DE@NO doesn't get rates because he is "popular," or because he uses flashy images and fonts, he gets them because he has been around a while. Unless you come in with something really spectacular, you probably will not be getting a lot of ratings to start with. Just keep uploading stuff, and once people get used to seeing your name, they might be more likely to check out your stuff.
Also, what helped me I think was joining one of the RCT2 competitions. It is a good way to prove your skills and see how you rate versus others here, as well as a good way to catch people's eye. For me at least, I don't have a lot of time to download and rate rides, so I only look at ones that either I know are well done, or occassionally ones that are very bad and need help.