diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/edit_book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/edit_book.html
index e42f77f2..107e75c5 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/edit_book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/edit_book.html
@@ -39,29 +39,37 @@
     <div class="box">
         <h2 class="title is-4">{% trans "Confirm Book Info" %}</h2>
         <div class="columns">
-            {% if author_matches.exists %}
-            <fieldset class="column is-half">
-                <legend class="label">{% blocktrans with name=add_author %}Is "{{ name }}" an existing author?{% endblocktrans %}</legend>
-                {% for match in author_matches %}
-                <label><input type="radio" name="author_match" value="{{ match.id }}" required> {{ match.name }}</label>
-                <p class="help">
-                    <a href="{{ author.local_path }}" target="_blank">{% blocktrans with book_title=match.book_set.first.title %}Author of <em>{{ book_title }}</em>{% endblocktrans %}</a>
-                </p>
+            {% if author_matches %}
+            <div class="column is-half">
+                {% for author in author_matches %}
+                <fieldset class="mb-4">
+                    <legend class="title is-5 mb-1">{% blocktrans with name=author.name %}Is "{{ name }}" an existing author?{% endblocktrans %}</legend>
+                    {% with forloop.counter as counter %}
+                    {% for match in author.matches %}
+                    <label><input type="radio" name="author_match-{{ counter }}" value="{{ match.id }}" required> {{ match.name }}</label>
+                    <p class="help">
+                        <a href="{{ author.local_path }}" target="_blank">{% blocktrans with book_title=match.book_set.first.title %}Author of <em>{{ book_title }}</em>{% endblocktrans %}</a>
+                    </p>
+                    {% endfor %}
+                    <label><input type="radio" name="author_match-{{ counter }}" value="0" required> {% trans "This is a new author" %}</label>
+                    {% endwith %}
+                </fieldset>
                 {% endfor %}
-                <label><input type="radio" name="author_match"> {% trans "This is a new author" %}</label>
-            </fieldset>
+            </div>
             {% else %}
             <p class="column is-half">{% blocktrans with name=add_author %}Creating a new author: {{ name }}{% endblocktrans %}</p>
             {% endif %}
 
             {% if not book %}
-            <fieldset class="column is-half">
-                <legend class="title is-5">{% trans "Is this an editions of an existing work?" %}</legend>
-                {% for match in book_matches %}
-                <label class="label"><input type="radio" name="parent_work" value="{{ match.parent_work.id }}"> {{ match.parent_work.title }}</label>
-                {% endfor %}
-                <label><input type="radio" name="parent_work" value="0"> this is a new work</label>
-            </fieldset>
+            <div class="column is-half">
+                <fieldset>
+                    <legend class="title is-5 mb-1">{% trans "Is this an edition of an existing work?" %}</legend>
+                    {% for match in book_matches %}
+                    <label class="label"><input type="radio" name="parent_work" value="{{ match.parent_work.id }}"> {{ match.parent_work.title }}</label>
+                    {% endfor %}
+                    <label><input type="radio" name="parent_work" value="0" required> {% trans "This is a new work" %}</label>
+                </fieldset>
+            </div>
             {% endif %}
         </div>
 
@@ -109,16 +117,19 @@
 
             <section class="block">
                 <h2 class="title is-4">{% trans "Authors" %}</h2>
+                {% if book.authors.exists %}
                 <fieldset>
                     {% for author in book.authors.all %}
-                    <p><a href="{{ author.local_path }}">{{ author.name }}</a>
-                    <label class="label">
-                        <input type="checkbox" name="remove_authors" value="{{ author.id }}"> {% trans "Remove this author" %}
+                    <label class="label mb-2">
+                        <input type="checkbox" name="remove_authors" value="{{ author.id }}" {% if author.id|stringformat:"i" in remove_authors %}checked{% endif %}>
+                        {% blocktrans with name=author.name path=author.local_path %}Remove <a href="{{ path }}">{{ name }}</a>{% endblocktrans %}
                     </label>
                     {% endfor %}
                 </fieldset>
-                <label class="label" for="id_add_author">{% trans "Add Author:" %}</label>
-                <input class="input" type="text" name="add_author" id="id_add_author" placeholder="{% trans 'John Doe' %}" value="{{ add_author }}">
+                {% endif %}
+                <label class="label" for="id_add_author">{% trans "Add Authors:" %}</label>
+                <p class="help">Separate multiple author names with commas.</p>
+                <input class="input" type="text" name="add_author" id="id_add_author" placeholder="{% trans 'John Doe, Jane Smith' %}" value="{{ add_author }}">
             </section>
         </div>
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/books.py b/bookwyrm/views/books.py
index 9048f43d..ff0d6764 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/books.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/books.py
@@ -131,17 +131,22 @@ class EditBook(View):
         # we're adding an author through a free text field
         if add_author:
             data["add_author"] = add_author
-            # check for existing authors
-            vector = SearchVector("name", weight="A") + SearchVector(
-                "aliases", weight="B"
-            )
+            data['author_matches'] = []
+            for author in add_author.split(','):
+                # check for existing authors
+                vector = SearchVector("name", weight="A") + SearchVector(
+                    "aliases", weight="B"
+                )
 
-            data["author_matches"] = (
-                models.Author.objects.annotate(search=vector)
-                .annotate(rank=SearchRank(vector, add_author))
-                .filter(rank__gt=0.4)
-                .order_by("-rank")[:5]
-            )
+                data["author_matches"].append({
+                    'name': author.strip(),
+                    'matches': (
+                        models.Author.objects.annotate(search=vector)
+                        .annotate(rank=SearchRank(vector, add_author))
+                        .filter(rank__gt=0.4)
+                        .order_by("-rank")[:5]
+                    )
+                })
 
         # we're creating a new book
         if not book:
@@ -157,6 +162,8 @@ class EditBook(View):
         if add_author or not book:
             # creting a book or adding an author to a book needs another step
             data["confirm_mode"] = True
+            # this isn't preserved because it isn't part of the form obj
+            data["remove_authors"] = request.POST.getlist("remove_authors")
             return TemplateResponse(request, "edit_book.html", data)
 
         remove_authors = request.POST.getlist("remove_authors")
@@ -190,15 +197,17 @@ class ConfirmEditBook(View):
 
             # get or create author as needed
             if request.POST.get("add_author"):
-                if request.POST.get("author_match"):
-                    author = get_object_or_404(
-                        models.Author, id=request.POST["author_match"]
-                    )
-                else:
-                    author = models.Author.objects.create(
-                        name=request.POST.get("add_author")
-                    )
-                book.authors.add(author)
+                for (i, author) in enumerate(request.POST.get("add_author").split(',')):
+                    match = request.POST.get("author_match-%d" % i)
+                    if match and match != "0":
+                        author = get_object_or_404(
+                            models.Author, id=request.POST["author_match-%d" % i]
+                        )
+                    else:
+                        author = models.Author.objects.create(
+                            name=author.strip()
+                        )
+                    book.authors.add(author)
 
             # create work, if needed
             if not book_id: