Austen 'too ugly' for book cover

Thanks for your kind comments, the play went extremeley well and all the hard work was well worth it. We were shattered yesterday :>)

Is it really necessary to enhance a painting in order to seem to appeal todays hyper sensitive image hungry audiences? Wordsworth publishers certainly seem narrow minded but perhaps I haven't got my Marketing head on - they thought Austen was 'too ugly' for a book cover

The book cover shows Austen without her night-cap
Novelist Jane Austen has been given a makeover for the cover of a book about her life after publishers decided an original image of her was unattractive.
"She was not much of a looker," said Helen Trayler, managing director of publisher Wordsworth Editions.

Publishers traditionally use a portrait of Austen painted by her sister but Wordsworth have added make-up, hair extensions and removed her night-cap.

The book is a new edition of a memoir by Austen's nephew.

Hair extension, make-up, tucks n lippos..whatever next :>)