Do you vote for your own stories?

[BobbyBrandt]

...and if you do, did you ever vote anything but a 5*?

 

[Smuttyandfun]

No. I don't vote for my own stories. I let the readers decide what they think of my work.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Yes, I do. And if I didn't think it was a 5 I would not submit it.

 

[davion2308]

I don't vote for my stories but if I did, the earlier ones would be sub-5 for sure. I think it would be an interesting exercise to go back and honestly rate what I wrote five and ten years ago. I feel like I've gotten stronger at writing and the progression is fun to watch.

I don't vote, though.

 

[BarracudaSwordfish]

Always a 5, same reason as Melissa. Plus it helps to cancel out a uni bomber.

 

[Voboy]

No. Me posting it was my vote.

 

[lanceGibs]

It's like blowing your own trumpet or bumping your own thread .
A lot of guys do it AdNausium.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I'm with MB, BS and others.

Were I running in an election, I would vote for myself. The big staged news photos of candidates dropping their own ballot into the box is a standard - does anybody think those people voted for somebody else or spoiled their ballots?

When I submit a tale, I do not relinquish my status as a reader. And, as I do not submit unless I think something is very good, then yes, I vote and I hit five stars each time. If I don't think it merits a five, nobody ever sees it. And when I do vote, it sways the rating only to the same extent as anybody else's.

 

[Lifestyle66]

No. I don't vote on my own stories, because I prefer to see what others think of it. I already know what I think of it, so why bother. (BTW, I know I'm not a perfect writer, so in being honest I know none of my stories are really worth a perfect 5.)

Besides, the stories post just after midnight in the U.S., and I have my dedicated 1-bombing followers to quickly weigh in and drag it down before I even have a chance to fix my first cup of coffee in the morning.

If I were of a mind to be concerned with ratings and "winning", I have the tech skills to inundate my own stories with shitloads of anonymous 5's, untraceable from multiple IP address. But I have other hobbies, and it's not worth my time.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've done it a few times, usually when the story has been recently published and a 5 will bump it over 4.5 and give it more visibility. Otherwise, no.

 

[Sanzas]

I didn't realize you could even do that until today. I did it, for one, it worked (I gave myself a 5)--I was like "huh!?" But I haven't done it for others.

 

[KeithD]

...and if you do, did you ever vote anything but a 5*?

Of course not. That would be pushing your story below the highlighted "read this" level here (which isn't served by any vote below a 5). I post here to be read. I will promote "read this" for my stories. It would be a little crazy to do otherwise, I think.

I'll note that some posters have slid off answering the question the OP asked.

 

[oggbashan]

No. I did once when the lighthouse feature was introduced to see what effect it would have on a low rated story. I saw, and never voted again.

 

[Cuckwannabe111]

Granted, I am not an author.

This is my take on it.

A) I see the logic and reasoning behind voting for your own story. Like one poster said, it's like a political candidate voting for themselves, it would be stupid to not do so.

B) I see it as the type of person who likes thier own post on Facebook.

So, to each thier own, I guess

 

[MelissaBaby]

I've done it a few times, usually when the story has been recently published and a 5 will bump it over 4.5 and give it more visibility. Otherwise, no.

It's all about the visibility. More potential readers will be exposed to your story on the first day than at any other time. I know that not everyone agrees that a red H attracts viewers. I believe that it absolutely catches the eye of anyone perusing the new story list. If my vote get my story the H even an hour sooner than it would otherwise, it could attract dozens more views.

And I don't see any ethical issue, because, as I said earlier, if I did not sincerely believe my submission deserved a 5, I would not publish it.

 

[Euphony]

I'm with MB, BS and others.

Were I running in an election, I would vote for myself. The big staged news photos of candidates dropping their own ballot into the box is a standard - does anybody think those people voted for somebody else or spoiled their ballots?

When I submit a tale, I do not relinquish my status as a reader. And, as I do not submit unless I think something is very good, then yes, I vote and I hit five stars each time. If I don't think it merits a five, nobody ever sees it.And when I do vote, it sways the rating only to the same extent as anybody else's.

This is beautifully metaphored.

I had inclinings I felt okay with author self votes. A lot of the other ideas supported my thinking but didn't quite unwind why.

This helped me do that. Thanks.

 

[oggbashan]

I thinkk it is a matter for personal choice.

I let my stories sink or swim by others' votes, but I can also see the argument for voting on your own. I just choose not to, but I see nothing wrong with doing it.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Voting for your own story is ultimately irrelevant, as that one vote can change things for a couple of hours at most. Your story has 9 votes right now and your vote could propel it into HOT category? Why not. We already discussed at lengths about thresholds being so high that one five more or less won't make any change outside those first several hours, when your vote is giving it slightly better exposure.

 

[Djmac1031]

Absolutely no shame in voting for your own story.

In the end it doesn't affect your rating that much.

Your personal 5 stars isn't gonna cancel out all the lower ratings entirely.

If your story sucks, the readers are still gonna let you know .

 

[SimonDoom]

It's all about the visibility. More potential readers will be exposed to your story on the first day than at any other time. I know that not everyone agrees that a red H attracts viewers. I believe that it absolutely catches the eye of anyone perusing the new story list. If my vote get my story the H even an hour sooner than it would otherwise, it could attract dozens more views.

And I don't see any ethical issue, because, as I said earlier, if I did not sincerely believe my submission deserved a 5, I would not publish it.

I don't think there's any doubt that a red H attracts viewers. Every rational author should want his/her story to have a red H, all other things being equal. What you said about early visibility also is true. The faster start your story gets off to, the better. That's why I have no compunction about giving my story a 5 in the first 24 hours if I think it will nudge it over the 4.5 line at a crucial point to get more visibility.

Beyond that, though, I don't do it just because I kind of like knowing the score represents what others think of the story, not me. But it's a matter of taste, not ethics.

 

[XerXesXu]

Your personal 5 stars isn't gonna cancel out all the lower ratings entirely.

Why do you assume that people voting on their own stories give themselves 5 stars? Do you not think they can rate themselves fairly compared to other writers' stories?

 

[Defluer]

I have voted on my own stories, but always as tests. To see how much it changed the numbers on my end. To see if/when it got swept away. To see how long it took to show up.

And...

I didn't realize you could even do that until today. I did it, for one, it worked (I gave myself a 5)--I was like "huh!?" But I haven't done it for others.

The first time I voted for myself, that I Masturvoted it was by accident. My Author Page said I had a comment but when I clicked through there I couldn't see it. So I opened the story and scrolled down to the bottom. Read the comment and was about to leave when I saw the rating thing there. I was like, "It won't actually let me though, right?" and I clicked it. I think I voted three at first and then when I saw it took it, I voted 5. Because... Why not?

 

[oneagainst]

It's all about the visibility. <snip>

And I don't see any ethical issue, because, as I said earlier, if I did not sincerely believe my submission deserved a 5, I would not publish it.

Yes, agree. I put in a 5* vote as soon as it goes live to get the story rated as quickly as possible on the category page, and red H=readers. If you've put a shed load of effort into a story, you want it to get read, surely? I know that my 5* is an immaterial drop in the ocean in the long run because maths, but it's that crucial first 48hrs where it's so showing on the category new list that I'm shooting for.

 

[nice90sguy]

All my shows are great; some of them are bad, but they are all great.

My personal, private "ratings" on my submitted stories vary a lot, but it would be slightly ridiculous for me to score my stories anything less than 5 stars after they've been posted. If I don't think much of a newly submitted story of mine, I don't vote for it at all, because I don't care that much what its eventual rating will be.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm with MB, BS and others.

Were I running in an election, I would vote for myself. The big staged news photos of candidates dropping their own ballot into the box is a standard - does anybody think those people voted for somebody else or spoiled their ballots?

I do wonder how the candidates' spouses and kids vote, though.