bestbookmachine asked: When submitting a manuscript, is it a bad or good idea to send them to publishers in far off states if you can't afford the plane fair to get there?
It is a good idea to send your manuscript to publishers in far off states, using the mail service.
It is a bad idea to get a plane to a far off state and go and see a publisher and tell them that they are in luck, because you have brought your manuscript with you. They will tell you to please put it in the post.
Some publishers may accept unsolicited manuscripts in email, but most probably don’t.
Good luck.
EDIT TO ADD:
almostblackandwhite said: I believe they meant in case the manuscript gets accepted and you then can’t afford to go there and meet with the editor in person?
Then you are in luck: there is the telephone and there is the Skype and most of all there is the email. Meetings with editors face to face, normally over lunch, are only because it’s nice to have lunch, but editors do not want you cluttering up their work. They can write to you and tell you what to fix, or if it’s longer or more complex than an email, they can call you.
And if a publisher likes your book and pushes it and wants to launch it with a party, then they will pay your plane fare to the party.