Nice to meet you. Don't be deterred by the modest earnings for your fist post. One of my early posts, I put my heart into...and got two cents. Rather than giving up, I started referring to my posts as my "two cents' worth."
It helps if you make comments on others' posts - comments that show you read the posts. I've found that even if I'm not an engaging writer, my comments still carry weight. At the very least, they're appreciated; you'll win yourself friends.
It is worth sticking around!
lol, i love the 'two cents" bit! maybe ill have something catchy like that one day! thanks for the encouragement!