No. We do not ALL judge the top writers this way. Kindly do not speak for all of us. This is your opinion, this may be true for you, that does not make it true for all of us. Kindly respect Dear Reader, for Dear Reader will indeed go elsewhere. THAT is the important thing. We either add value or we don't, and Dear Reader likes us or not. If we make it ONLY about claps and fans, we pander to the lowest common denominator. And Dear Reader knows it. You want people to love your work, do good work, respect Dear Reader, and kindly stop focusing on fans, claps, and the ego-centric aspects of this form. GIVE VALUE. Give value, get readers. Give value, make money. Count claps and fans, well, good luck with that. Respect is earned. If we are not willing to learn to write well, give value, edit or work and build a trusting relationship with Dear Reader who gives us the non-negotiable gift of their time which they will never get back, then we do not deserve their attention. But hey, that's just me. What the hell do I know?