I'm not a writer and I still give high scores...a good story deserves a good score.
I have story views in the 3,000s to 8,000s each, but only a handful of votes on each. Those who did vote almost always voted 5.
My conclusion is that people who vote on stories are those who...
...(a) actually have an account here, and
...(b) liked the story enough to give it a score (typically 5, but some 4s).
Therefore, I don't really worry about what people think, since the vast majority aren't even voting.
Lush also takes story editing seriously. For example, one story I submitted it too early, without sufficient self-editing. It got rejected for technical reasons (my syntax with quotes was improper). Lush editors were right, of course. I corrected it, resubmitted, and it went through. This is unlike multiple other erotic writing sites I've made submissions to, or simply read stories on. That probably explains why grades here are high. Lush has high technical standards - your grammar and spelling MUST be correct. Therefore, lower scores due to technical mistakes will be rare.
Personally, when I'm reading stories, if it doesn't appeal to me, I don't finish it, much less vote. However, writers whose stories appeal to me get a vote of support (5), and usually a comment about how much I liked it. I want to encourage people to keep writing what I enjoy!!!
As a writer, I do it for my own pleasure and that of my friends. I am always interested in their opinions. If the thousands who stumbled onto my stories didn't vote for some reason, that's OK. I really don't expect the general public to share my taste in sex fantasies.
Heck if I know.
I know that if your piece enraptures me enough that I finish reading it all the way through, it's landing you a five. Otherwise, I don't score (yah, yah, it's the "if you can't say something nice...." thing) at all.
Full disclosure: I have written and posted a few pieces. Not great, not terrible, just words on a screen. Doesn't make me a writer any more than taking my rubbish bins to the curb makes me a sanitation worker.
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