diff --git a/lib/default-input.js b/lib/default-input.js
index 7ce2ccb..a20217b 100644
--- a/lib/default-input.js
+++ b/lib/default-input.js
@@ -204,15 +204,31 @@ if (!package.keywords) {
   })
 }
 
-if (!package.author) {
+let author
+if (package.author) {
+  if (typeof package.author === 'string') {
+    author = package.author
+  } else {
+    const authorName = package.author.name
+    const authorEmail = package.author.email || package.author.mail
+    const authorUrl = package.author.url || package.author.web
+    author = `${authorName}${authorEmail ? ` <${authorEmail}>` : ''}${authorUrl ? ` (${authorUrl})` : ''}`
+  }
+} else {
   const authorName = getConfig('author.name')
-  exports.author = authorName
-    ? {
-      name: authorName,
-      email: getConfig('author.email'),
-      url: getConfig('author.url'),
-    }
-    : yes ? '' : prompt('author')
+  if (authorName) {
+    const authorEmail = getConfig('author.email')
+    const authorUrl = getConfig('author.url')
+    author = `${authorName}${authorEmail ? ` <${authorEmail}>` : ''}${authorUrl ? ` (${authorUrl})` : ''}`
+  }
+}
+
+if (yes) {
+  if (author) {
+    exports.author = author
+  }
+} else {
+  exports.author = prompt('author', author || undefined)
 }
 
 const configLicense = getConfig('license')
diff --git a/lib/init-package-json.js b/lib/init-package-json.js
index a560ae3..257bd5d 100644
--- a/lib/init-package-json.js
+++ b/lib/init-package-json.js
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ async function init (dir,
     delete pkg.content.license
   }
 
+  // if no author was explicitly provided, don't include one
+  if (!pzData.author) {
+    delete pkg.content.author
+  }
+
   // readJson filters out empty descriptions, but init-package-json
   // traditionally leaves them alone
   if (!pkg.content.description) {
diff --git a/test/author.js b/test/author.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84b76e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/author.js
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+const t = require('tap')
+const { setup, child, isChild } = require('./fixtures/setup')
+
+if (isChild()) {
+  return child()
+}
+
+t.test('author from config used as default', async (t) => {
+  const { data } = await setup(t, __filename, {
+    inputs: {
+      name: 'the-name',
+      author: [
+        [/author: \(npmbot <npmbot@npmjs\.com> \(https:\/\/npmjs\.com\)\) $/, ''],
+      ],
+    },
+    config: {
+      'init-author-name': 'npmbot',
+      'init-author-email': 'npmbot@npmjs.com',
+      'init-author-url': 'https://npmjs.com',
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.equal(data.author, 'npmbot <npmbot@npmjs.com> (https://npmjs.com)', 'uses config author as default')
+})
+
+t.test('author from config in yes mode', async (t) => {
+  const { data } = await setup(t, __filename, {
+    config: {
+      yes: 'yes',
+      'init-author-name': 'npmbot',
+      'init-author-email': 'npmbot@npmjs.com',
+      'init-author-url': 'https://npmjs.com',
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.equal(data.author, 'npmbot <npmbot@npmjs.com> (https://npmjs.com)', 'uses config author in yes mode')
+})
+
+t.test('author omitted when left blank', async (t) => {
+  const { data } = await setup(t, __filename, {
+    inputs: {
+      name: 'the-name',
+      author: [
+        [/author: $/, ''],
+      ],
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.equal(data.author, undefined, 'author is omitted when left blank')
+})
+
+t.test('author preserved from existing package.json', async (t) => {
+  const { data } = await setup(t, __filename, {
+    testdir: {
+      'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'existing-package',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        author: 'Existing Author <exist@npmjs.com>',
+      }),
+    },
+    config: { yes: 'yes' },
+  })
+
+  t.equal(data.author, 'Existing Author <exist@npmjs.com>', 'preserves existing author')
+})
+
+t.test('author name only from config', async (t) => {
+  const { data } = await setup(t, __filename, {
+    config: {
+      yes: 'yes',
+      'init-author-name': 'npmbot',
+    },
+  })
+
+  t.equal(data.author, 'npmbot', 'uses author name only when no email/url configured')
+})
diff --git a/test/dependencies.js b/test/dependencies.js
index 803a9ea..72c8059 100644
--- a/test/dependencies.js
+++ b/test/dependencies.js
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ t.test('existing dependencies', async (t) => {
     version: '1.0.0',
     type: 'commonjs',
     description: '',
-    author: '',
     scripts: { test: 'echo "Error: no test specified" && exit 1' },
     main: 'index.js',
     keywords: [],
diff --git a/test/license.js b/test/license.js
index 8abaa9d..15c8404 100644
--- a/test/license.js
+++ b/test/license.js
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ t.test('license', async (t) => {
     description: '',
     scripts: { test: 'echo "Error: no test specified" && exit 1' },
     license: 'Apache-2.0',
-    author: '',
     main: 'index.js',
   }
   t.has(data, wanted)
diff --git a/test/name-spaces.js b/test/name-spaces.js
index c5f6cff..75ca363 100644
--- a/test/name-spaces.js
+++ b/test/name-spaces.js
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ t.test('single space', async t => {
     version: '1.0.0',
     description: '',
     scripts: { test: 'echo "Error: no test specified" && exit 1' },
-    author: '',
     main: 'index.js',
   }
   t.has(data, wanted)
@@ -41,7 +40,6 @@ t.test('multiple spaces', async t => {
     version: '1.0.0',
     description: '',
     scripts: { test: 'echo "Error: no test specified" && exit 1' },
-    author: '',
     main: 'index.js',
   }
   t.has(data, wanted)
diff --git a/test/name-uppercase.js b/test/name-uppercase.js
index 170474a..dc4f075 100644
--- a/test/name-uppercase.js
+++ b/test/name-uppercase.js
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ t.test('uppercase', async (t) => {
     version: '1.0.0',
     description: '',
     scripts: { test: 'echo "Error: no test specified" && exit 1' },
-    author: '',
     main: 'index.js',
   }
   t.has(data, EXPECT)
diff --git a/test/repository.js b/test/repository.js
index f87e410..cc744bf 100644
--- a/test/repository.js
+++ b/test/repository.js
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ t.test('license', async (t) => {
     version: '1.0.0',
     description: '',
     scripts: { test: 'echo "Error: no test specified" && exit 1' },
-    author: '',
     repository: {
       type: 'git',
       url: 'git+https://github.com/npm/cli.git',
diff --git a/test/scope-in-config.js b/test/scope-in-config.js
index cf244da..df1e3d5 100644
--- a/test/scope-in-config.js
+++ b/test/scope-in-config.js
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ t.test('--yes with scope', async (t) => {
     name: '@scoped/tap-testdir-scope-in-config---yes-with-scope',
     version: '1.0.0',
     description: '',
-    author: '',
     scripts: { test: 'echo "Error: no test specified" && exit 1' },
     main: 'index.js',
     keywords: [],
diff --git a/test/yes-defaults.js b/test/yes-defaults.js
index add7177..b220b8b 100644
--- a/test/yes-defaults.js
+++ b/test/yes-defaults.js
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ t.test('--yes defaults', async (t) => {
     name: 'tap-testdir-yes-defaults---yes-defaults',
     version: '1.0.0',
     description: '',
-    author: '',
     scripts: { test: 'echo "Error: no test specified" && exit 1' },
     main: 'index.js',
     keywords: [],
@@ -21,5 +20,6 @@ t.test('--yes defaults', async (t) => {
   })
 
   t.has(data, EXPECT, 'used the default data')
+  t.equal(data.author, undefined, 'author is omitted by default')
   t.equal(data.license, undefined, 'license is omitted by default')
 })