Welcome... I'm a writer too and I'll share what I've learned. As far as getting followers goes, just keep posting good content and be patient. The followers will come! I just posted an article about people begging for followers (it just pisses people off).

At first I was making around $0.45- $2.50 a post. I just kept writing and as my posting increased, I picked up followers. It took about 3 months before I hit a $25.00 post. Don't worry about it, just have fun writing... the rest will take care of itself.

Another suggestion, become a part of the community. Read other people's posts and comment on them. When I first started and saw posts by people in trouble- I donated (even though it was usually half of what I had). Don't worry about the money- worry about the content.

SBD are tied to USD. Right now, 1 SBD is about $1.75 USD. What you see under your post is in USD. You get paid in SBD. Don't worry right now, just concentrate on letting it accumulate. Your post amount will go up and down with the price of Steem (SBD).

Have fun and enjoy the ride... You just got another follower!