One of the authors of ''The Rules', the best-selling book of advice for women seeking a husband, has filed for divorce, according to a British press report.

Ellen Fein reportedly disclosed the move on the eve of the release of her latest book 'Rules III' - subtitled 'Time-tested secrets for making your marriage work'.

Hundreds of advance copies have been sent out trumpeting the happy state of Fein's marriage and that of her co-author, Sherri Schneider, according to the report in the Daily Telegraph.

The London paper said publisher AOL Time Warner is now rushing out a new cover. The original said: "Ellen and Sherrie, two long-time married women themselves, know that just because you've married the man of your dreams doesn't mean your work has ended; good marriages don't happen by accident". It contains a chapter on divorce that claims: "it is easier to stay married than get married".

The original 'Rules', published in 1996, was a social phenomenon, earning the wrath of feminists. The book argued that modern women had to relearn the art of playing hard to get and suggested using egg- timers to limit conversations with suitors to ten minutes.

Men should be put through a series of challenges to test both their gallantry and willingness to commit to a relationship. Women were advised to be neither too funny nor too clever, but to retain an air of mystery. Plastic surgery was suggested for those with unsightly noses.

The book's popularity soared when it was reported that Princess Diana had read it. As the authors toured the talk shows, they boasted of their own happy marriages. They claimed that a woman who followed the rules "will have one of those made-in-heaven marriages. A Rules marriage is for, forever".

On the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996, Fein told a feminist critic whose first marriage had failed that, as a divorcee, she was in no position to pontificate.

In 'The Rules III', Fein and Schneider reportedly claim that for a marriage to succeed, women must be subservient to their husbands and not bother them with daily woes. They also recommend that wives grow their hair, as men find that more attractive.

The Telegraph said Fein, 43, told her publishers earlier this year that she had filed for divorce from Paul Feingertz, a pharmacist to whom she had been married for 16 years, citing abandonment. She had hoped to rebuild her marriage.

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