Let me share you my personal experience. I am a beginner here and I have written few articles. Yes, it is difficult to get noticed for a while as it takes time to create an online identity for yourself. I am slowly getting noticed by one or two whales. It hasn't translated much in steem terms now but I must accept that steem has made me write again. I agree with you that as like any online site, one thing we must watch out is people selling sex in the name of content. I have written an article about such practices in art section. It can be found here. https://steemit.com/art/@chhabiz/bringing-back-inspiration-innocence-and-purity-in-fine-arts