I generally don't submit to publications unless the editor has a totally hands off approach like JJ Pryor. Any publication with 'style guidelines' goes in the bin. I have a look I enjoy for my pieces - because I write them. They can have a look for their pieces, but if they want my words they can do the donkey work at formatting. If they don't want the words because they have a particular way they want them arranged, that's their choice. I will self publish. I've done far better since I began self publishing than I ever did submitting to the big publications - and I'm not sure they'd want people to know that.

The relationship between publisher and writer is completely backwards. Writers should just do their own thing and if publishers and publications want to work with us because they enjoy our work then they should be encouraged to ask us to submit. If they want to re-format after that point to a house style, they can go ahead.

At the moment it's 1000s of writers all throwing mediocre work into the abyss and wasting a lot of time, like holding an open audition. It should operate more of a talent scouting model, with inclusion in a publication as a result of good editor research and relationships built up over time.