Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded how influential writers really are.

Fiction can be more effective at explaining global issues than factual reports, according to a recent study by a team from Manchester University and the London School of Economics. Read more about it here.

The study says that books like Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner have “arguably done more to educate Western readers about the realities of daily life in Afghanistan under the Taliban and thereafter than any government media campaign, advocacy organization report or social science research."

While a segment on the news might hold our interest for a few moments before becoming part of that day’s information overload, the characters and scenes from the books we love stay with us long after we’ve put them back on the shelf. I admit that when I see or read a report from Afghanistan, the picture of everyday life that was so vividly painted in The Kite Runner does immediately come to my mind—not as a substitute for current events, but as a context in which to view them.

That said, I cannot imagine having learned more about a woman’s life in Iran from a novel than I did from Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books. The study doesn’t seem to take into account readable, engrossing nonfiction as part of the picture.

What do you think? What novels or other books have expanded your worldview?

—Jessica

Hi, Writers,

Jessica here, filling in for Jane while she’s out of the office for a couple of weeks. When she asked me to guest blog here on There Are No Rules, my first question was about to be, “What would you like me to blog about?” Then I remembered There Are No Rules, so I knew better than to ask.

These first two weeks as editor of WD have flown by. While preparing my first issue at the helm of the magazine, I’ve also been soaking up as much industry news as I can—like all of us here do on a regular basis, but on overdrive.

Sometimes in the deluge of newsletters and blog posts about media layoffs and Google legal battles and the like, it’s nice to find someone who’s saying something totally random that’s been on your mind. That’s how I felt when I logged onto The Penguin UK Blog for the first time in a while, started scrolling through the entries and came across a refreshingly honest post titled How Does Everyone Here Read So Quickly?

I am a voracious reader. True, I feel a responsibility to stay apprised of what’s on the shelves as part of my job—but I’d read nonstop even if I didn’t.

That said, I add to my wish list infinitely faster than I can cross books off. This frustrates me for many reasons, a big one being: I’m fully aware that people expect editors to have read, well, everything. Obviously, this is not possible (though if I could pick one superpower, that might just be it … that, or invisibility, or maybe time travel … but I digress). I love an intelligent conversation about a great book—but I cringe when I'm put on the spot about one I haven’t read. Surely I cannot be alone in this, I’ve wondered. My literary counterpart across the pond made me feel like I have a little company. I love to savor the language of a beautiful book. I don’t want to rush. It’s supposed to be fun!

As writers, it’s important for all of us to be reading constantly. It’s essential. But having a read-in-progress you can’t wait to get back to at this very moment is what matters—how fast you get through it isn’t.

So. What are you reading right now? Leave a comment and let me know! There's always room for one more book on a never-ending wish list.

Over at Writers on the Rise, I'm interviewed about the changes happening in the media industry. Here's a brief snippet, but click the link for the 5 tips:

Writers must be involved with online life and expect to provide online content, and have an online presence. I’d say your career will come to an abrupt halt in a few years if you’re not willing to participate, market, promote, or engage in online activities and audiences.

My colleague Amy Schell recently shared Seth Godin's interview with the people over at Harper Studio. A couple wonderful snippets:

If everything is free, how is anyone going to make any money?
First, the market and the internet don't care if you make money. That's important to say. You have no right to make money from every development in media, and the humility that comes from approaching the market that way matters. It's not "how can the market make me money" it's "how can I do things for this market." Because generally, when you do something for an audience, they repay you.

What's the most important lesson the book publishing industry can learn from the music industry?
The market doesn't care a whit about maintaining your industry. … you can decide to hassle your readers (oh, I mean your customers) and you can decide that a book on a Kindle SHOULD cost $15 because it replaces a $15 book, and if you do, we (the readers) will just walk away. Or, you could say, "if books on the Kindle were $1, perhaps we could create a vast audience of people who buy books like candy, all the time, and read more and don't pirate stuff cause it's convenient and cheap..."

When I first joined the Writer's Digest community in 2001, I had the great pleasure of having Jessica Strawser as a colleague on Writer's Digest magazine. Our paths diverged after a couple years, but now we're working together once again on this publication that brings out our most heartfelt enthusiasm and creativity.

During her first turn at Writer's Digest, Jessica contributed and edited monthly magazine columns about writing successes, critiques, and careers, and also served as executive editor of multiple special issues (such as the ever-popular Writer's Yearbook). Since her leave from the magazine, she's had experience in marketing and public relations, online writing and editing, and book publishing, most recently as managing editor for North Light Books.

Fans of Writer's Digest magazine, as well as future fans, have much to look forward to. Jessica has a passion and expertise for the writing community that's accompanied by a fresh perspective and a curiosity essential for our continuing mission to be the most informative and trusted source for writers.

Please join me in welcoming Jessica: a fellow writer and a fellow editor (and, it must be said, fellow book lover).

I recently stumbled upon 101 Reasons to Stop Writing while surfing the writing blogosphere. I love it.