diff --git a/layouts/partials/byline.html b/layouts/partials/byline.html
index 2a299c7..6400fb8 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/byline.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/byline.html
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-{{   $author := .Page.Params.author
-}}{{ if or (eq $author "authorBug") (eq $author "bug")
+{{   $author := (lower .Page.Params.author)
+}}{{ if or (eq $author "authorbug") (eq $author "bug")
 }}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" .Site.Params.authorBug
-}}{{ else if or (eq $author "authorHyperling") (eq $author "hyperling")
+}}{{ else if or (eq $author "authorhyperling") (eq $author "hyperling")
 }}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" .Site.Params.authorHyperling
-}}{{ else if or (eq $author "authorHyperVegan") (eq $author "hypervegan")
+}}{{ else if or (eq $author "authorhypervegan") (eq $author "hypervegan")
 }}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" .Site.Params.authorHyperVegan
-}}{{ else
+}}{{ else if and ($author) (not (eq $author ""))
 }}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" $author
+}}{{ else
+}}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" .Site.Params.authorDefault
 }}{{ end
 }}{{ $author := .Scratch.Get "author"
 }}{{ if $author
diff --git a/layouts/shortcodes/author.html b/layouts/shortcodes/author.html
index c3052ac..7ece4d4 100644
--- a/layouts/shortcodes/author.html
+++ b/layouts/shortcodes/author.html
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-{{   $author := .Get 0
-}}{{ if or (eq $author "authorBug") (eq $author "bug")
+{{   $author := (lower (.Get 0))
+}}{{ if or (eq $author "authorbug") (eq $author "bug")
 }}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" .Site.Params.authorBug
-}}{{ else if or (eq $author "authorHyperling") (eq $author "hyperling")
+}}{{ else if or (eq $author "authorhyperling") (eq $author "hyperling")
 }}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" .Site.Params.authorHyperling
-}}{{ else if or (eq $author "authorHyperVegan") (eq $author "hypervegan")
+}}{{ else if or (eq $author "authorhypervegan") (eq $author "hypervegan")
 }}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" .Site.Params.authorHyperVegan
-}}{{ else
+}}{{ else if and ($author) (not (eq $author ""))
 }}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" $author
+}}{{ else
+}}{{     .Scratch.Set "author" .Site.Params.authorDefault
 }}{{ end
 }}{{ $author := .Scratch.Get "author"
 }}{{ if $author