October 27, 2015 
mhoogland 
I recently read a couple interesting articles about the rise of the gig or sharing economy, and conversation on the topic still seems to be very much alive. Regardless of how to define or categorize what’s happening to today’s economy, it’s a frightening thought—the idea of getting by without a reliable, steady paycheck. Where will the next check come from? When will it come and for how much? Most panic at the mere thought of having to live in such a way.
But writers (and their agents) have been doing it since Day 1. Plenty of professions base pay on unpredictable systems of compensation such as commissions, royalties, bonuses, etc. So how do you a manage to scrape by as a starving artist?
Tip 1: Plan. To the extent you can. If you usually receive royalty payments at a certain time of the month, try to align your bills in that window if possible.
Tip 2: Save. You’ll need to rely on savings at some point. If workflow decreases or earnings drop, you’ll have to adjust. Having a healthy savings account to rely on during the tough times will make it a whole lot more manageable.
Tip 3: Budget. Be realistic. If you typically receive around $10,000 in royalties, don’t spring for a new car based on pure optimism that you’ll rake in $30,000 in royalties this time around. In fact, don’t even count on the usual $10K. Play it on the safe side and set low expectations. Anything extra is found money as far as I’m concerned.
Tip 4: World Series starts tonight. Find a betting window and put it all on the Mets. Everything. Take out a loan if you have to. You’ll thank me later.
Do our readers have any tips? I am going out on a limb and assuming most of you are writers. Care to share?
I have never had a “real” job with a steady paycheck and have made my living in the arts for nearly thirty years (with a few boring part time or temp jobs thrown in to help at times); as a writer, arts publicist, and actor. And my husband is a musician and a photographer and he hasn’t had a real job in over thirty years. I think the single most important thing you can do is STAY OUT OF DEBT.
I’m too old to go back to being a gypsy (my last Tarot customer turned into a werewolf before my eyes and the thrill just wasn’t there anymore) so I’m clinging to my day job with benefits come hell or high water. There’s just too many irrational variables in the writers game-I was looking much by accident at the Wikipedia listing for my last taxable paying gig and thinking, Wow, how did that ever even happen-I was working on something I thought made market sense and then That just rose up out of left field and away we went. But all through it I stuck to my day gig, and even though that’s changed a few times I’m glad I did. To hell with art; if I don’t get paid, I don’t work, and if God needs volunteers to touch up the Sistine Chapel, I’m sure John Green’s great with a paint brush.
I should add that I live in Canada, so I have health care. When we lived in the US, we mostly worked to pay for that.
That makes a difference, Joelle; down here most writers who haven’t made it out of midlist sorta-seller land would be crazy not to hang onto their gig at the perfume counter at Macy’s, or wherever. Cross your fingers, we’ll all be rich literary has-beens yet!