Hey Mallory,
Success is a given, it is only the path which we intend to take which is different. It seldom so happens that a good author does not make it and that too on a writing site; very very odd odds :) ...
I am a published author and blogger on other sites too, so you know how much my self-respect would have been badgered when I came to know that the bots are something to be used to upvote our post. It is like giving money to readers to buy our book to read... Sad, isn't it? I, therefore, left the site for nearly 7 months before I came back.
Also, I make it a point to write articles which are good and interesting to readers and only then use the bots. If you look at my articles not all of them him upvotes (in STEEM terms). Why? Because articles which were lesser than the best, in my opinion, I avoided using the bots.
Quality had it own perks... Recognized by buildawhile curation digest for one of my articles, winning at originalworks.... So nothing beats quality..
Hence, I am happy with your conviction but if ever there is a change of perspective (which I think is perfectly fine), you know whom to reach out to.
P.S. You are doing a good job at steembasicincome too... :)