How to Cite a Book

Complete guide for citing books, e-books, and chapters in APA, MLA, and Chicago formats

📚 Why Book Citations Matter

Books remain foundational sources in academic research. Proper citation ensures you give credit to authors, allows readers to locate the exact source, and demonstrates thorough scholarship. Whether citing print books, e-books, or book chapters, accurate citations are essential.

📝 Information You'll Need

✅ For Whole Books

Author(s) full name(s)
Publication year
Book title
Edition (if not first edition)
Publisher name
Publisher location (for Chicago)
ISBN (helpful for verification)

📄 For Book Chapters

Chapter author(s)
Chapter title
Editor(s) of the book
Book title
Page numbers of chapter
Publisher information
Publication year

🔍 ISBN Lookup Tips

What is ISBN? International Standard Book Number - a unique identifier for books.

Where to find ISBN:

✓ Back cover (near the barcode)
✓ Copyright page (first few pages)
✓ Publisher's website or online bookstores

💡 Pro Tip: Use CiteForge's ISBN lookup! Just paste the ISBN and we'll automatically fetch the book's details from Open Library database.

📘 APA 7 Format

Basic Format (Print Book)

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (Edition). Publisher.

Examples

1. Single Author Book

Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work, tough conversations, whole hearts. Random House.

In-text: (Brown, 2018)

2. Multiple Authors

Strunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (2020). The elements of style (4th ed.). Pearson.

In-text: (Strunk & White, 2020)

3. E-Book with DOI

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. https://doi.org/10.1234/example

In-text: (Kahneman, 2011)

4. Book Chapter in Edited Book

Johnson, M. (2019). The psychology of learning. In A. Smith & B. Jones (Eds.), Educational foundations (pp. 45-67). Academic Press.

In-text: (Johnson, 2019)

5. Book with Editor Instead of Author

Smith, A. B. (Ed.). (2022). Handbook of social psychology. Wiley.

In-text: (Smith, 2022)

📌 APA Key Rules for Books

✓ Use sentence case for titles (only first word capitalized)
✓ Italicize book titles
✓ Include edition if not the first: (2nd ed.) or (Rev. ed.)
✓ For e-books, include DOI if available; otherwise include URL
✓ List up to 20 authors before using "et al."
✓ Publisher location is NO LONGER required in APA 7

📗 MLA 9 Format

Basic Format (Print Book)

Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

Examples

1. Single Author Book

Brown, Brené. Dare to Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts. Random House, 2018.

In-text: (Brown)

2. Two Authors

Strunk, William, Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed., Pearson, 2020.

In-text: (Strunk and White)

3. E-Book

Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. E-book ed., Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.

In-text: (Kahneman)

4. Book Chapter in Edited Book

Johnson, Michael. "The Psychology of Learning." Educational Foundations, edited by Anna Smith and Barbara Jones, Academic Press, 2019, pp. 45-67.

In-text: (Johnson)

5. Book with Editor

Smith, Anna B., editor. Handbook of Social Psychology. Wiley, 2022.

In-text: (Smith)

📌 MLA Key Rules for Books

✓ Use title case (capitalize all major words)
✓ Italicize book titles
✓ Spell out edition: "2nd ed." not "2e"
✓ For e-books, note the format or platform
✓ List all authors (no "et al." in Works Cited)
✓ No publisher location needed in MLA 9

📙 Chicago Style

Notes-Bibliography Format

Footnote/Endnote:

¹ First Name Last Name, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

Bibliography:

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place: Publisher, Year.

Examples

1. Single Author Book

Footnote (first reference):

¹ Brené Brown, Dare to Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts (New York: Random House, 2018), 45.

Shortened footnote (subsequent):

² Brown, Dare to Lead, 67.

Bibliography:

Brown, Brené. Dare to Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts. New York: Random House, 2018.

2. Two Authors

Footnote:

³ William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style, 4th ed. (New York: Pearson, 2020), 12.

Bibliography:

Strunk, William, Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. New York: Pearson, 2020.

3. E-Book

Footnote:

⁴ Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011), Kindle edition.

Bibliography:

Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. Kindle edition.

4. Book Chapter

Footnote:

⁵ Michael Johnson, "The Psychology of Learning," in Educational Foundations, ed. Anna Smith and Barbara Jones (New York: Academic Press, 2019), 45-67.

Bibliography:

Johnson, Michael. "The Psychology of Learning." In Educational Foundations, edited by Anna Smith and Barbara Jones, 45-67. New York: Academic Press, 2019.

📌 Chicago Key Rules for Books

✓ Use title case for all titles
✓ Italicize book titles
✓ Include publisher location (city)
✓ First footnote: full citation with page number
✓ Subsequent footnotes: shortened format
✓ Bibliography: no page numbers for whole books

🔧 Special Cases & Solutions

📱 E-Books from Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, etc.

APA: Treat like print book, add platform only if relevant to discussion
MLA: Note format (e.g., "Kindle edition") after title
Chicago: Note format at end of citation

🔢 Multiple Editions

Always cite the edition you actually used! Include edition after title: (3rd ed.), (Rev. ed.), (Expanded ed.)

👥 Many Authors (4+)

APA: List all (up to 20), then use "et al."
MLA: List all in Works Cited, or use first author + "et al."
Chicago: List all in bibliography, may use "et al." in footnotes after first mention

🏛️ Classic or Ancient Books

Cite the edition/translation you used. Include translator if applicable:
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Emily Wilson, Norton, 2017.

❓ No Publication Date

APA: Use (n.d.)
MLA: Omit the date
Chicago: Use "n.d." in parentheses

📊 Quick Comparison

Element	APA 7	MLA 9	Chicago
Title Case	Sentence case	Title Case	Title Case
Publisher Location	Not needed	Not needed	Required
Format	Author (Year)	Author. Title. Pub, Year.	Footnotes + Bibliography
E-Books	Add DOI/URL if available	Note format/platform	Note format at end

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Disclaimer: These examples provide general guidance. Always verify citations against official style manuals (APA Publication Manual, MLA Handbook, Chicago Manual of Style) and follow your instructor's specific requirements. Citations provided as-is.