It's not even so much about getting whale votes, it's just about understanding simple human psychology. If someone's interested in something, they'll be glad to help the author out. First you have to care about your target audience though. Everyone's selfish at the end of the day, so you have to try to limit your own selfishness and write and connect with other people.. giving, giving, giving and expecting as little as possible in return. You will eventually get rewarded, but you should continue with your journey on giving out as much as possible :)