# Yes, no, maybe on a huge pile

A culture and creative format, measured November 8, 2026 by Volume. https://tryvolume.app/working/culture-and-creative/yes-no-maybe-on-a-huge-pile

Go through a big batch of books with a one-word verdict on each (yes/no/maybe, read/skip, overrated/properly rated) instead of long reviews. It worked for 4 accounts, with a median of 5x their usual reach. Type: Editing trick. Seen as: Talking head.

## Why it works

Dozens of verdicts in one video keep viewers waiting for the titles they love, and they argue with your calls in the comments. The physical pile shows how much is coming.

## How to make it

1. Stack or line up everything you read in the period
2. Give one-word or one-line verdicts on the beat
3. Let the pile shrink or the count climb as you go

## Hook formula

[Yes/No/Maybe or Read it/Skip it] for every [item] I [read] in [timeframe]

## Examples

- @wlmbooks (26K followers, Instagram talking head): 6.4x their usual views. Hook: “YES, NO or MAYBE? Q3 Reads Edition” [Original post](https://www.instagram.com/p/DfFbt_RxHaq/)
- @lizapalmerxx (33K followers, Instagram talking head): 6.1x their usual views. Hook: “popular YA books i've read and if you should READ IT or SKIP IT” [Original post](https://www.instagram.com/p/De9-rlttXql/)
- @husbandbookreviews (6K followers, Instagram talking head): 4.1x their usual views. Hook: “HERE ARE THE MOST POPULAR BOOKTOK BOOKS THAT I HAVE READ” [Original post](https://www.instagram.com/p/De2DXaOosIy/)
- @twinreadsandreds (117K followers, Instagram talking head): 2.7x their usual likes. Hook: “Yes. No. Maybe. Quarter 3 📚” [Original post](https://www.instagram.com/p/DenHxvuoCl1/)

More culture and creative formats: https://tryvolume.app/working/culture-and-creative.md

## Get the full library

The full library has every post, format and hook in culture and creative, plus long-running Meta ads, and your AI agent can search it over MCP. The library comes with Volume Core and Pro, from $29.99 a month, and every plan starts with a 3-day free trial. Start a free trial: https://tryvolume.app/library

Agents: add Volume's MCP server (https://app.tryvolume.app/api/mcp) and call `search_library(shelf: "formats", niche: "Culture and creative")` for every format, `search_library(shelf: "posts", niche: "Culture and creative")` for examples with transcripts and scripts.

## How this is measured

- Every post is compared with its own account's usual reach, not with other accounts. "14x their usual" means the post got 14 times the median views of that account's recent posts.
- TikTok videos and Instagram Reels are measured on views. Instagram carousels have no view count, so they are measured on likes against the account's usual likes, and say so.
- A post makes the library at 2x its account's usual or more. A format is a repeatable move (what is said or shown, or how it is edited) that several accounts used in breakout posts. It is listed here once it worked for 3 or more different accounts.
- Formats rank on how many accounts they worked for and how far above usual, damped so a fluke on one tiny account cannot outrank a format that worked for ten.

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