Yes, you read that title correctly and I’ll explain what I mean in a moment. Audiobooks are exploding on the scene and for good reason. Not only are they convenient, you can even be more efficient with your reading. Audiobooks redeem brain drain time as you commute back and forth to work. Did you know you can even listen to a book at 3x speed so you can get through the material even faster if it starts to drag?
Audiobooks are a little-known secret that voracious readers employ to help them get through even more books in a year. Any person who reads a lot of books listens to at least a few audiobooks. Don’t believe me? Ask someone you know who reads a lot.
When I first learned this secret from my friends who read way more than I do I wanted to cry foul! I thought it was cheating and shouldn’t count toward total books read in a year. I scoffed at the idea and fancied myself a purist who would only read paper books. (I know–ironic as I write in a digital medium.)
So last year I thought I would give it a try. I was given a fiction audiobook title that I also had lying around in hardback that I never seemed to be able to get to. What could it hurt? Wow! I was hooked and blew through the book in a week just driving to and from work. My podcast subscriptions got backed up, but I “read” a book during drive time!
Some of you could get through a book a week just through audiobooks and your commute or work out time. Imagine reading 52 books in a year!
One of my fears of using audiobooks was that I wouldn’t be able to retain the information. Or worse, I wouldn’t be able to find the information later on while doing message prep or research. Being a communicator I don’t just need to be exposed to the information, I need to find it later on.
What was my solution?
I got around this by having a copy of the paper version near me while I listened to the audiobook. Usually I’m listening in the car so when I’m stopped at my destination I’ll do a quick skim over what I just listened to and highlight what stood out to me.
This gives me the best of both worlds. I get through the book quicker and I’m able to retain what I just listened to for future messages or reference. The key is to highlight after each listening session. If you don’t you’ll get overwhelmed. It takes me less than 5 minutes to skim what I just heard and highlight the portions I want. Because I just listened to the material I’m familiar with it and can jump to the part I want to remember.
One caution, I’ve found audiobooks that are heavy with research or lack narrative stories are harder to stay focused on. If you know an author who uses lots of illustrative stories that is a perfect candidate for an audiobook. I’ve suggested two for you at the bottom.
I know this is equivalent to buying the book twice, but how many books do you have sitting on your shelf mocking you? Would you rather have the info in your head or on the shelf unread for another year? What if the answer to the question that has been keeping you up at night is in that unread book? Would you pay $14.95 to get that answer?
Audiobooks aren’t cheap, but as I’ve slowly started wading into this double format world I was surprised how many audiobook MP3s and CDs you can pick up for cheap on CBD. Just do a quick search and you’ll find some great titles for less than $10 and many for less than $5. Get another friend hooked and you can swap titles when you’re finished.
Another option if you have Amazon Prime is to start a 3 month trial membership to Audible where you can download 1 title each month for free during the trial. After the trial period it is $14.95 a month for 1 title each month. If you’re not a Prime member you can still get a 30 day free trial.
Audible has a free app that makes using their entire system super easy and enjoyable. The one drawback is that you can’t purchase through the app. You have to purchase it through Amazon first. That aside, Audible has become my go-to favorite for audiobooks. The app even allows you to pull in books you may have purchased from iTunes. The subscription will also give you discounted prices on their audiobooks if you burn through your allowance of 1 book a month.
Try it! I think you’ll love it and you’ll get through more books this year than ever before. Here are two books (book one & book two) that I think you’ll enjoy listening to in audio format.
Question: What’s your favorite audiobook? Share your answer on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
