by Marianna Sorensen
Spring 2017 Intern
When I think of the books of my
childhood I hear the warm words and picture the creative illustrations. But I
have never considered the business ventures behind those pages and images.
Beatrix Potter, author of the Peter Rabbit books, was a pioneer for lone
authors leading their own businesses.
Potter used her books and her ideas
to build a business empire and became an innovator in licensing and
merchandising literary characters. It all began in 1893 when she wrote letters
to the child of her former governess with stories about a character she called Peter
Rabbit. Her former governess suggested she publish the stories along with the
hand-drawn illustrations in the letters. The publishers she approached with The Tales of Peter Rabbit rejected the
early draft, saying it was too plain and small. So she decided to publish
it herself, and wanted to make sure it was inexpensive and easily
accessible for readers. A year later, she came to an agreement with one publisher
after a compromise on the length of the stories and colored illustrations. From
October to December of 1902, the publisher sold 28,220
copies.
Thanks to Potter’s approach, Peter
Rabbit is one of the oldest licensed literary characters, but he had existed in
Potter’s mind for far longer. Her childhood had a great effect on the creation
of Peter Rabbit and the stories she wrote. She loved drawing and would spend
time drawing her pets, which included mice, frogs, snakes, a bat and—of course—rabbits.
Her two pet rabbits were named Benjamin Bouncer and Peter Piper, and they gave
her the inspiration
for her future books.
Potter also planned, patented and sewed
together a doll of Peter Rabbit. She even designed a board game. In the end,
she was able to secure an unusual amount of merchandise and patents to
accompany her books—an idea unheard of at the time. This merchandise also
included tea sets, handkerchiefs, bookcases, stationery, slippers and
wallpaper.
If you would like further proof of
Potter’s legacy consider this: two million of her books are sold a year—so approximately
four books of hers are sold every minute. So next time you see Peter Rabbit,
consider the business behind him and the publishing pedigree he began.
Did You Know?
Though rabbits
and hares appear very similar, they actually have many differences. The
jackrabbit (which is, in fact, a hare) can move up to 40 miles per hour and
leap more than 10 feet high. Rabbits just can’t quite reach those levels.
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