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Many people \u2013 me included \u2013 start their career in the so called academic\u00a0 There are now 9 times more students in the system than when I entered as a baby architect in 1989, but there are not 9 times as many academics to teach them. Governments have forced academia to be \u2018more efficient\u2019 by squeezing public funding. Although universities get more money year on year, this does not match the growth in outgoings. In order to just run the business, universities are forced to use \u2018seasonal labour\u2019 so that people are not paid in the semester breaks.<\/p>\n 20 years ago, a period of casual teaching and RA work was seen as the start of an academic career. Now a significant number of people spend entire academic careers working as a casual, or \u2018adjunct\u2019 as they are called in the USA. (I hate the word \u2018casual\u2019 by the way \u2013 these people are anything but casual about their work! They are passionate and committed.)<\/p>\n Academic work seems much \u2018nicer\u2019 than being a cleaner, so rarely is there a direct comparison made between our industry and other \u2018gig economy\u2019 workers, but the conditions are not dis-similar. People who work in cleaning companies, nursing homes and meat packing works are accused of starting Covid clusters, which is unfair because they literally cannot afford to miss work and not get paid. Casual academic work is no different. At one point I was working in six different universities and I definitely never took a sick day. Casual academics could easily be \u2018super spreaders\u2019: if it wasn\u2019t for Zoom, our campuses would be \u2018hot zones\u2019 too.<\/p>\n Navigating this career stage \/ reality is difficult and there is precious little guidance. It feels like a trap \u2013 and in some ways it is. Your academic mentors might tell you the way to escape is to write papers. But a CV full of papers doesn\u2019t help in a system that\u2019s shedding workers. Given the current crisis, it\u2019s likely that precarious work will be even more precarious, for a while at least.<\/p>\n One option is to leave of course, but what if you want to stay connected to academia and wait out the bad times? One option is to explore \u2018non-academic\u2019 sources of income to help make ends meet. Making money with your academic skills via the internet can be done, but it is a challenge and most people don\u2019t know how to start. Take this letter I received from PhD student Juliet, late last year \u2013 here\u2019s the gist of it:<\/p>\n I notice how in your blog you are super-careful to explain to us how commercial interests\/opportunities intersect with your work. For example you explain in detail how you spend the money from your\u00a0Amazon affiliate page<\/a>. You\u00a0refrain from advertising<\/a>\u00a0on your site, despite I assume receiving lucrative offers?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n \u2026 as public funding for universities is being withdrawn, and we are being exhorted to be more enterprising and develop our own brand\/social media identities? \u2026 how are we to navigate the increasingly blurry commercial\/funding\/public service landscape. (Along with blurry personal\/professional disruptions\u2026perhaps that is a whole other post).<\/em><\/p>\n How do you do it and is it just a case of a strong internal moral compass, what beliefs or principles underpin the decisions you make when navigating these issues and how were these principles formed?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n In trying to answer to this student\u2019s letter I found myself talking about an academic-commercial model, elements of which might work for those of you wondering how to multiply your income streams now.<\/p>\n In this lengthly post I lay out what has worked for me. Your mileage may vary: some strategies might work, others won\u2019t. I certainly enjoy some privileges that others do not \u2013 but hopefully some of these ideas might be useful and perhaps start you thinking.<\/p>\n 1) Consider developing a \u2018mission\u2019 focus in your work I sincerely believe research can change the world. PhD students are smart, creative people. They are needed to solve lots of the world\u2019s problems: but they are often stuck and confused about what to do next. My job is to support them in any way I can.<\/em><\/p>\n That statement above is my mission. All the work I do \u2013 paid and unpaid \u2013 flows from it. Articulating this mission is useful, and not just because I find it personally motivating. A clear mission gives my work focus, which, over time, has made me more visible and legible to others. This visibility results in opportunities.<\/p>\n I do a lot of things related to helping PhD students. A lot of it free \u2013 some of it paid.\u00a0 Over time, by focussing on this mission, I have created a digital presence and a body of work that makes me into a recognised expert in the field of research education. When you are mission focussed, you become the person to call when others have problems related to your area of expertise. Some of these people may be in a position to pay you to solve some of these problems.<\/p>\n This is just a theory, but I think this mission focussed approach works better as a money maker if you make a set of problems your focus, not a tool, technique, or (dare I say it) knowledge in an academic discipline. So, ask yourself: what can I do with what I know? What problems can I solve and for whom? Who might pay me to solve these problems? Remember: the person receiving the service does not have to be the person who pays you to provide it, which brings me to point two:<\/p>\n 2) Make things people can use and put them out on the internet for free \u2013 just remember that working entirely for free, long term, is just not sustainable.<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt that putting free stuff up on the internet builds your profile and can result in you being in the enviable position of the \u2018go to\u2019 problem solver in a specific area of expertise. The Thesis Whisperer blog has been a great way of \u2018unfolding\u2019 my problem solving expertise over time. I\u2019ve been blogging for just on a decade and all this \u2018free\u2019 work has lead to heaps of opportunities, for example, the job I have right now.<\/p>\n There are lots of options for making shareable, useful content and become known as a \u2018gun for hire\u2019 problem solver in your chosen domain.\u00a0I\u2019ve done a lot of Youtube videos<\/a>\u00a0because I like mucking around, drawing and explaining things. And you don\u2019t have to work alone! I recently launched\u00a0a podcast with my friend Jason Downs called \u2018on the reg\u2019<\/a>\u00a0where we chat about academic work and the various tools we use, what we are reading and so on. The format is still evolving as we go, but it\u2019s amazing how energising it can be when more than one person is invested in the making process.<\/p>\n For ethical reasons, I like my internet content to be free. I know what it\u2019s like to do a PhD while having uncertain work and a whole bunch of other challenges, like parenting. I don\u2019t want to add to your problems by demanding payment for content.<\/p>\n While the Thesis Whisperer is free for you, I need it to pay for itself somehow. In a non-Covid year, it costs me upwards of $15K AUD to \u2018be @Thesis Whisperer\u2019. I use a lot of online tools and equipment to make content and manage communications. Subscription fees must be paid, books and computers need to be bought; sometimes the site needs design help and specialist coding. I used to get generous support from ANU to go to conferences, this that did not cover all the professional travel I felt I needed to do. (This is a cost I am not paying at the moment, so my 2020 account books will look quite different).<\/p>\n ANU gives me nothing towards the cost of maintaining the blog. I\u2019m not accusing them of being mean \u2013 far from it. They have always been super supportive and appreciative of the work (and the profile of the blog is an asset for them too I suppose). But I don\u2019t want them to pay for it.<\/p>\n The reason is simple: if ANU don\u2019t pay, they have no say in how I run the blog. I learned the importance of creative independence very early on. When I started the blog at my previous place, the marketing department wanted to filter comments to make sure no one was saying anything bad about the institution. I had to lawyer up to fight this interference (that year \u2018being Thesis Whisperer\u2019 was really expensive!) and I\u2019ve avoided a repeat of this trouble by keeping ANU at a friendly arms length. In fact, I had this functional separation written into my original contract.<\/p>\n Creatively and financially staying independant can make a lot of sense and I would highly recommend this approach for someone doing a side hustle as a working academic, as well as people who are casually employed.<\/p>\n Freedom has a price tag though. I\u2019ve actively looked for ways to generate income over the years. At the moment I do this through\u00a0affiliate deals<\/a>,\u00a0running workshops<\/a>,\u00a0selling books<\/a>\u00a0and, lately,\u00a0Patreon<\/a>. I go into more detail below, but it\u2019s worth noting while I\u2019m on the topic, my income comes from multiple sources and countries. Dealing with different countries in terms of working visas and tax is \u2026 interesting. I\u2019ve had to get familiar with things like Swift codes and IBAN numbers.<\/p>\n It costs money to make money and systems are important: when you have 5 or six different streams of money that dribble in constantly, you need a way to track it and record it in the event you get audited. I pay a good accountant to do my tax and have software to manage it all. I like finding technical solutions to these challenges. I use\u00a0Xero<\/a>\u00a0to manage my books, which costs $25 a month. I have a\u00a0\u2018Square\u2019 credit card machine<\/a>\u00a0to sell books at my workshops.<\/p>\n Splashing the Thesis Whisperer card about can be fun, I\u2019m not going to lie. I buy people dinner when I travel \u2013 when you\u2019re a blogger everyone is a potential client! I go to all the museums and galleries \u2013 when you\u2019re a writer, everything is \u2018research\u2019!<\/p>\n The list of \u2018extras\u2019 I can and do claim on my tax goes on and on, but I won\u2019t bore you. Suffice to say, I hope this small window into my financial affairs shows that if you have any ambition to have public profile like mine, you need a good accountant. Which leads me to my next point \u2013 ways to make money to pay for it all.<\/p>\n 3) Your money making activities will be more effective if they are \u2018brand aligned\u2019\u2026 Advertising is an obvious answer to the cash flow problem, but I think it pays to be careful about how you integrate it into your online presence. Google ads put weird content on your pages. I tried it for a bit, but decided they were distracting and largely pointless if no one clicks on them anyway. I\u2019ve resisted many offers for paid advertisements for over a decade. Sadly, all the serious approaches have involved endorsing products or services I either ethically disagree with (essay mills) or just are not \u2018brand aligned\u2019 (random banking services \u2013 why?).<\/p>\n I\u2019m open to advertising in the future. But if I had ads, I would want them to be the sort you click on and say \u201cI\u2019m so glad Inger showed me that\u201d. I would be happy, for example, to host ads for a fabulous software publisher like\u00a0\u2018Literature and Latte\u2019, who make Scrivener<\/a>\u00a0(hint hint!). I\u2019m certainly promoting the product we designed to help PhD graduates find jobs:\u00a0PostAc<\/a>\u00a0 via the blog (although, as is the way with commercialising anything via a University, it will be many years \u2013 if ever \u2013 before I will personally see a financial return on this work).<\/p>\n Remember that partnerships can be a way of creating opportunities, rather than generating cash directly. Recently I signed a deal to have my content translated by\u00a0Ulatus<\/a>, a global translation company servicing places like Korea, Japan and China. The deal is solely for mutual benefit. I make no money from this deal and, while Ulatus own the translations they make, they can\u2019t sell my content. We each benefit from the deal in different ways. My work gets a bigger audience. I can\u2019t reach readers who do not, or cannot, engage with me in English. In turn, Ulatus have a store of good content which showcases their skills in translation.<\/p>\n I agonised over this deal with Ulatus. I did a lot of due diligence, luckily assisted by people I know in the translation business in south east Asia. I wanted to make sure Ulatus was reputable and did not write essays or dissertations for people. A brand association with an essay mill would be death for my credibility. I\u2019m interested to see what this relationship with Ulatus will bring over time. I\u2019ve learned that sometimes the benefits are only clear in retrospect. I guess my point here is that when it comes to how profile translates to income, you have to focus on the long game.<\/p>\n Books are crucial to my work, so I\u2019ve had an\u00a0Amazon affiliate page<\/a><\/em>\u00a0for ages \u2013 it was one of the first things I hooked up. I get maybe $30 a month which goes directly back into buying more books! Remember, not all rewards land as cash \u2013 there is swag too. I get a lot of books to review for instance, but I don\u2019t review, or recommend, books I don\u2019t think are good. (Some people have criticised me for this approach, saying I should point out what to avoid too, but I don\u2019t believe in trashing the hard work of others, even if the product is not great.)<\/p>\n My blogs have 100,000 reach on social media, so if everyone who read the post paid a dollar on Patreon<\/a>\u00a0every month\u2026. well I\u2019d make 80,000 a month and I wouldn\u2019t need a day job! The promise of these \u2018tipping\u2019 sites is great, but in reality even with a large follower base like mine it\u2019s hard to make a living from it.<\/p>\n At the moment I make about $200 a month. I don\u2019t offer \u2018extras\u2019 on Patreon \u2013 I found I couldn\u2019t sustain making these on top of everything else and I felt discomfort at making things that were not free.I really, really appreciate my Patreons. Their willingness to help brings in enough to pay for all my web subscriptions with some left over for extra gear. Most recently I was able to buy a fancy iPad stage with Patreon help:<\/p>\n My assumption is that most people choose to be a Patreon because they feel they are able to make a small donation. Some even donate more than the $1, which is lovely, but no pressure! If you\u2019re a regular reader and feeling guilty about not signing up, please don\u2019t. I know literally every dollar counts at the moment.<\/p>\n Book royalties form a nice chunk of my \u2018side hustle\u2019 income. Self publishing is a way to monetise content by repackaging and reworking the free offer of the blog. Basically, people will pay for convenience and books are handy (and sometimes lovely) packages of information. Of course, there is no academic \u2018win\u2019 in self publishing, but there are lots of other benefits to a cash flow. If you\u2019re going to do it, think about what will be useful first and foremost \u2013 well written \u2018how to\u2019 content sells well online.<\/p>\n I could bore for Australia on the ins and outs of self publishing, but for anyone who is interested, I recommend becoming a member of\u00a0ALLi<\/a>: the Alliance of Independent authors (thanks to Helen Kara for the recommendation). I get royalties from my other books via my publishers. There is more income from conventional publishing, for me, than self publishing, but not as much as you might think. Last year from all of my publisher owned books was around $3000.\u00a0 The most prolific academic author I know makes about $10,000 a year and has over 17 books. I really don\u2019t think you can make a living off academic publishing, sadly.<\/p>\n Where I really turn my profile into cold hard cash, is giving workshops. Of course, I have to find ways to manage around my existing commitments, often taking leave from my day job, so I don\u2019t do a lot of these gigs. I make sure to be good value and I have repeat customers who get me in every year. I spend no time on promoting this activity: I just put information up on\u00a0my Workshop page<\/a>\u00a0and see who calls me. All my gigs for the year were cancelled in the pandemic, but increasingly people want me to deliver online. To my surprise, teaching these online is relatively easy and the feedback has been really positive.<\/p>\n I\u2019m pretty sure I will never go back to being completely in person workshops \u2013 it\u2019s more sustainable on lots of levels to not fly all over the place. Other people I know have launched online courses via Udemy and the like \u2013 some of them have made astounding amounts of money. I don\u2019t do this as I think there is a conflict of interest with my job, although it\u2019s the first thing I would do if I found myself unemployed!<\/p>\n If you do teaching as a side hustle, consider the \u2018freemium\u2019 model, where you give a little away for free so people can decide if they like the goods. It can also be a way of giving back and meeting your internet audience face to face. Long ago I decided to do lectures and keynotes for expenses only, which means I can get out and about, meet people and share my research in progress. At the moment I am doing heaps of Zoom sessions of\u00a0\u2018So, you\u2019re graduating in a Pandemic, what\u2019s next?\u2019<\/a>\u00a0as a community service. Your teaching skills, thoughtfully leveraged, are probably your best asset.<\/p>\n There are lots of options \u2013 choose what works for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n As I shared, it\u2019s expensive to be Thesis Whisperer, but all my little income streams added together are a tidy \u2018side hustle\u2019. I\u2019m fortunate enough that I can use this money to invest in my creative side projects \u2013 and give to charities. I donate some $200 a month from general Thesis Whisperer revenue to causes I am passionate about:\u00a0UN Women<\/a>,\u00a0Peter MacCullum cancer institute<\/a>,\u00a0The Australia Institute<\/a>. I also save a lump sum to donate to whatever disaster relief is most needed that year (sadly there is always something). For example, our bushfires were just catastrophic. I donated all my Amazon royalties from my self published book\u00a0\u2018How to Tame your PhD\u2019<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 roughly $1000 AUD \u2014 to the bushfire relief effort. I figured many of my readers wished they could donate more \u2013 I was in a unique position to pass along some of their money to a good cause.<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t live on my side hustle alone, but it does act as a base that I could build on if I lost my job. Years of being a casual honed my survival instinct: it\u2019s always good to have a back up plan. If I lost my job I would put serious effort into building a\u00a0social enterprise<\/a>\u00a0around my Thesis Whisperer work \u2013 a business that exists to help people and also pays me a living wage.<\/p>\n Thanks for reading this far \u2013 I\u2019m slightly surprised at how much I have to say about the side hustle.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been thinking for a little while on how this kind of commercial\/academic approach could provide some casual academics more financial comfort. I\u2019ve wondered about whether it\u2019s worth doing some workshops via Zoom, or writing a self published book (putative title: \u2018rich academic, poor academic\u2019!). If you\u2019re interested in hearing more, please get in touch. Comments are still off \u2013 but I\u2019m interested in your thoughts and questions, so feel free to drop me a line or talk to me on Twitter.<\/p>\n In solidarity, especially to those doing it tough in lockdown \u2013 wherever you are.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"hunger games<\/del>\u00a0\u2018gig economy\u2019. It\u2019s common to try to cobble together some kind of living wage from multiple jobs \u2013 most of them paid by the hour or extremely short contracts. Some people call this a \u2018portfolio career\u2019: but this always seems to me an attempt to put a positive spin on what it really is: uncertain, precarious work.<\/p>\nThis situation is a result of under-investment by successive governments of both left and right persuasions. Consider this graphic, drawn from\u00a0a recent AMSI report by McCathy and Wienk<\/a>, which shows the growth in academic jobs vs PhDs granted:<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/PHDcompletions-copy.jpg\")
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\n\u2026when it comes to monetisation strategies,\u00a0 I\u00a0never<\/em>\u00a0put a commercial arrangement in front of my academic judgment.<\/strong><\/p>\n