Jane Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ publication history

Jane Austen’s debut novel, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, was published anonymously in three volumes in 1811. Austen had been writing the work since 1795, originally titling it ‘Elinor and Marianne’ and utilizing an epistolary format. Following significant revisions in 1809, the manuscript was transitioned into a narrative form.

To publish the work, Austen worked with her brother Henry to secure a deal with publisher Thomas Egerton. Under a commission-based arrangement, Austen assumed the financial burden of production and advertising costs in exchange for the remaining profits after Egerton’s distribution commission. The risk proved successful, as the first print run sold out within two years, generating a profit of £140 for the author.