We did it
Next up: Vipassana & Revisions
Hi Friends,
We did it. We did it. We did it.
The founding round for Stress Protection Factor is officially closing tonight, on International Women’s Day, interestingly enough, and my heart is full with gratitude and a bit of wild writing energy.
We reached 90% of the funding goal thanks to 53 amazing supporters. I’ll be putting a little something in the mail for you very soon! Your support enables me to publish the book in digital and print formats in early fall. Books are a bit like a harvest; they take time and care. Thank you for all your support, your feedback, your encouragement, and for being real.
What this pre-sale taught me
I’ll be honest, I was afraid to do this. And now I’m so glad we did it.
On a recent call with my publisher and fellow authors, I shared what that was like for me: there’s nothing like being boots on the ground for what you’re creating. Getting direct feedback, raw reactions, seeing clearly what resonates and what doesn’t — that’s the lifeblood of any book or new idea, tested in the wild.
Thanks to you, I have so much more clarity and precision about the message.
“I feel like enriched uranium,” I told the group. I could power a small city with the energy and voices that came back to me through this outreach.
Most traditionally published authors skip this — they rely on the publisher to promote and distribute. But a new kind of author is emerging. I’m calling them Direct-to-Reader authors: we can’t wait for the right moment, the right gatekeeper, the right machine to swing in and bring our ideas to the world. We do it ourselves — and you are part of that experience.
What happens next: Revisions
We’re well on our way to the next major milestone — revisions. The goal of this next phase is to take the book from an okayish first draft (aka the shitty first draft) to the best version it can be, and I have a fantastic team of editors, copyeditors, and layout designers to help me do so.
I’m excited to go back to the manuscript soon: adding stories, visuals, multisensory elements, refining ideas, working in a close feedback loop with my editor.
But before I reunite with my manuscript, I need to do something important first.
Like a sourdough starter left alone to cultivate “wild yeast”, the manuscript has been given space to breathe. Before I return to it, I’m heading to a Vipassana silent meditation retreat in Joshua Tree — ten days to wipe my mind clean, reset, and prepare for the deep work ahead.
Newsletter updates
I’ll continue sending wellness newsletters during revisions, scaling down to 1–2 times a month when I have updates.
One ask: TED Talk
I have two ideas brewing for a TED Talk in connection with the book. If you know someone who can make an introduction or have pointers on the process, please drop me a line.
Be well, and I’ll see you after my 10-day silent meditation,
-olga