One Year in the Editor's Chair: Reflections

Publisher Steven Doyle with Winter issue; cover by Ann Brauer Andriacco 

Whew! I’ve now completed a year as editor of the Baker Street Journal—four quarterly issues and the Christmas Annual. It continues to be an amazing honor to be the tenth editor in such a distinguished line from Edgar W. Smith to Steven Rothman. But what have I learned?

• The writers have been a dream to deal with, even the ones whose submissions I had to edit significantly or not use at all.   

• Comments from readers indicate they’ve noticed the variety of offerings in each issue, which has been one of my goals.

• My often-stated observation that the BSJ is published by the Baker Street Irregulars but not just for the Baker Street Irregulars is demonstrably true: Many of the writers and readers are not BSIs. The Journal has always served the entire Sherlockian community.

• The availability of good material has not been a problem. After all these years, there are still new things to say about Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, the Canon, and the world they created.

• Being editor of the BSJ can be very time-consuming but is rewarding in equal measure.

•  And even after a year, I still occasionally go to the always-helpful editor emeritus Steven Rothman for advice and information.

Of course, production of a quarterly publication is a team effort. Steven Doyle is publisher; Mike McSwiggin, associate editor; Rich Krisciunas, copy editor; Mark Gagan, art director; and Ann Lewis, subscription manager. They’ve been a pleasure to work with.