If I am working with a client that isn’t local I prefer to communicate via email to create a paper trail. It’s always best to have conversations that are dated and ‘on paper’. Email does that automatically; try to keep them in threaded conversations instead of having hundreds of separate emails. If you have to collaborate and can’t meet up, try making documents or presentations that have labels that you can reference (look at drawing 2A, etc) while discussing on the phone or video call. Record the phone calls you have for documentation. If you can’t record, send a follow up email detailing what was discussed in the phone call for the client to acknowledge (once again just to keep everything in writing). I have worked on many projects with people in several different states and they all worked out. It’s doable, just make sure to cover your bases.