Lots of people listen to free podcasts on their iPods. There are also audiobooks you can buy online and download to your MP3 players or cellphones; companies like Audible and Apple cater to this market. But what if you're a popular podcaster going on Oprah and your book isn't finished?

It's a problem some of us wish we had. But putting that aside for a moment, this New York Times article shows how author Mignon Fogarty capitalized on her Oprah appearance, even though her book wasn't ready, by creating and selling a $4.95 audiobook that complimented her free Grammar Girl podcasts.

Within a week, her audiobook had bumped The Secret from the top audiobook spot on iTunes. Not bad.

Book not ready for print? Whip up an audiobook [NYT via CNET News]