From what I understand, hardfork 18 changed the way the rewards pool works (7 day payout) so it will take some time for it to fill up again enough to see the same rewards we were seeing previously. Some may think, "Well screw that then. I'm going to hold off on posting my best content right now until later when I can get the rewards I deserve."
That's understandable, but maybe there's a better, more profitable long term view:
Now's the time to post my best content while others aren't motivated.
If you're posting your best while other authors are slacking off, you'll attract more new followers who are looking for great Steemit authors right now. Over the long term, those new followers, and their votes and shares, will be more profitable to you than any rewards right now.
I'm starting to see this at work for me. I now have over 1,000 followers (!!!) which is amazing (Thank You!). With all those eyeballs, I get more votes, more attention, more engagement, and ultimately more fun.
Followers and readers are what bring value here. Don't forget, the real currency of Steemit is relationship.
What I'm curious about now is how the trending page will change if the same, high-paying posts will stay there for 7 days... hmmm.