Query from abroad - mention nationality?

dgaughran · Sep 29, 2010

Hi all,

I am an Irish writer, submitting to the US. Most agents I am looking at don't seem to care where their writers live and accept international queries, and I had no problems when I submitted the last draft.

However, since then, I have moved to Sweden. Should I mention that I am Irish in the query letter (as my address will be Swedish)? The reason I ask is that I would like the agent to know that English is my mother tongue and I am not attempting to bash out a novel in a foreign language.

Is this a stupid question? Will the agent not care and just look at the writing? What do you US writers who are living abroad do? Do you mention you are from the US?

Regards

Dave

Theo81 · Sep 29, 2010

Well, I'm Welsh, living in Ireland and I will be mentioning this in my Q to UK agents. It's part of my identity and it's what I tend to put in a single line Bio. If you think it is important and you want them to know, then do it.

BrooklynLee · Sep 29, 2010

The idea of an Irish writer living in Sweden is interesting enough to me to include just for that. But because it also hammers home that English is your native tongue, I think mentioning it would be good -- towards the end of the query, after you've sold them on your book idea.

Ryan_Sullivan · Sep 29, 2010

Whichever is probably fine. If your book uses anything that is specific to geography or any subject that could be affected/enhanced by nationality, you might want to mention it. But, really, the work should stand on its own, so it doesn't matter.

dgaughran · Sep 30, 2010

Thanks for the advice, think I will include it.

Dave

mairi · Sep 30, 2010

I'm Filipino living in the Philippines and I write in English. When querying, I simply mention that I'm from the Philippines (even though my story is US-based). So far no one has taken issue with it.

Corinne Duyvis · Oct 2, 2010

I'm from the Netherlands, querying US agents, and actually *do* write in my second language. No one seems to have had a problem with it so far. However, I also mention that I work as a Dutch-to-English translator in the query, so that'd probably assure them that I know what I'm doing

I really don't think they'd care either way though. Most will just look at the writing.

Amberly · Oct 5, 2010

I'm australian and i queried both American and UK agents without success but i always mentioned that i was Australian mostly because i didn't want someone reading my different spelling/grammer/slang and thinking i was just plain strange.

Stacia Kane · Oct 5, 2010

I mentioned being an American living in the UK in my queries.

Query from abroad - mention nationality?

dgaughran

Theo81

BrooklynLee

Got the hang of it, here

Ryan_Sullivan

Agented YA Writer

dgaughran

mairi

E-pubbed author

Corinne Duyvis

My New Cat Is Too Big for Shoulders

Amberly

Stacia Kane

Girl Detective