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Nicholas Coleridge has written his first novel - a thriller set in the

world of glossy magazines, and yes, he admits, someone does get

murdered.

The novel, entitled With Friends Like These, is 450 pages thick and

features dirty deeds against a backdrop of the magazine and media world.

Coleridge describes it as a ‘blockbuster’.

But he’s not giving away the plot or saying whether the victim is the

managing director, editor or even an advertiser (possibly the brand

director for a watch company?).

It will be a departure from his other two books, Paper Tigers and The

Fashion Conspiracy, factual accounts of the world of newspaper barons

and high fashion. Both made their way onto the best-seller list. But

Coleridge wants to play down his writing talents as he sits behind his

desk at Conde Nast’s stylish offices at Vogue House overlooking London’s

Hanover Square.

‘Writing is like golf or squash to me; it’s something I do on Saturday

and Sunday mornings when I’m not in the office.’

The 39-year-old former journalist’s serious job is the running of Conde

Nast and stewardship of its seven glossy magazine brand; Vogue, Tatler,

GQ, Vanity Fair, Brides, House & Garden, and World of Interiors.

After being head-hunted by Conde Nast as its new editorial director in

1989, Coleridge helped turn around the fortunes of GQ and Tatler.

So impressed was the company that he was made managing director four

years ago. But a CV that contains only editorial posts raised eyebrows

when Coleridge was handed the management job.

Where was his business and commercial experience? Four years on and

Coleridge has silenced the doubters. Group display advertising,

circulation and market share across its publications have grown in a

cut-throat market. In the second half of last year, all the company’s

titles recorded increased circulation, and Vogue, House and Garden,

Tatler, GQ and Vanity Fair achieved their highest-ever ABC figures.

Under Coleridge the company is carving out new opportunities, extending

its own award-winning Web site, and moving into contract publishing in

partnership with Forward Publishing. Five publications will be produced

before the end of the year.

Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, originally hired by Coleridge from the

Daily Telegraph to edit GQ, says his strength lies in letting his

editors get on with their jobs.

‘I’d say his single most notable quality is his enthusiasm. He is very

collaborative, yet doesn’t believe in interfering.’

‘He believes in getting what he wants by working with good people rather

than walking over them,’ says another Conde Nast insider.

It’s not just editors who have had the Coleridge charm turned on them

during his time at Conde Nast. An old Etonian, Coleridge is a world

class ‘schmoozer’ and helped the company shake off its 80s ‘Conde Nasty’

label.

Coleridge set about changing that image, with a stream of briefings to

leading media agencies about the brands. He says agencies now talk about

‘Conde Nice’.

However, agencies still say that the company was slow to develop new

brands in the UK market. The last title launch was Vanity Fair five

years ago.

Coleridge says at least one new publication will arrive in 1997 and that

four projects are in the running. He is adamant that the company will

not jump in with a title that could damage the Conde Nast brand.

Ironically, he admits the power of his existing brand portfolio was

hammered home last month when Vogue featured in international headlines.

Omega’s UK brand director threatened to withdraw advertising support

from the title because of the use of painfully thin models - and he went

public with it. Superdrug followed suit by pulling the issue off its

shelves.

Coleridge is dismissive of the row: ‘We found it tedious that those

companies should try to get a bit of cheap publicity on our backs.’ He

refuses to discuss the matter as an editorial issue. ‘This was a

commercial matter; the editors have nothing to do with advertising.

‘We’re very interested to hear advertisers’ views and we hear the

opinion of 50 advertisers a day about what we’re doing. But it’s our

editors who call the shots.

‘I can’t pretend that we sat here for days worrying about it - there’s

too much else to do.’

BIOGRAPHY

1982-1985 Columnist London Evening Standard

1985-1986 Deputy editor Harpers & Queen

1986-1989 Editor Harpers & Queen

1989-1992 Editorial director Conde Nast

1992-present Managing director Conde Nast