Welcome to my series called Alchemy Answers™ where I answer questions from the subscriber only chat! Today’s question comes from S. R. Hartley who asked:
How do we not let ourselves get burnt out on marketing, or even grow to despise it? Because…it’s rough out here & it takes so much time & energy, & for me, I get upset sometimes that it’s taking away so much of my limited free time that could be spent writing.🙃
There’s really no two ways around it, social media is pretty overwhelming in all aspects. From bad news to vitriolic discourse and the comparison game to praying your videos actually reach your ideal audience and the constant dopamine hits that lead to doom scrolling; it’s the Wild West out there.
Remember, burnout doesn’t usually come from doing too much, it actually stems from doing too much without direction. When you have clear, actionable goals, a schedule, backlogged content, and a plan, you can get in, get out, and move on with your life. So let’s dive into precisely how to accomplish that. And yes, it does seem like this is more work up front, but in actuality, it saves you so. much. time in the long run and staves off that burn out so you can do what you’re meant to do, which is WRITE!
I’m going to be your big sister for a minute here and ask: how much time are you spending scrolling versus creating? Because when social media is part of your job (and make no mistake, as authors, it definitely is), the lines can get blurred very easily. Maybe you intend to scroll for a few minutes for inspiration, to look for trending audios, or see what’s performing well for other authors. Then, you get sucked into the doom scroll. Twenty minutes later you remember you actually opened that app to post your own video but now you’re emotionally overwhelmed from the onslaught of emotions of what you just consumed.
When I was marketing The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic, I didn’t burn out. Why? Because I treated marketing like training. I set parameters. I gave it intention. I wasn’t aimlessly scrolling. I was studying patterns, testing hooks, learning what made people feel something.
The fix is simple, but powerful:
Before you open the app, decide your purpose. Post, engage for 10–15 minutes, then get out. If you’re truly searching for inspo, use a timer. Protect your brain from overstimulation so it can keep creating.
Remember that creation and consumption can’t coexist. Choose creation more often.
If you’re someone who has a ton of time on their hands and enjoys the process of making insanely cool videos, that’s amazing. Lean into it! But most of us don’t have that time (or inclination) and that is totally okay!
At the end of the day, your content should not about reinventing the wheel, but about keeping the wheel spinning.
When I was building my audience from zero, I found three repeatable formats that worked for me (and my energy):
Aesthetic slideshows with my hook and call-to-action
Relatable meme-style posts that spoke directly to my ideal reader
Once I knew those worked, I stopped experimenting endlessly and focused on consistency. Repetition doesn’t make you boring. It builds recognition. Readers don’t remember what they see once. They remember what they see over and over again.
So instead of forcing constant originality, build a content system that feels easy to sustain.
This one’s the biggest game-changer for protecting your energy: front-load everything.
When I was prepping for my debut, I batched content in advance so I didn’t even have to open the app on high-stress days. I’d film and write captions once a week, schedule them all out, and then log in only to respond to comments.
No doomscrolling. No panic-posting. No staring at your screen wondering what to say.
This is what I mean when I say marketing is 90% mindset and systems. If you can take the emotion out of when to post, you free up energy for how to connect, and that’s the ultimate goal.
For TikTok, I would film ten videos in a row (remember, just me facing the camera or some kind of b-roll) and save them all. In my notes app, I’d keep a bunch of wording I could copy and paste.
I won’t lie, this is going to take some getting used to. It’s going to take discipline. But it’s going to stave off that burn out because you’re working with intention and end goals.
Marketing doesn’t have to take away from your writing. It can actually feed it. Let your content become part of your creative rhythm. Writing a scene that makes you laugh, cry, or kick your feet? Post about it. Record a quick video saying, “I just wrote a line that destroyed me, and you’ll have to read it to understand why.” Bring them on that journeyyyy!
Your posts don’t have to be a performance. They can be an extension of your art. When you share your excitement, it creates momentum. That momentum becomes motivation to get back to the page.
Marketing and creativity aren’t opposites. They’re mirrors. When they work together, you’ll stop feeling like you’re draining one to fill the other! Let them work in tandem WITH pre-planned, scheduled content and see how the stress drains away. You’re not burning out anymore, you’re igniting.
You don’t need more time. You need more clarity. Boundaries, systems, and simplicity create space for joy, writing, and yes, marketing.
The goal isn’t to hustle harder. It’s to build something sustainable enough that your creativity can keep thriving for years to come. Approach marketing and social media as a lens. As a means to an end.
Have a question you want answered? Join the subscriber chat below and ask away!
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This week’s post is free for everyone, but if you want the deeper blueprints, behind-the-scenes strategy, and mindset alchemy…that all lives inside the paid tier. If you’re ready to turn your art into impact, come on in and let’s make a little magic!!!
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