Well, writing - especially genre fiction - is a job where many are called and few are chosen. But, if you know a lot about publishing, and your writing is of good quality, you'll probably make at least a few bucks off of it.
As for side-jobs, perhaps take a look at some of the online options - monetized blogs, affiliate programs, you can even try to get popular YouTube videos going and become a partner (if you're good at animation and/or making games you can do the same on NewGrounds, and I'm sure there are other sites jumping in on this scheme).
Alternatively, instead of looking for a "crappy" side-job, try to get something part-time at a publishing house or other strategic place to work at, and try to take in as much information on the industry as you possibly can while you're there.
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