Q&A With Geoff Livingston: Author, Marketer, and Entrepreneur

Marketing strategist Geoff Livingston recently added author to his list of accomplishments when he published his first book.  Over the past 14 years he has worked with the likes of AT&T, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bartleby Books, BEA Systems, Hughes Network Systems, ManTech, the Washington Nationals, Intelsat, Verizon Wireless and many others.

Geoff graduated from American University in 1994 with a BA in Literature.  He was kind enough to take a few moments to reflect on some of his experiences at AU as well as his life since graduation.  I'm sure I met Geoff at AU since we graduated in the same year, though it was probably at Quigley's where he worked rather than a classroom, but it wasn't until this year that I actually got to know him.

You just published a book, Now Is Gone, that helps educate executives and entrepreneurs about new media.  What compelled you to take the time to write the book?

I literally was getting peppered with requests to explain social media to local execs.  I could not keep taking the time to do it, and felt the book would be a better way to meet their needs.  Little did I know what I was getting into.  The time consumption was amazing.

What lessons would you share with others interested in writing their first book? 

Get ready for the long haul.  Writing a book is an arduous journey, but marketing it is also a long and tedious process.  There’s much more that goes into book publishing than you can possibly imagine, and financially, it’s not that rewarding.  So make sure it’s something you want to do.

If you want the book to be successful and well received, make sure you are writing for others, not for yourself. If you write to make yourself look good, or about your many thoughts, the book will not be of service to its readers. It’s about them, not you.  Like all things in life.

We rushed our book to market so it would be timely. The resulting reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, but I feel it could be better.  Maybe my standards are too high, but I hope we can sell enough books to get to a second edition, and a cleaner version of the book. This is my Achilles Heel with Now Is Gone.  I would tell other writers to make sure your publisher has a real strong editing team in place.

The other thing is that people will suddenly criticize you randomly. Developing thicker skin has been a trial by fire process, and not that enjoyable.  Yet I understand it.  By becoming an author you inadvertently put yourself on the public’s pedestal for pot shots.  Simultaneously, you do get viewed as a subject matter expert, which is the positive trade off.

What was most valuable about your experience at AU?

I had a great medieval history professor by the name of Terry Murphy.  Professor Murphy wouldn’t take my spun bunk for work, and insisted I think. The end-result was a new way of looking at the world, analytically and culturally.

What would your AU classmates be most surprised to know about your post-college life? 

That I actually became something more than a bartender (go Quigley’s)!  Somewhere around 24 I woke up and smelled the coffee, turning my life focus from partying and debauchery to responsible actions. Thank, God. I’m so glad not to be that guy anymore.

I look back at my college years, and dread the wasted hours that I should have been studying.  But I was fortunate enough to get a second chance at Georgetown, and graduated with honors.  For me that relieved a lot of guilt from my poor undergraduate performance.