Yes. I've noticed that too-- many publish multiple posts a day, and by that measure, it's unlikely I will ever become a "top tier" author here; I just don't have the time to give it. But I also remind myself that this is their full-time "thing." Whether or not Steemit is the only thing they do, they still make their living from "web publishing--" blogs, YouTube, Steemit whatever.

There are so many newcomers these days it gets harder and harder to get "seen." And yes, you can create a superb piece of work... and still end up with only 7 upvotes. Which is why I recommend to minnows to spend most of their efforts on becoming very active curators.... but be picky-- get your name in the comment section of as much quality content as you can manage, and meake meaningful comments there; that's how I got started.