Does distance matter?

Wiskel · Nov 9, 2012

I live in Liverpool, but a job has come up that seems interesting in Inverness. For those unfamiliar with UK geography, it's Scotland's most northern city, about 3 hours drive from Edinburgh (with only countryside inbetween), and an 11 hour drive from London. It does have an airport, but flying between Inverness and London isn't cheap.

I work full time. My job is demanding and time off needs to be planned some way in advance not to disrupt things too much.

I can hold out for other options. This is a job I could apply for, not one I must go for.

I'm unpublished but have a novel at beta reading stage. I've no track record as a writer. I hope to be looking for an agent in the next few months. If I'm able to make a living from writing, I imagine my full time job will slowly become more and more part time as I give myself more time to write.

If I allow myself a slight conceit and assume someone might be interested in publishing my work, will I be making my life especially difficult by moving to such a remote part of the UK?

Craig

waylander · Nov 9, 2012

Pretty much all contact with agents and editors is by e-mail and phone. I have only once been to my editor's office, otherwise I meet him at conventions we are both attending.
Plenty of UK authors have US agents who they rarely meet.
So long as you have good broadband you'll be fine.

Sonsofthepharaohs · Nov 9, 2012

My (UK based) agent reps someone who lives in Toronto.

I think you'll be ok

Siri Kirpal · Nov 9, 2012

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

I'm on the west coast of the USA; the publisher for my Sikhism book is in England; we've never met.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Little Ming · Nov 9, 2012

waylander said:
So long as you have good broadband you'll be fine.

I don't have broadband and I'm still doing fine... things just take a little longer to load. :tongue

LTMadison · Nov 9, 2012

What everyone has said, with the additional note re "making a living from my writing." That is an extremley rare feat even for regularly published writers, so perhaps a better way of thinking of it is how can you plan your career so that it will allow you to balance a livelihood with your passion for writing.

blacbird · Nov 9, 2012

In golf, yes.

caw

Jamesaritchie · Nov 9, 2012

I live just about a thousand miles from my agent, and two thousand miles from one of my publishers. I don't need broadband, either. I don't even need internet.

DavidBrett · Nov 10, 2012

I was beginning to worry something similar; all agents interested in my book thus far are in the US. Glad to see it's not uncommon to have international agents...

blacbird · Nov 10, 2012

Having lived in the U.K., I know clearly how different the British conception of "distance" is from the U.S. conception. Liverpool is about as far from Inverness as San Francisco is from Los Angeles.

You want distance? Try living in Alaska.

caw

NicolaD · Nov 11, 2012

In NZ we're 17 hours ahead of NY. If a ph call/email conversation is needed I get up early or my agent stays late at the office. We make it work. Location doesn't really matter.

Wiskel · Nov 11, 2012

Thanks for the replies everyone, they help put my mind at rest.

Craig

blacbird · Nov 11, 2012

Intellectual distance from the queried agent is far more important than geographical distance is.

caw

Mr Flibble · Nov 12, 2012

blacbird said:
Having lived in the U.K., I know clearly how different the British conception of "distance" is from the U.S. conception. Liverpool is about as far from Inverness as San Francisco is from Los Angeles.

You want distance? Try living in Alaska.

caw

The difference between America and Britain is, the British think 100 miles is a long distance and the Americans think 100 years is a long time

Anyway, no distance doesn't matter - I'm in Sussex, my agent is in Colorado. We do okay. And Inverness is a great place. So make your decision on whether you want the job/move, because the writing angle is covered. (Also, Inverness has an airport for that day you want to go to lunch with your editor

- one reason we tend to think distances are long is because we also tend not to think first of domestic flights)

neilfriske · Nov 18, 2012

Mr Flibble said:
The difference between America and Britain is, the British think 100 miles is a long distance and the Americans think 100 years is a long time

That's an awesome quote, what is that from?

Mr Flibble · Nov 18, 2012

My google fu tells me that the originator is Earle Hitchner (He used to/writes for the Wall Street Journal I think)

Does distance matter?

Wiskel

practical experience, FTW

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

Sonsofthepharaohs

Still writing the ancient Egyptian tetralogy

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process

Little Ming

LTMadison

Poobah

blacbird

Jamesaritchie

DavidBrett

Alas, poor Yorick, he fed me 'nanas

blacbird

NicolaD

This will all make sense tomorrow

Wiskel

practical experience, FTW

blacbird

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

neilfriske

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble