1 minute ago, Magogan said:
No, I'm not putting money or much effort into marketing. I am waiting for my graphics designer to animate some of the models first, then create a better trailer and then I can start marketing it.
I have no idea what Valve changed. They do not answer my support ticket, neither do they answer to a 400+ post thread or any other support ticket. There is a developer that made somewhat between $250,000 and $500,000, estimated based on the number of reviews, and even they are not getting any response from Valve.
I did not get much traffic from search results. I am probably not allowed to tell you where the traffic came from (NDA), but I can say that a large chunk of the traffic came from one source and that one has dropped significantly.
Well that's unfortunate, sorry to hear you're having this problem.
For future reference, once your game is polished I would strongly suggest you create a marketing plan and have a fund ready. I wouldn't count on sales by just placing a title on a platform without generating exposure. That exposure could be a mix of marketing, reviews, endorsements, ect... If you manage to get sales because Steam or whoever has an agreement for some form of 3rd party lead generation, then so be it, but I would put every dollar I made back into marketing if possible until sales were coming in a good rate to supplement marketing costs then adjust.
You're going to have to find someway to fund your project. This means you're going to be putting in a lot of hours to generate potential projects if you decide to go freelance as a way of funding, but this is how it works when you go into business for self. @Hodgman has suggested excellent examples. At the end of the day you're going to have to put in a lot of ground work to get the contracts if you're already not established. I would second looking into the app market... I've made some good money making apps for businesses in the past, so it might still be a viable option.
Maybe just sit down and pick something you're very good at, and I'll use "app development" in this example. Create a good online profile, get on social media and start posting about what you do and the benefits regarding your services. Try the old fashion cold calling, or walk into businesses and sell companies on the benefits in having an app done. Take advantage of any free exposure you can get as well. You should also look at making a portfolio of sample apps.
Don't forget about 'Social Networking Events' ! There are a lot of small business meetups and other various events. These are perfect for building up a network and potential clients. 
I have a friend that lives and dies by these events... all his business is generated from those connections and referrals that come from the people in his network.
Depending on your day/night job, it might be better to pick up extra hours, or a side job to fund your game if you're unable to get contracts freelancing. Either way you'll need to fix your funding issue because once your game is polished you'll need funds ready for marketing.
Give it some time, you'll find a way.
