I always figured Arai Sumiko had, like, a day job as an illustrator or something similar that probably pays way better than being a mangaka ever would
She was doing this series for free until the publisher picked it up this year, right? So she wasn't surviving on that nor the random one shots she got published. And who knows what the terms are for her current deal. If she's getting paid upon delivering the volumes or has a more steady source of income from the work. She still is just releasing chapters of it herself for the Japanese audience as before. It's not serialized anywhere else as far as I know.
I do know she's still been picking up unrelated illustration side jobs (books covers, magazine stuff, etc) for the same publisher during this time so she's not likely in the position to only do one series or even whatever her other income has been + this series if she keeps taking up illustration side gigs. Even so everyone is still getting free chapters without any seriously long breaks in between. To me she's been very reliable.
shrug
