This is particularly true in category and to a lesser extent in the historical market. It would be foolish not to research the market in advance to know there's a place for the story you want to write. Different houses have different expectations. Do your homework. No, not directly.
Fiction is just that, fiction.
But every writer soaks up the world around them and draws from that whole to create. If anyone reads my work thinking to find themselves in it, they won't, but they may find a character who has the same habit of perforating Styrofoam coffee cups when nervous. As a writer, where do you experience problems. At that time, I go back and reread what I've written to that point and check for consistency and forward movement of plot. It also builds my creative momentum up again.