Hi Aaron, and welcome to Steemit. I'm sure you're going to love it here.
You have many of the same interests as me. I especially like a good conspiracy and I often find reading about them is more enjoyable and ‘out there’ than fiction.
You asked for some pointers so these following sites will help you a lot on Steemit. I use them myself and so I can definitely recommend them. They’ll make it a lot easier to keep track of everything.
https://steem.makerwannabe.com/ (You can monitor those who follow and unfollow you)
https://steemstats.com/#!/ (This one is great for following your stats and analytics)
https://www.steemnow.com/ (This one allows you to monitor your voting power)
Let me know if you need any help with anything and good luck with your Steemit journey. :-)
Giles