Congrats on winning a resteem in the Amidakuji contest (I will be posting the results shortly; haven't yet). I will look thru your posts and resteem one of them.

Regarding your questions in this post: It took me a few months before I was making more than 1 or 2 cents a post and actually getting some views. One thing I did that helped speed up the process was I networked like crazy — commenting on others' posts at least several times a day, joining groups on discord such as the writers block and msp, and going out of my way to make personal connections. It is tough work, but as they say, nothing comes easy.

Keep your eye out for contests you can join. I am currently holding another giveaway you can join here. There are many such contests and giveaways on steemit, so keep your eyes peeled.

Try not to get discouraged. Keep posting good quality things and trying to network and eventually it will pay off. Good luck!