Jane Austen "By the author of "Sense and Sensibility"" and Austen's name never appeared on her books during her lifetime. Egerton then published "Pride and Prejudice", a revision of "First Impressions", in January 1813. Austen sold the copyright to "Pride and Prejudice" to Egerton for £110. To maximise profits, he used cheap paper and set the price at 18 shillings. He advertised the book widely and it was an immediate success, garnering three favourable reviews and selling well. Had Austen sold "Pride and Prejudice" on commission, she would had made a profit of £475, or twice her father's annual income. By October
Reception history of Jane Austen Scott's and Whately's opinions dominated the reception of Austen's works and few people read her novels. In 1869, this changed with the publication of the first significant Austen biography, "A Memoir of Jane Austen", which was written by Jane Austen's nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh. With its release, Austen's popularity and critical standing increased dramatically. Readers of the "Memoir" were presented with the myth of the amateur novelist who wrote masterpieces: the "Memoir" fixed in the public mind a sentimental picture of Austen as a quiet, middle-aged maiden aunt and reassured them that her work was suitable for a respectable Victorian