"Jane Eyre" a bodice-ripper? Publishers think so

A redesigned book cover for Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights."

/ HarperCollins

(CBS News) A stubble-cheeked Romeo with Juliet in a tank top? A bodice-ripping Jane Eyre? A "Dracula" cover with rivulets of red ink dripping like blood?

Don't laugh. These are some of the ways booksellers are trying to spice up the classics to appeal to the teenage audiences of "The Twilight Saga" and "The Hunger Games."

According to a report this week in The New York Times, publishers are creating new covers for their young adult literature that combines provocative images, bold, bright colors, and modern typefaces to lure young readers.

Here's why: As of this spring, more than 36.5 million books in Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" trilogy have been sold and Stephanie Moyers' older "Twilight" saga has racked up sales of over 130 million. So there is money to be made from younger readers.

In at least one case, there are direct tie-ins to the new beloved novels. For example, HarperCollins' new cover for "Wuthering Heights" has a stark, black background, a close-up of a rose and an inscription that reads, "Bella & Edward's favorite book."