Is it worth creating an audiobook?

He went to sleep with my voice buzzing in his ears. When he woke up, I was gone. But not forgotten.

By the time I had my morning coffee in London, he’d sent me an email—an offer worth $500,000. (Or was it $1 million? I’ll explain later.)

To this day, I’ve kept that email. I printed it out and still have it. Not because of the financial value attached — though that was significant — but because it proved to me, in black and white, the power of a book to make a difference.

And yes, to make more money than I had ever imagined possible from my book. Without any effort from me whatsoever.

Here’s the story.

It started with an email

It started with a simple note:

"Can I get the full audiobook? I heard it on Emirates."

It turns out my audiobook (which had been getting huge visibility on Emirates flights) had lulled him to sleep somewhere over the Atlantic — Dubai to San Francisco, to be precise.

But when he woke up, intrigued and inspired, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He tracked me down through my website, wrote me the email, and waited.

I replied to him. We'll call him James.

“Hi James and thanks for getting in touch. I’m touched that the audiobook didn’t put you to sleep, heh!"

Jokey and not at all gravitas. (I put a lot of people off like that.)

I continued: "We are on the verge of launching the audiobook — it’s been getting huge visibility on Emirates — but we’re not quite ready until the New Year. Let me know where I can send a pre-release version, and I’ll get a copy over to you as my holiday gift.”

It's mid-December, so I thought why not.

Just give it away. One audiobook out in the world won't make much difference.

That could’ve been the end of it.

But just hours later, James wrote back with an email that changed everything.

"It did put me to sleep, but..."

"I hate to say it, but the audiobook actually did put me to sleep," he said.

"I use audiobooks for that purpose sometimes. However, I really value and enjoyed your book, so I’ve been trying all day to track it down."

And then he said this...

"The key thing that told me this was the book for me was the quote from my favorite movie, Swimming with Sharks. So many quotes in that movie about bad behaviour, and the way you tied it into your book was artful. Hat's off."

OK, intriguing.

"As for why I need this: I’m on the verge of being promoted to VP level, but there are key areas of personal development I need to tackle," he said.

"My work product, team building, and strategic thinking are strong, but I want to focus on leadership and motivation for my team."

Then he said this...

"I only read for a few hours, but I expect this book will allow me to get started."

I smiled. Most people forget a book gives you hours in someone's company.

"Thank you so much for the pre-release copy," he said. "This is the best Christmas present yet.”

And then came the real kicker...

"I’m Sending This to My Head of Learning and Development"

There was a PS. Probably longer than the body of the email.

"PS. I’ll be sure to forward this over to the Head of Learning and Development at our online division once I’m finished. I feel like this material could be packaged up and delivered either directly by you or through a train-the-trainers program or videos!"

Wow.

"Also, the VP for Talent is my neighbor, and I’d love to see if this could somehow get in his hands. I don’t know how to do the intro, but I’ll offer up the materials."

Wow again.

This was unexpected. A guy I’d never met, who found my audiobook in-flight, was now talking about bringing my material to his organization and his network of senior leaders.

That’s when I stopped and thought about what it could mean.

The Business Opportunity

I outlined what this could look like:

• A three-day training program for the top 300 executives at his division, focusing on leadership, motivation, and personal development.

• A follow-up digital program for the next 1,000 leaders across the organization.

Let’s do some quick math:

• Assume $25,000 per day for a three-day program, with 30 participants in each session. For the top 300 execs, that’s 10 sessions = $750,000. Could be more, I thought. Could be less. These were my calculations at the time—your results could vary depending on countless factors.

• Add a digital program for the next 1,000 leaders. Let’s say it’s priced at $1,000 per participant. That’s $1,000,000. Again, these are rough estimates. Commission rules and real-world execution can significantly influence actual outcomes. No promises here—just possibilities.

Altogether? I was looking at a potential $1.75 million opportunity from one email.

And if the final total was half that at $0.9m, or even a quarter at $0.45m it was still worth doing.

How did this happen?

It wasn’t luck. James didn't find me because he was trawling the internet at random.

And it certainly wasn’t because of a social media post, tweet, or white paper. None of these could explain at length about live and online programmes. Whereas my book spelled these steps out in the resources section at the back.

So it was because of the book.

And you've got to remember this when you're planning your book.

Books have a unique way of connecting with people emotionally. It’s not just about the information inside. Books tell stories, give cultural references, and just bring the kind of depth that sticks with readers (or listeners, in this case).

James, for example, had connected with the movie references (Swimming with Sharks, for instance), the other stories in the book, and the way the material addressed his challenges directly. That’s something a tweet or LinkedIn post simply can’t do.

Lessons for You

If you’re trying to build your consulting, training, or professional services firm, here’s what you need to know:

1. A Book Is Silent Marketing My book reached someone I’d never met, completely inbound, with no pitch or outreach. It was a free salesperson on this occasion, normal rrp $25, but delivering massive ROI.

2. Books Create Emotional Connections People remember the stories, the cultural references, and the way you address real-world problems.

3. The Scale of Impact Can Be Immense This isn’t just about creating revenue. It’s about making a difference for hundreds (or thousands) of leaders. And yes, you’ll be compensated seriously for that impact.

That said, let me be upfront: I can make no promises about your future earnings from a book, of course not. Your experience will be different from mine. Your book, your industry, and — most importantly — your real-world execution will determine your outcomes. I’m simply sharing possibilities and what worked for me on this occasion.

What's beyond your book?

Writing a book isn’t the end of your journey — it’s the beginning.

For professional service firms, however, it’s a gamechanger. Your book opens doors, starts conversations, and sets the stage for workshops, consulting, and other opportunities that would otherwise need a huge pitch or presentation.

My audiobook, for instance, didn’t just inform — it built a connection. Hours in someone’s ears can lead to a call out of the blue and the kind of opportunity that redefines your business.

If you’re wondering how a book could transform your knowledge business, let’s talk.

Together, we can explore how to turn your expertise into a tool that creates real impact and unexpected opportunities.