This might be obvious to some people, but I didn't figure it out until after the previous LD. The number rankings you receive are relative to your category (Compo/Jam). Not relative to all the LD submissions. You can confirm this looking at the winners from last Jam: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/41/results

So if you did the Compo your ranking will be out of 1056 submissions whereas if you did the Jam your ranking will be out of 2013 submissions.

You might say "Why does it matter?" But I think you know the answer to that. With the right attitude it can be fun to compare yourself to others and we can't help but want to know how we stack up.

That being said, the fact that you even made the commitment to participate is a huge positive step. I'm sure you've talked to friends about LD and they've said things like, "That seems like too much of a time commitment". My answer to that is, "What could possibly be a better use of a weekend than making a game?!" (well maybe your child's birthday or something, but you get what mean :P )

If you aren't satisfied with your ranking, use that as fuel to do better next time! The only way to lose is to stop making games!

https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/42/camp-snuggle