diff --git a/bookwyrm/static/js/bookwyrm.js b/bookwyrm/static/js/bookwyrm.js
index bf5efb46..e18087ee 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/static/js/bookwyrm.js
+++ b/bookwyrm/static/js/bookwyrm.js
@@ -45,6 +45,13 @@ let BookWyrm = new class {
                 'change',
                 this.disableIfTooLarge.bind(this)
             ));
+        
+        document.querySelectorAll('[data-duplicate]')
+                .forEach(node => node.addEventListener(
+                    'click',
+                    this.duplicateInput.bind(this)
+            
+            ))
     }
 
     /**
@@ -369,7 +376,9 @@ let BookWyrm = new class {
         }
     }
 
-    duplicateInput (input_id ) {
+    duplicateInput (event ) {
+        const trigger = event.currentTarget;
+        const input_id = trigger.dataset['duplicate']
         const orig = document.getElementById(input_id);
         const parent = orig.parentNode;
         const new_count = parent.querySelectorAll("input").length + 1
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/edit/edit_book_form.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/edit/edit_book_form.html
index 841a3c53..25d24e43 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book/edit/edit_book_form.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/edit/edit_book_form.html
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
                     <input class="input" type="text" name="add_author" id="id_add_author" placeholder="{% trans 'Jane Doe' %}" value="{{ author }}" {% if confirm_mode %}readonly{% endif %}>
                     {% endfor %}
                 </div>
-                <span class="help"><a id="another_author_field" onclick="BookWyrm.duplicateInput('id_add_author')">{% trans "Add Another Author" %}</a></span>
+                <span class="help"><button class="button is-small" type="button" data-duplicate="id_add_author" id="another_author_field">{% trans "Add Another Author" %}</button></span>
             </div>
         </section>
     </div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/books/edit_book.py b/bookwyrm/views/books/edit_book.py
index 0bacd607..917271fc 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/books/edit_book.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/books/edit_book.py
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ class EditBook(View):
         if not form.is_valid():
             return TemplateResponse(request, "book/edit/edit_book.html", data)
 
-        add_author = request.POST.getlist("add_author")
-        # we're adding an author through a free text field
+        # filter out empty author fields
+        add_author = [author for author in request.POST.getlist("add_author") if author]
         if add_author:
             data["add_author"] = add_author
             data["author_matches"] = []