Interesting ideas about the economy of favors. I think there are two kinds of this economy: The genuine one, in which writers who know each other, and genuinely think each other’s work is great, try to lift up that work when one among them is given the opportunity. As you say, this will always exist and probably should exist, i.e. “after all, many presses’ origins are in writers publishing themselves and their friends because no one else would.” But then there’s the fake one, about perceived (or real!) power but not about a genuine assessment of good quality work. That’s the one to reconsider and remake, as you suggest.