The Write
Sherlockian Stuff

You gotta love Sherlockian writers.

There’s no money in writing about Sherlock Holmes. The market for such work, if it can even be called a market, is something no sensible businessman would ever bother with. And fame? The one guy who came closest to getting famous from Sherlockian writing besides Conan Doyle is Nicholas Meyer, and most non-Sherlockians still haven’t a clue who he is (unless they’re Trekkies who know him for directing movies).

Yet there are still more words written and published about Sherlock Holmes than almost anybody. And that means that somebody out there is writing and publishing all that Sherlock Holmes material. Not for money. Not for glory. Just because they like Sherlock Holmes.

Their fondness for Holmes ranges from priest-like reverence and devotion to simple bar-buddy, slap-him-on-the-back liking the guy to schoolgirl crushes on the lanky charmer. And what makes Sherlockian writers all the more lovable is what they represent. For each Sherlockian with the ability or determination to write, there are ten more who wish they had the time or talent. So, in their way, Sherlockian writers are almost like our representatives in the great written congress of Sherlockiana.

This issue we’re doing two things to honor Sherlockian writers, besides publishing a handful of them. First, we’re announcing the first two members of The Holmes & Watson Report Shilling Squad. You’ll remember the Shilling Squad: non-BSI subscribers to the Report who submit articles to The Baker Street Journal and get one of the dozen shillings the bearskin rug donated to the cause. We’re also printing a list of the top 100 Sherlockian writers of all time. Considering that “of all time” doesn’t even include a century, Sherlock-wise, you’ll probably find that you’re acquainted with a few members of the list (and if you aren’t, you probably should be).

The thing I think I like best about this top 100 list is that it isn’t that exclusive a club. Some writers made their way on to the list with less than thirty published articles or stories to their name. That may sound like a pretty big number to the non-writers among you, but for the aspiring young Sherlockian, it’s not an unreachable goal.

I remember a time about fifteen years ago when my friend Gordon Speck told me that he’d set a goal for himself of writing one article about every story in the Canon. I’m not sure if he has reached that goal yet, but he’s done enough since then to rank number 21 on the list of 100. Strangely enough, Gordon is still an aspiring young Sherlockian.

Writing can do that for you.

Welcome to the biggest issue of The Holmes & Watson Report thus far. We had to put a letter to the editor or two on hold just to get this one to fit betwen covers, but we still don’t have a backlog like The Baker Street Journal. If you’re a new Sherlockian writer needing immediate gratification, this is definitely the place to see your work in print in under two months time.

— The Editor-In-Chief