diff --git a/bookwyrm/migrations/0013_book_origin_id.py b/bookwyrm/migrations/0013_book_origin_id.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..581a2406e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/migrations/0013_book_origin_id.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Generated by Django 3.0.7 on 2020-11-24 21:42
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('bookwyrm', '0012_attachment'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='book',
+            name='origin_id',
+            field=models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=255, null=True),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/bookwyrm/models/book.py b/bookwyrm/models/book.py
index 6edfece80..c8643f07e 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/models/book.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/models/book.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from .base_model import image_attachments_formatter
 
 class Book(ActivitypubMixin, BookWyrmModel):
     ''' a generic book, which can mean either an edition or a work '''
-    origin_id = models.CharField(max_length=255, null=True)
+    origin_id = models.CharField(max_length=255, null=True, blank=True)
     # these identifiers apply to both works and editions
     openlibrary_key = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, null=True)
     librarything_key = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, null=True)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/edit_book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/edit_book.html
index bd89ac0a9..54cefb0a7 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/edit_book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/edit_book.html
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@
     </div>
 </div>
 
+{% if login_form.non_field_errors %}
+<div class="block">
+    <p class="notification is-danger">{{ login_form.non_field_errors }}</p>
+</div>
+{% endif %}
+
 <form class="block" name="edit-book" action="/edit-book/{{ book.id }}" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
     {% csrf_token %}
     <div class="block">
@@ -37,13 +43,40 @@
     </div>
 
     <div class="columns">
-        <div class="block column">
-            <h2 class="title is-4">Book Identifiers</h2>
-            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_isbn_13">ISBN 13:</label> {{ form.isbn_13 }} </p>
-            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_isbn_10">ISBN 10:</label> {{ form.isbn_10 }} </p>
-            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_openlibrary_key">Openlibrary key:</label> {{ form.openlibrary_key }} </p>
-            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_librarything_key">Librarything key:</label> {{ form.librarything_key }} </p>
-            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_goodreads_key">Goodreads key:</label> {{ form.goodreads_key }} </p>
+        <div class="column">
+            <h2 class="title is-4">Metadata</h2>
+            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_title">Title:</label> {{ form.title }} </p>
+            {% for error in form.title.errors %}
+            <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+            {% endfor %}
+            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_sort_title">Sort title:</label> {{ form.sort_title }} </p>
+            {% for error in form.sort_title.errors %}
+            <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+            {% endfor %}
+            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_subtitle">Subtitle:</label> {{ form.subtitle }} </p>
+            {% for error in form.subtitle.errors %}
+            <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+            {% endfor %}
+            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_description">Description:</label> {{ form.description }} </p>
+            {% for error in form.description.errors %}
+            <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+            {% endfor %}
+            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_series">Series:</label> {{ form.series }} </p>
+            {% for error in form.series.errors %}
+            <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+            {% endfor %}
+            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_series_number">Series number:</label> {{ form.series_number }} </p>
+            {% for error in form.series_number.errors %}
+            <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+            {% endfor %}
+            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_first_published_date">First published date:</label> {{ form.first_published_date }} </p>
+            {% for error in form.first_published_date.errors %}
+            <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+            {% endfor %}
+            <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_published_date">Published date:</label> {{ form.published_date }} </p>
+            {% for error in form.published_date.errors %}
+            <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+            {% endfor %}
         </div>
 
         <div class="column">
@@ -55,6 +88,9 @@
                     <div class="block">
                         <h2 class="title is-4">Cover</h2>
                         <p>{{ form.cover }} </p>
+                        {% for error in form.cover.errors %}
+                        <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                        {% endfor %}
                     </div>
                 </div>
             </div>
@@ -62,22 +98,45 @@
             <div class="block">
                 <h2 class="title is-4">Physical Properties</h2>
                 <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_physical_format">Format:</label> {{ form.physical_format }} </p>
+                {% for error in form.physical_format.errors %}
+                <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                {% endfor %}
+                {% for error in form.physical_format.errors %}
+                <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                {% endfor %}
+
                 <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_pages">Pages:</label> {{ form.pages }} </p>
+                {% for error in form.pages.errors %}
+                <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                {% endfor %}
+            </div>
+
+            <div class="block">
+                <h2 class="title is-4">Book Identifiers</h2>
+                <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_isbn_13">ISBN 13:</label> {{ form.isbn_13 }} </p>
+                {% for error in form.isbn_13.errors %}
+                <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                {% endfor %}
+                <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_isbn_10">ISBN 10:</label> {{ form.isbn_10 }} </p>
+                {% for error in form.isbn_10.errors %}
+                <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                {% endfor %}
+                <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_openlibrary_key">Openlibrary key:</label> {{ form.openlibrary_key }} </p>
+                {% for error in form.openlibrary_key.errors %}
+                <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                {% endfor %}
+                <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_librarything_key">Librarything key:</label> {{ form.librarything_key }} </p>
+                {% for error in form.librarything_key.errors %}
+                <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                {% endfor %}
+                <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_goodreads_key">Goodreads key:</label> {{ form.goodreads_key }} </p>
+                {% for error in form.goodreads_key.errors %}
+                <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                {% endfor %}
             </div>
         </div>
     </div>
 
-    <div class="block">
-        <h2 class="title is-4">Metadata</h2>
-        <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_title">Title:</label> {{ form.title }} </p>
-        <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_sort_title">Sort title:</label> {{ form.sort_title }} </p>
-        <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_subtitle">Subtitle:</label> {{ form.subtitle }} </p>
-        <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_description">Description:</label> {{ form.description }} </p>
-        <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_series">Series:</label> {{ form.series }} </p>
-        <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_series_number">Series number:</label> {{ form.series_number }} </p>
-        <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_first_published_date">First published date:</label> {{ form.first_published_date }} </p>
-        <p class="fields is-grouped"><label class="label"for="id_published_date">Published date:</label> {{ form.published_date }} </p>
-    </div>
     <div class="block">
         <button class="button is-primary" type="submit">Save</button>
         <a class="button" href="/book/{{ book.id }}">Cancel</a>
@@ -85,4 +144,3 @@
 </form>
 
 {% endblock %}
-
diff --git a/bookwyrm/view_actions.py b/bookwyrm/view_actions.py
index b7e92c89f..ad9a12cf7 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/view_actions.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/view_actions.py
@@ -235,7 +235,12 @@ def edit_book(request, book_id):
 
     form = forms.EditionForm(request.POST, request.FILES, instance=book)
     if not form.is_valid():
-        return redirect(request.headers.get('Referer', '/'))
+        data = {
+            'title': 'Edit Book',
+            'book': book,
+            'form': form
+        }
+        return TemplateResponse(request, 'edit_book.html', data)
     form.save()
 
     outgoing.handle_update_book(request.user, book)