diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui
index 7184192eba..74febf9c29 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.ui
@@ -151,14 +151,16 @@
                     <item>
                      <widget class="EnLineEdit" name="author_sort">
                       <property name="toolTip">
-                       <string>Specify how the author(s) of this book should be sorted. For example Charles Dickens should be sorted as Dickens, Charles.</string>
+                       <string>Specify how the author(s) of this book should be sorted. For example Charles Dickens should be sorted as Dickens, Charles.
+If the box is colored green, then text matches the individual author's sort strings. If it is colored red, then the authors and this text do not match.</string>
                       </property>
                      </widget>
                     </item>
                     <item>
                      <widget class="QToolButton" name="auto_author_sort">
                       <property name="toolTip">
-                       <string>Automatically create the author sort entry based on the current author entry</string>
+                       <string>Automatically create the author sort entry based on the current author entry.
+Using this button to create author sort will change author sort from red to green.</string>
                       </property>
                       <property name="text">
                        <string>...</string>