Yea, it does get annoying to see a post that I've worked hard on get nothing while a meme gets hundreds of dollars.
Regarding the upvote bots though, I've personally found then really useful. When I use them I generally break even on SBD, but then earn Steam Power and reputation. Guess they're they only way I can actually get anything for my posts.
Also, you may want to check out #newbieresteemday
Good luck!
Thanks Nathan! There's always a better way :0)