You have some good points in this post. Only those who make themselves a part of the community in whichever way they can, seem to achieve success. That must translate to followers, though not necessarily a very large number, who upvote your posts. Also being backed by a whale is a bonus that fast tracks you to higher earnings.

Last but not the least, if you search for platforms that pay for blogging on topics of personal choice, I don't think there are any other viable options.