You guess wrong. The whales are seeking original and also non-steemit related content. The make up tutorial that made 10s of thousands is just one example of how whales celebrate diversification within steemit.

My dad is also sharing his story on steemit. Check his blog @letsgetlost and you'll see that he was posting for quite a while before he started making any money.

You'll also see on my own blog that I had beginners luck with my first post, but made pennies for a long time after.

Your post is just a lottery ticket.

The trick is to not get discouraged. While the content and quality is important, it is mostly luck that gets the money. Focus more on consistency which will help build followers for the blog.

I will follow both your father and your wife so I hope they will be back. But if they don't enjoy writing or posting what they are passionate about then it's ok if they don't want to contribute.