diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/n3editing/PersonHasPositionValidator.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/n3editing/PersonHasPositionValidator.java
index 7cf1c2efa..6d41b3bb5 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/n3editing/PersonHasPositionValidator.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/n3editing/PersonHasPositionValidator.java
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ public class PersonHasPositionValidator implements N3Validator {
 		if( "".equals(organizationUri))
 			organizationUri = null;
 		
-//		System.out.println("newOrgName " + newOrgName);
-//		System.out.println("newOrgType " + newOrgType);
-//		System.out.println("organizationUri " + organizationUri);
-		
 		Map<String,String> errors = new HashMap<String,String>();		
 		if( organizationUri != null && (newOrgName != null || newOrgType != null)  ){
 			errors.put("newOrgName", DUPLICATE_ERROR);	
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/n3editing/PublicationHasAuthorValidator.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/n3editing/PublicationHasAuthorValidator.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b3104bc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/edit/n3editing/PublicationHasAuthorValidator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.edit.n3editing;
+
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import com.hp.hpl.jena.rdf.model.Literal;
+
+public class PublicationHasAuthorValidator implements N3Validator {
+
+    private static String MISSING_AUTHOR_ERROR = "Must specify a new or existing author.";
+    private static String MISSING_FIRST_NAME_ERROR = "Must specify the author's first name.";
+    private static String MISSING_LAST_NAME_ERROR = "Must specify the author's last name.";
+    
+    @Override
+    public Map<String, String> validate(EditConfiguration editConfig,
+            EditSubmission editSub) {
+        Map<String,String> urisFromForm = editSub.getUrisFromForm();
+        Map<String,Literal> literalsFromForm = editSub.getLiteralsFromForm();
+        
+        Literal firstName = literalsFromForm.get("firstName");
+        if( firstName.getLexicalForm() != null && "".equals(firstName.getLexicalForm()) )
+            firstName = null;
+
+        Literal lastName = literalsFromForm.get("lastName");
+        if( lastName.getLexicalForm() != null && "".equals(lastName.getLexicalForm()) )
+            lastName = null;
+        
+        String personUri = urisFromForm.get("personUri");
+        if ("".equals(personUri)) {
+            personUri = null;
+        }
+        
+        Map<String,String> errors = new HashMap<String,String>();   
+        
+        if (personUri == null && lastName == null && firstName == null) {
+            errors.put("lastName", MISSING_AUTHOR_ERROR);
+        } else if (lastName != null && firstName == null) {
+            errors.put("firstName", MISSING_FIRST_NAME_ERROR);
+        } else if (lastName == null && firstName != null) {
+            errors.put("lastName", MISSING_LAST_NAME_ERROR);
+        }
+        
+        return errors.size() != 0 ? errors : null;
+    }
+
+}