Sophia June is a bartender and coat check girl who has done everything to live in NYC including writing people's wedding vows and selling merch for Yo La Tengo.

Can you tell us about a job (or multiple) you had early in your writing career that stands out in your memory?

SJ: I've never not moonlit! But after officially retiring from babysitting at age 24, I've worked as a hostess, server, bartender, coat check girl, and a merch girl. I've packed gift boxes for influencer/PR gifting. I've consulted with ad agencies, done copywriting for Google, done freelance mixology consulting, and been cast as an extra.

Do you do any moonlighting now?

SJ: Although I no longer work part-time as a bartender, I pick up bartending gigs regularly, as well as work coat check during the winter months. (Shoutout to Byroads and Hot Girl Coat Check!) I am also doing some freelance research work for an author.

Many emerging writers are looking for the moment when they "made it." What are your thoughts on "making it" and when did you feel like you "made it"?

SJ: I don't think I'm anywhere close to "making it" but I was shocked when a couple people recognized me when I was out and about and told me they liked my writing. I don't expect anyone to read anything! The other moment was when Chelsea Hodson, a writer I had long admired, emailed me to compliment my work and tell me about her press Rose Books, which I was really honored to cover.

Share your favorite (or least favorite!) anecdote from a moonlighting gig.

SJ: I was at a Yo La Tengo concert and their manager overheard me talking about how I used to sell merch; he hired me on the spot.

What were some of your biggest challenges along your writing/publishing path?

SJ: Money and working in precarious industries. Nightlife is also precarious. If it weren't for moonlighting, I would have had to quit writing a long time ago. Sometimes it's hard when the labor of the moonlighting gets in the way of the writing; it sometimes feels like a Sisyphean task.

What advice would you give to writers/artists today who are "moonlighting" in order to support their art?

SJ: Everything counts. Even when you don't think you're writing, you are.

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Sophia is a writer in Brooklyn. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times, Nylon, Vanity Fair, Pitchfork, and Far West Press.

IG: @sophiajune
T: @sophianjune