Trifles: a Quarterly for Devotees of Sherlock Holmes

"You know my method. It is founded upon the observation of trifles," Sherlock Holmes, "The Boscombe Valley Mystery"

The premiere issue of Trifles: a Quarterly for Devotees of Sherlock Holmes will go on sale worldwide in mid-March 2026 in both paper and ebook forms. Sales links will be posted in mid-March. Prices will vary by format and location.

Trifles is a compilation of stories, essays, puzzles, trivia, humor, and art will delight all followers of the Master Detective. In the first issue of Trifles we have an essay about one person's journey from a casual interest in Sherlock Holmes to being Staff Surgeon of a scion of the Baker Street Irregulars, and a very useful piece explaining Baker Street finances and how to compare the value of British currency of the 19th century to U.S. dollars today. There is also a poem about Dr. Watson's drinking habits, a trivia quiz based on "The Five Orange Pips," and a new pastiche. One essay talks about Lestrade's bulldogishness and another tells us about Moriarty's appearance in Batman's universe. Another study takes us through the laws related to marriage and other family matters which would have applied to Holmes's cases. These are followed by a crossword puzzle and additional artwork as well as excerpts from other publications new and old.

Call for Submissions: Trifles will be accepting submissions for the June issue from April 1 through April 30, 2026. Submissions should be related to Sherlock Holmes in some fashion. That includes articles about crime, or social, or material conditions of the Victorian or Edwardian eras. They must be your own original work. We will consider reprints, especially of works which had a limited initial release like in a scion newsletter. We will consider stories, essays, limericks, puzzles, trivia, humor and art. Note that all submissions will appear in black and white. The preferred length for stories and essays is 2700 to 5400 words, but we will consider any length. Responses will be sent by the end of April 2026. There will be no compensation offered at this time. If the initial release is financially successful the initial contributors will be given a bonus and subsequent contributors will be offered pay in their contract. Authors of all published materials will receive a free copy of the issue.

Submissions should be in the format on this sample: manuscriptformatsample.docx or manuscriptformatsample.odt and emailed to submissions@foolscap-quill.com

Founders of Trifles Subscriptions: For $25.00 Trifles Founders will receive a certificate designating them a Founder of Trifles, a copy of each of the four issues published in 2026, plus a 20% discount on all future subscriptions, the price of which depends upon costs of production and shipping. The Founders subscriptions will only be offered in 2026. Regular subscriptions will be offered in later years. Trifles will be published in paperback and ebook formats. Please indicate your preference. Checks may be mailed to Foolscap & Quill, LLC, P.O. Box 1018, Morrison, CO 80465, or you can pay online below.