How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite a book
Citing a book means recording its author, title, edition, publisher and year of publication in the order your chosen style requires.
The step most authors miss
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Find the title page and copyright page
Open the book to its title page and the copyright page on its reverse. These hold the authoritative author name, full title and subtitle, edition statement and publisher.
2.Record the author(s)
Note each author’s name as printed. Styles invert the first author’s name (surname first) in the reference list; record names in full so you can format them later.
3.Capture title, subtitle and edition
Copy the full title and any subtitle exactly. Note the edition if it is not the first (e.g. "3rd ed."), as this must appear in the entry.
4.Note publisher and year
Take the publisher’s name and the copyright year from the copyright page. APA and Chicago no longer require the place of publication; MLA omits it for modern works.
5.Assemble the entry in your style
Arrange the elements in the order your style specifies and apply its punctuation, italics and capitalisation rules, then add the matching in-text citation or note.
APA 7th edition
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Subtitle (edition). Publisher. — Worked example: Smith, J. (2021). The craft of citation: A practical guide (2nd ed.). Academic Press. In-text: (Smith, 2021). APA uses sentence case for the title (only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns are capitalised) and italicises the title.
MLA 9th edition
Format: Author. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. — Worked example: Smith, Jane. The Craft of Citation: A Practical Guide. Academic Press, 2021. In-text: (Smith 42). MLA uses title case (major words capitalised) and italicises the title. Give the author’s name in full as printed, inverted in the Works Cited entry.
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Bibliography: Smith, Jane. The Craft of Citation: A Practical Guide. 2nd ed. New York: Academic Press, 2021. — First footnote: 1. Jane Smith, The Craft of Citation: A Practical Guide, 2nd ed. (New York: Academic Press, 2021), 42. — Shortened note: 2. Smith, Craft of Citation, 51. Chicago retains the place of publication and uses title case with the title italicised.
Common questions
FAQ
Do I need the place of publication?+
It depends on the style. Chicago 17th still includes the city of publication before the publisher (e.g. "New York: Academic Press"). APA 7th and MLA 9th dropped the publisher location for most modern works, so you give just the publisher’s name.
How do I cite an edition other than the first?+
Add the edition statement after the title. In APA put it in parentheses — "(2nd ed.)"; in MLA write it as an element — "2nd ed.,"; in Chicago place it after the title — "2nd ed." Only note the edition when it is not the first.
What if the book has no author, only an editor?+
Put the editor in the author position with a label. APA: "Smith, J. (Ed.).". MLA: "Smith, Jane, editor.". Chicago: "Smith, Jane, ed.". For an edited volume where you cite one chapter, cite the chapter instead.
Going deeper
