I think, too, that there's something to be said for chasing your joy whether the goal is to do it for yourself, or publication. There's a sort of vibe when an author is writing to-trend instead of for themself; when an author is deeply into the thing they're writing, it tends to show in a good way. (I'm thinking about how, when I had some friends read over something I've written, the one thing all of them said was "lean into the trope more, that's what we're all here for." And indeed, I had been trying to mute that trope a little because of a lingering sense of "well nobody seriously wants to read that," except! That was the whole idea of the story!

So. I endorse embracing the joy of the thing regardless.