The people who are already in the know and well connected can get lots of publicity, and those who are more independent or just starting out either can't post or don't get recognized.
I've also had multiple friends (who are much better connected in SF) create big roll-out plans where they get all their friends to quickly up vote them. While it's not technically a problem, it takes away the real test of "is the idea worth voting for" and turns it into more of a popularity contest.
Just my 2 cents. Maybe others have had great experiences (and certainly some of the "products" posted are cool), but I'm skeptical of Product Hunt in general...
My suggestion is to stick with truly democratic places to share your new things (if you want more unbiased feedback), and submit press/news directly to places -- they want good stories and interesting ideas/products to share with their readers if what you have is a genuine contribution.
Good luck!
What would be the "democratic places to share your new things" you mentioned?
Of course, people can always try to get their friends to vote, but in my experience the feedback is pretty even-handed and proportional to what is posted. :)
Any other places you'd suggest?
I do not think there's one specific time for submitting a product....
