I don't think 20 articles is excessive - that's still selective reading. That's what I do too. Also, it's not how many you read that affects your earnings - it's how many your readers read that affect your earnings. But yes, I've been affected too, which suggests I also have a lot of prolific readers. I think for me, it's been partly because I write a lot for other writers, and they do often read more widely and comment, more-so than people who are here just to read.

I also wonder if there's more to this than they are telling us.... because the feedback I'm getting is that *everyone* has seen their earnings slide!