I've seen authors put in brilliant efforts on their posts with little or no reward while I've seen authors make post hardly up to a 100 word count getting heavier upvotes on their post. This in most cases can be discouraging for such an engaging newbie.
You made good illustrations and it's quite educative though in some cases the situations might be different. Some authors are fortunate to receive measurable support from curators while some might not be fortunate but in some cases this might not mean that they're not making quality contents or engaging as well. For such a person, what might come to mind is to leave the platform.
It's normal for a newbie actually, that's why I mentioned in one of my posts that the first goal of a newbie is to build awareness and visibility. If they do this consistently, everything would get easier and less tough.
That's a brilliant way out too @starstrings01. Awareness is a key.