • Paperback: 280 pages
  • Publisher: Capstone (29 Aug 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1906465258
  • ISBN-13: 978-1906465254
  • Product Dimensions: 15.6 x 1.7 x 23.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 118,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Review

"Hilarious, Heart–warming foray into porn." (Scarlet, October)

"...excellent book for business beginners...written in a fresh, breezy style" (Erotic Review, September)

 "With its saucy matter, colourful cast and cheeky tone, it′s easy to forget that his is a business book. What makes it genuinely interesting is that it′s a business book all about failure." (Daily Mail, September 26, 2008)

"Honest and amusing...inspiring in a refreshingly personal way...This book is perfect for anyone starting up a business" (Start Your Business, October, 2008)

"...the tale of [a] shipping nagnate who brought The Erotic Review...and ammusinglt failed to make a living out of it." (The Independent, October 10, 2008)

"Hilarious, Heart–warming foray into porn." (Scarlet, October 2008)

"...excellent book for business beginners...written in a fresh, breezy style" (Erotic Review, September 2008)

 "With its saucy matter, colourful cast and cheeky tone, it′s easy to forget that his is a business book. What makes it genuinely interesting is that it′s a business book all about failure." (Daily Mail, September 26, 2008)

"Honest and amusing...inspiring in a refreshingly personal way...This book is perfect for anyone starting up a business" (Start Your Business, October, 2008)

"...the tale of [a] shipping nagnate who brought The Erotic Review...and ammusinglt failed to make a living out of it." (The Independent, October 10, 2008)

"Griffith′s brazen and jovial attitude to business failure is refreshing and many of us could learn a thing or two from it." (EN Magazine, November 2008)

From the Back Cover

"My name is Gavin Griffiths, and for over a year I was a pornographer…"

So begins the uniquely entertaining account of the author’s business experiences as a co–owner of The Erotic Review.

An established favourite with men of a certain age, The Erotic Review was a saucy magazine with a circulation of 30,000 at its peak. But the magazine was running at a loss. In the wake of the dot–com boom, Gavin Griffiths was enticed by legendary editor, Rowan Pelling, to go into business. They bought the magazine and its debts for £1.

This compelling account of Gavin’s entrepreneurial adventure is both amusing and informative. He was a newcomer to both publishing and the world of erotica, but he wanted to succeed. A fast learning curve followed, embracing a colourful cast of characters, exotic products, and the emotional and practical highs and lows of running a business.

The Accidental Pornographer is a personal journey that offers such insight into the perils and pitfalls of buying and running a business. It is not a success story – but is a tale of commercial realities, and it contains valuable lessons for every entrepreneur. From the legal requirements of starting a company, to the hidden perils of advertising and marketing, cash–flow woes and personnel matters, and the looming reality of debt and insolvency, Gavin Griffiths tells it as it really is. He also provides some amusing insights into the world of glamour magazines along the way.

"…It was a year that money could not have bought. I learnt more about business, people and myself than in all the years that preceded it."


Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Some accident 12 Sep 2008
Format:Paperback
Nobody sets out to fail. Everyone setting out on their own takes courage from those self-made millionaires who've started with nothing and ended up wealthy beyond counting. Even those who've not read the biographies take heart from BBC TV's Fools and Horses' Del Boy who constantly reminds his audience that "this time next year we'll all be millionaires".

So it is totally refreshing to read how Gavin set up his stall to succeed and did everything but. Who else but someone starting out on a career in shipping would give it all up to write fictional biographies for a website called "PoshTotty"?

This book is Gavin's lifetime compressed into the two years he was Managing Director of The Erotic Review Magazine. What a life! If there's any justice, fame and fortune should follow this piece of open hearted frankness.

If Carlsburg did books, this'd be one of them.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A business book you can't put down 11 Sep 2008
Format:Paperback
I was a bit sceptical at first to read a book about a failed entrepreneur, being an entrepreneur myself, but found Gavin's story not one about failure but about believing in your ability to succeed. Extremely well written, you feel a kinship with all the real characters who gave their all to try and do the best for a project they all believed in. A book you can't put down and an inspiration to any entrepreneur out there that if at first you don't suceed ....
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite ever book 2 Oct 2008
Format:Paperback
This was the best book I have ever read. This was educational, funny, startling and an extremely easy read. I read books when on the bus to and from work each morning and found myself praying that we'd get stuck in traffic. I couldn't put it down.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening and Intrguing
This was a very easy book to read - I don't mean that it was simple, but that the style was natural and engaging. Read more
Published 13 days ago by morelearning
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Loved this book!! Show's you hard everyone worked through this book, they put everything on the line lol!!! But it shows you how much work goes into a magazine
Published 2 months ago by horrorgirl
3.0 out of 5 stars Different
Have you ever wanted to venture out by trying your hand at your own business? Have you ever thought of purchasing an erotic magazine for £1 and attempting to make it flourish? Read more
Published 8 months ago by Judder
5.0 out of 5 stars excellant excellant I laughed out loud !!!
I love this book!
Honest and refreshing ..it really made me laugh out loud....
( I feel terrible laughing at his misfortune but Gavin survived ! Read more
Published 8 months ago by MBA
4.0 out of 5 stars Gavin Griffiths makes it big in this seminal account... fnar fnar
In 2009 Gavin Griffiths left his job in shipping and bought an erotic magazine for a quid. No - he didn't buy the magazine off the top shelf of a newsagent, he bought the magazine... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Crookedmouth
3.0 out of 5 stars Fraught with mishaps!
This is the story of a man who decided to become self employed, an entrepreneur, and buy and run a magazine. It happened to be The Erotic Review! Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ignite
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read!!
What a super book !

Really enjoyed and very easy reading. Im not 100% sure its a 'business' book... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Ice Cream Boy
4.0 out of 5 stars The trials and tribulations of business writ large and hilarious
This is one of those books that intrigued me just with the title and the short blurb. It's not very often that I get taken in like that, but I'm glad I was. Read more
Published 11 months ago by G. Robbins
5.0 out of 5 stars the accidental pornographer
a great little book this one and i highly recommend it. it beautifully plots the highs and lows of a career in one of life's more interesting industries. Read more
Published 12 months ago by jt
5.0 out of 5 stars A Business book that makes you smile.
An Amusing well written & very easy to read book, but with some great business lessons thrown in.

To be honest I picked up more good advice in this book, on how to run... Read more
Published 12 months ago by C Endersbee
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