Read:

The First Chapter of Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee Releases Today [!!!] (The Wall Street Journal): IT IS HERE. The day has come. The world’s first look at Harper Lee’s long-lost manuscript was published at 12 am today, exclusively by The Wall Street Journal in the US and The Guardian in the UK. You’ll have to wait until Tuesday to read the full book, but what’s a greater gift to yourself on a sunny summer Friday than sinking into a comfy chair with this first chapter? I plan on reading first the straightforward version on the WSJ, then enjoying the gorgeous interactive version The Guardian created. Here’s hoping everyone has some time today or this weekend to savor this historic literary event!

How Publishers Make Decisions About What to Publish: The Book P&L (Jane Friedman): This is a must-read for aspiring authors. The P&L is the key calculation used at publishers to make acquisitions decisions. I remember when I was an editor and bringing proposals to Pub Board, we’d always hit a certain point where the conversation shifted from what-is-the-book-and-who-is-the-author to talking numbers. That’s when sales managers and marketing managers start estimating how many copies they think the book will sell, and therefore how much they can offer as an advance. That’s why I’m always nagging my authors to put every single relevant thing they’ve done into their proposals–it’s usually the only document brought into Pub Board meetings, and so it’s the only voice the author and agent have at the table. So make sure your proposal is knocking their socks off, Charlie-Brown-strikeout style. (And lucky you, this month I’m running a new series on What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Book, and next week’s post is about writing a proposal! Hooray. Here’s where you can catch up on Part 1 and Part 2 of the series.)

21 Content Marketing Predictions for the 2nd Half of 2015 (Joe Lazauskas for Contently): If you’re a writer or blogger, guess what: You are in content marketing. Congratulations, and welcome to your inauguration. Yes, books are the ultimate piece of content marketing, since before anyone even thought to call them that. And if we’re going to gussy things up by slapping some corporate-lingo over things that have been happening for millenia, then let’s really have some fun with it. This prediction for content marketing in 2015 made me burst out laughing: “More and more brands will hire full-time editors. They’ll call them something absurd though, like ‘global audience strategists.'” I just hope we get to call Literary Agents something hilarious too, like Content Development Czars. (Feel free to start calling me this until the end of time.)

3 Common Author Platform Mistakes, Plus How to Fix Them (Maria Ribas for Writer’s Digest): Oh well, lookee here, an article by yours truly. To quote myself, which yes, is an odd thing to do: “Platform-building is not about getting up on your soapbox and asking people to buy your book. It’s actually not about promoting your work at all. The true purpose of a platform is to create a community of like-minded readers—to find the people who like dystopian YA, or historical romances, or the paleo diet just as much as you, and then finding ways to help them. It’s about serving, not selling.”

Eat & Drink:

Cherry Wine Sangria

Over to Jarrett for some refreshment:

Every summer, every single food blog on the Internet starts blasting out sangria recipes. The bloggers showcase ALL THE SANGRIA TYPES: the red wine sangria, the white wine sangria, the look-at-these-precious-and-adorable-fruit-infused-ice-cubes-in-the-sangria sangria.

So, in an effort to combat this scourge of Internet sangrias, here’s…another sangria recipe. (After all, as every military general in history will tell you, “The best defense is a good offense.”) But this one is the most awesome sangria of all. Why? Because it uses a secret: Cherry wine.

That’s right, the secret summer elixir of Northern Michigan is delicious, sweet cherry wine. And since we spent the 4th of July in Northern Michigan, it only makes sense to feature my Mom’s now-famous cherry wine sangria recipe. Using cherry wine instead of a traditional red wine adds some sweetness to the sangria (but a good cherry wine is not too sweet so don’t be scared off), and it also adds more depth of flavor.

• 1 bottle of cherry wine (Even if you don’t live in Northern Michigan, your local liquor store should have some cherry wine. Ask for one that is a nice blend of tart and sweet.)
• 2 shots of brandy (Buying a couple of the airplane-sized bottles from the liquor store is a good way to buy the perfect amount.)
• 2 cups of club soda
• 2 tablespoons of simple sugar
• Slices of fruit (We used two limes, two lemons, and some nectarines, but you can get creative here.)
• Blackberries or raspberries

This recipe is so simple that even a minion could do it. You pour the wine, brandy, club soda, and simple syrup into a large container (the ones that have a spigot are clutch). Then add the sliced fruit. The one extra step that is nice is to very mildly smash the blackberries (or raspberries) a few times with a spoon before dropping them in, just to get their juices flowing. Once everything is added, stir with a large spoon. Then — and this is key — let the concoction sit for several hours before serving. The best way to do this is to make this recipe early in the day and let it marinate until guests arrive.

Although Independence Day has now passed, we still have the rest of the summer to enjoy what Michiganders call our unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, Beaches, and Pie. Oh, and Sangria.

Cheers!