hey, @meno.
I agree. It is about hard work. At least for those of us who are not among the fortunate few, and even then, as you said, there's generally more to it for them than luck, also.
It's amazing how we so many of us can think that things are going to go instantly our way because of whatever cosmic alignment of skills, networking, timing, fortune, talent and subject matter we bring to the table, without realizing that most of us will be writing similar things, with similar abilities and expecting somehow to standout above the rest.
Perhaps that will be the case at some point, but it usually takes time to rise to the top. How long? I don't know yet. I'm nine months in. Not much rising yet.
There has, however, been some thinning going on around us. So, maybe I'll make it by attrition, too. Hard work and attrition. :)
im one year in brother, and at times I gotta pump myself up too, just to keep going!
Seems to be the nature of the place, if not the beast in general. But, as I seem to find myself saying when it comes to what I've done here versus anywhere else—while it's nowhere near a living wage, it blows away everything else I've ever tried for writing or creativity. And that's with STEEM under $1 USD.
So, onward and upward it is. :)