Hi Alice! What you have described is a common experience of Steemians, unless you have joined as an investor with lots of Steem Power.
From what I have experienced in 120 days, it takes persistence and patience. To sustain your momentum you need to enjoy creating good quality content. First you have to be happy with the cents, then you may get some dollars and so on.
Too many people try to accelerate the process with the use of upvote bots. Some are successful. Others not. It can be a challenge to pick the profitable bots.
Best of luck on your journey with Steemit!