Material Over Noise
The framework behind every review, every recommendation, and every conversation I have about books.
What is Material Over Noise?
Publishing is louder than ever. Every week brings a new wave of hyped releases, algorithm-driven recommendations, and bestseller lists that reward momentum over substance. Readers are drowning in noise — and so are the creators behind the books.
Material Over Noise (M>N) is my answer to that. It’s a simple principle: prioritize what’s material — what’s substantive, what genuinely moves readers, what has staying power — over what’s just loud.
When I review a book, I’m not asking “Is this popular?” I’m asking “Does this matter? Will a reader still think about this in six months? Does the writing earn the space it takes up?”
How I apply it.
In reviews
Every one of my 395+ reviews runs through this filter. I look for craft, emotional honesty, and whether a book delivers on its promise — not whether it has a pretty cover or a celebrity blurb.
In consulting
When I work with book creators, M>N is the lens. I help you strip away the noise around your project — the market anxiety, the comparison trap, the pressure to be everything to everyone — and find the material core that will connect with the readers who are actually looking for your book.
In community
The book clubs I lead on Fable, the conversations I have with readers every day — they’re all built around this idea. Find the signal. Trust the substance. Let the noise sort itself out.
Why it matters.
Five years of reviewing books has taught me something: the books that last aren’t the ones that shout the loudest. They’re the ones that say something real. M>N is how I find those books, and it’s how I help creators make work that deserves to be found.
Interested in bringing M>N to your project?