diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.py
index 62721f4c33..eae189e04c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.py
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ class EditAuthorsDialog(QDialog, Ui_EditAuthorsDialog):
         self.sort_by_author_sort.setChecked(True)
         self.author_sort_order = 1
 
-        # set up author sort calc button
         self.recalc_author_sort.clicked.connect(self.do_recalc_author_sort)
+        self.auth_sort_to_author.clicked.connect(self.do_auth_sort_to_author)
 
         if select_item is not None:
             self.table.setCurrentItem(select_item)
@@ -108,6 +108,17 @@ class EditAuthorsDialog(QDialog, Ui_EditAuthorsDialog):
         self.table.setFocus(Qt.OtherFocusReason)
         self.table.cellChanged.connect(self.cell_changed)
 
+    def do_auth_sort_to_author(self):
+        self.table.cellChanged.disconnect()
+        for row in range(0,self.table.rowCount()):
+            item = self.table.item(row, 1)
+            aus  = unicode(item.text()).strip()
+            c = self.table.item(row, 0)
+            # Sometimes trailing commas are left by changing between copy algs
+            c.setText(aus)
+        self.table.setFocus(Qt.OtherFocusReason)
+        self.table.cellChanged.connect(self.cell_changed)
+
     def cell_changed(self, row, col):
         if col == 0:
             item = self.table.item(row, 0)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.ui
index 6518e6a1b0..3280245959 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/edit_authors_dialog.ui
@@ -52,13 +52,26 @@
      <item>
       <widget class="QPushButton" name="recalc_author_sort">
        <property name="toolTip">
-        <string>Reset all the author sort values to a value automatically generated from the author. Exactly how this value is automatically generated can be controlled via Preferences-&gt;Advanced-&gt;Tweaks</string>
+        <string>Reset all the author sort values to a value automatically
+generated from the author. Exactly how this value is automatically
+generated can be controlled via Preferences-&gt;Advanced-&gt;Tweaks</string>
        </property>
        <property name="text">
         <string>Recalculate all author sort values</string>
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
+     <item>
+      <widget class="QPushButton" name="auth_sort_to_author">
+       <property name="toolTip">
+        <string>Copy author sort to author for every author. You typically use this button
+after changing Preferences-&gt;Advanced-&gt;Tweaks-&gt;Author sort name algorithm</string>
+       </property>
+       <property name="text">
+        <string>Copy all author sort values to author</string>
+       </property>
+      </widget>
+     </item>
      <item>
       <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_3">
        <property name="orientation">
diff --git a/src/calibre/manual/faq.rst b/src/calibre/manual/faq.rst
index 84f99414a8..2942c8dd9e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/manual/faq.rst
+++ b/src/calibre/manual/faq.rst
@@ -327,10 +327,22 @@ Now coming to author name sorting:
     * When recalculating the author sort values for books, |app| uses the author sort values for each individual author. Therefore, ensure that the individual author sort values are correct before recalculating the books' author sort values.
     * You can control whether the Tag Browser display authors using their names or their sort values by setting the :guilabel:`categories_use_field_for_author_name` tweak in Preferences->Tweaks
 
-With all this flexibility, it is possible to have |app| manage your author names however you like. For example, one common request is to have |app| display author names LN, FN. To do this first set the ``author_sort_copy_method`` to ``copy``. Then change all author names to LN, FN via the Manage authors dialog. Then have |app| recalculate author sort values for both authors and books as described above.
-
 Note that you can set an individual author's sort value to whatever you want using :guilabel:`Manage authors`. This is useful when dealing with names that |app| will not get right, such as complex multi-part names like Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra or when dealing with Asian names like Sun Tzu.
 
+With all this flexibility, it is possible to have |app| manage your author names however you like. For example, one common request is to have |app| display author names LN, FN. To do this, and if the note below does not apply to you, then:
+    * Set the ``author_sort_copy_method`` tweak to ``copy`` as described above.
+    * Restart calibre. Do not change any book metadata before doing the remaining steps.
+    * Change all author names to LN, FN using the Manage authors dialog.
+    * After you have changed all the authors, press the `Recalculate all author sort values` button.
+    * Press OK, at which point |app| will change the authors in all your books. This can take a while.
+    
+**Note**: when changing from FN LN to LN, FN, it is often the case that the values in author_sort are already in LN, FN format. If this is your case, then do the following:
+    * set the ``author_sort_copy_method`` tweak to ``copy`` as described above.
+    * restart calibre. Do not change any book metadata before doing the remaining steps.
+    * open the Manage authors dialog. Press the ``copy all author sort values to author`` button.
+    * Check through the authors to be sure you are happy. You can still press Cancel to abandon the changes. Once you press OK, there is no undo.
+    * Press OK, at which point |app| will change the authors in all your books. This can take a while.
+
 
 Why doesn't |app| let me store books in my own directory structure?
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~