The 1811 publication of Sense and Sensibility, when Jane Austen was 35, marked the start of her life as a published novelist. It was not the start of her literary life. She had been writing since childhood and had completed an early version of the novel when she was 19. During the long period between first conception and publication she revised it repeatedly, composing two other novels as well: a version of Pride and Prejudice, which a London publisher rejected sight unseen, and one of Northanger Abbey, which was bought but never issued. When Sense and Sensibility finally appeared in print, it sparked a new burst of creativity. In the six years that remained before her death, Austen would finish three more novels and begin a fourth.
Austen was so determined her work should see print that she took a financial risk and published Sense and Sensibility on commission. That is, she agreed to pay for the novel’s production, advertising and distribution and keep the remaining profit, agreeing to cover any losses. The upfront cost was substantial for a woman of limited means: about £180, more than 40 percent of Austen’s annual household income. Fortunately the first edition sold out its 750 copies, a modest success that netted her £140. She would sell the copyright to Pride and Prejudice shortly after for a smaller but more certain £110. Writing to her brother Francis, she declared her earnings “only mak[e] me long for more.”
The longing for financial success did not mean a longing for fame. Publicity—and, worse, writing for profit—were generally thought disreputable for well-bred women. As a result, “Jane Austen” never appeared on her title pages during her lifetime. Austen also appears to have taken a certain pleasure in privacy. She was reportedly amused, during a visit to a local circulating library, when her niece Anna picked up a copy of Sense and Sensibility and, unaware of its authorship, tossed it aside, saying “Oh that must be rubbish I am sure from the title.”
Apart from a brief period after Austen’s death, the novel has never been out of print.
—Judith Rosen
Reprinted from OSF’s 2018 Illuminations, a 64-page guide to the season’s plays. Members at the Donor level and above and teachers who bring school groups to OSF receive a free copy of Illuminations.