I sent off a query last week. It got rebuffed within 2 hours. I could have said rejected but 2 hours is pretty quick. The last line in my query was what I'm working on now - the agent said that intrigued him. Perhaps I should stop at that. I can tell everyone how it was practically a best seller if only I had access to the best research resources. But an idea is forming. I have 3 books from the library on the history of Iran and the Ottoman Empire. (It's interesting stuff.) I have 1 fictional book reserved. Can anyone recommend a good place/book to learn about Persia 100 years ago? Thanks.
Well, you could try the internet, people say there is some stuff over there... (sorry, couldn't help myself)
Really, there's information on the internet? I thought there was no harm in asking. Thanks for the link. I already know a lot more than I did. Still playing with the idea as i research.
Have you tried http://www.iranicaonline.org/ ? Check out the resources section for a few further links... Also: http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/iran/ And of course, search for any contemporary resources (books, newspapers). And check out more than one side of the story (Brits had their own agenda and their sources tend to be one-sided and unreliable).
So far I've just been reading books and making notes like I'm a student again. Thanks for these links - I've squirelled them away with my notes.
A 100 years ago? You mean in Gajar times?... Check out these links: https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/438947/مشاغل-صد-سال-پیش-در-ایران http://www.iranchamber.com/history/qajar/qajar.php There are a couple of books like: History of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution by Ahmad Kasravi The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Isphahan by James Justinian Morier (This one is a very enjoyable and funny book) Will you explain what exactly you are working on? Is it a novel? And what did the publisher say about this information? Was he intrigued by the Iranian setting or some thing else?
Thanks for the links and the book titles - I'll see if they are in the library. I think I've seen the first one. I could do with enjoyable and funny. I have picked up a reasonable amount of political background. I'm still playing around with the idea of a novel, that I was thinking of starting in Persia and moving to the UK. I didn't get far with the couple of fiction books I tried. The agent didn't say a lot. I had written just one line to say what I was working on and he wrote back that piqued his interest. My guess is that it is no more than because of the different setting but then I chose a different setting for that reason. Thanks again.
Aah, while I couldn't find these in my local, I see that the Morier titles are old and I can download them for nothing. It's difficult for me to know what will be useful till I find it - if you know what i mean. Thanks again.
