Jane Austen's brother, Henry Austen, worked as an agent on behalf of Jane and got in contact with a publisher, Thomas Egerton. Egerton published the novel anonymously in October of 1811. The novel was well-liked, and by 1813, the first edition had completely sold out.
Image: "Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen" by cwasteson is licensed under CC BY 2.0.