Hmmm don't want to sound like a know-it-all at all, but if you're only getting 50 to 60 links on 200 articles I'd say you're doing something wrong
Submission software to 600 directories is not article submission software. If you take a hard look at their "list" of places, it's filled with obscure directories and FFA areas (to be avoided).
There are plenty of top-notch desktop submission software programs out there. What they do is allow you to store the vast amount of log in information so you're not doing it each time. Then, one by one, the software takes you to the site prefilling in what it can and leaving it up to you to find the very best place in that particular directory for your article.
Even if you want the front page, putting your article into the subcategory best suited for that article is what will generate a first-rate backlink to your site. Also, overall, the pr of a site "passes through" to its entire site (more or less) so aiming for the proper category helps keep the other guys site worthwhile and shows you're a professional
Junk submission should be avoided at all costs when it comes to articles.
My two cents.