This is a brilliant initiative, @yallapapi. I'm "bouche-bée". On one hand you claim that Steemit is going down the drain and on the other you prove that it doesn't have to - with people like you around, clearly I need to buy more STEEM.
Here is my submission for the Kingmaker Writing contest.
I didn't manage to understand the thing about submitting up to the 1st but then the post should eb less than 3.5 days old and the winner is anounced on the 15th by which time the post would be way past the payout date and thus could not benefit from your push up ... You might want to clear that up.