For example, my royalties for the April-September timeframe are usually received by my agent in January of the following year. My agent then holds the check for 10 business days before he cuts my check and mails it to me. My foreign publishers cut royalty checks only once a year. The bottom line is that I see checks very few times a year. Authors cannot usually count on selling their work at all, let alone being paid at a particular time.
Many writers often find themselves with no money coming in for years.
Without a second job, your finances may look quite grim. You will need to have savings in the bank to carry you through these times, because these savings are your lifeline to your work. Without that financial buffer, you might not be able to buy groceries or make the rent in order to keep a roof over you and your manuscript. However, it also means being able to pay the bills. Keeping a part-time day job may be, for most writers, the best of both worlds.