Very good observation of what is happening here and very good tips!
Here is the very best tip to all the "disappointed":
If you write to get rewards and make money, forget it! It looks unnatural and greedy. If you write because you enjoy it and because you can, write! People will read your posts, which is the greatest success for a writer. And then - and only then - can you be happy about a higher Steem reward. But that should only be the icing on the cake, never the reason that drives you to write!