Luck?
Do you really think they would refuse your article, if it were what they needed? In other words, READ the FAQ, learn the rules, learn what topics they need, the style they like. There is PLENTY of information on that bit on AC itself!
You see, there are two ways to go about it, doing it right or doing it wrong. Instead of jumping in and just submit whatever content, investigate a little bit. Find out what they are looking for and then give it to them.
Why not spend a few hours digging through the articles other publishers wrote on AC? There are some pretty valuable pointers there, just look for topics like "how to earn with ac", "how to write for ac" etc and you will learn a lot. You will see publishers with thousands and thousands of views, hundreds or articles submitted.
Do you really think they would still be publishing more if this was just "luck"?
Some pointers:
Write eye-catching titles with keyword in it
Use keyword density of around 2-3%
Use good US English grammar
Find out what people are looking for online and write about that
Use the feedback you get from ac on your submitted articles to improve offers in future.
Be consistent, have patience and work on your own business skills.
To all of you that complain and bitch and say it doesn't work, I can honestly say that it does. But you have to treat it as a business, you must make sure your work is up to scratch, you must offer them what they need to make money off of your articles, and they will pay.
Don't get greedy submitting crap, thinking you're a smart ass for playing them nor expect to earn top payment that way.
As to whether I think it would work long term for me, hell no! I am sure one day either my accounts will be banned or I reach the limit per account, since I am not a US citizen, so I keep in mind that at one point or another I will have to step back, leave the "scene" and take it as that.
But it is working for now, giving me quite a bit of fast extra cash to invest in my own website portfolio, in hosting, in domains, in outsourcing a lot of work (content for other sites, link building, promotion, whatever).
This is business, plain and simple, so treat it that way and not as if they were Santa Claus, handing out candy for free.
If you treat it as a cash-milking-job, and you give them crap work not meeting their standards, expect to get fired.
Treat it as your own business, offer what your "clients" are looking for, set out a plan, work on that and reinvest your short-term earnings to convert them in long term earnings.
On the other hand, yeah, if you don't feel it is worth the "trouble" to spend a few hours improving your own quality as a writer, learn skills that will be valuable as an internet entrepreneur and set a plan with goals, you might as well work for MacDonald's and keep trading your time for minimum wage for ever until maybe someday you win the lottery.