How to Cite a Book: APA, MLA, Chicago & Harvard (2026 Guide)
Learn how to cite a book in APA 7th, MLA 9, Chicago, and Harvard formats. Includes examples for edited books, chapters, e-books, translated works, and multiple authors.
Book citation format depends on your style guide and whether you're citing the whole book or a chapter. APA: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (Edition). Publisher. DOI. MLA: Author. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. Chicago NB: Author. Title. Place: Publisher, Year. Harvard: Author (Year) Title. Edition. Place: Publisher.
TL;DR: Book citations require author, title, publisher, and year. The exact format depends on your style guide. This guide covers every scenario — single author, multiple authors, edited books, chapters, e-books, translations, and more.
Books are the second most commonly cited source in academic writing, after journal articles. Unlike journals, books have many variations — edited volumes, chapters by different authors, multiple editions, translations, and e-book formats — each with its own citation rules.
This guide gives you the exact format for every book citation scenario across APA 7th, MLA 9, Chicago 17th, and Harvard.
Smith, J. A. (2024). Research methods in psychology (3rd ed.). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/xxxxx
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite a book in APA format?
- APA 7 book citation: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (Edition). Publisher. DOI or URL. Example: Smith, J. A. (2024). Research methods in psychology (3rd ed.). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/xxxxx. Italicize the title. Only include edition if not the first.
- How do I cite a book in MLA format?
- MLA 9 book citation: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. Example: Smith, John A. Research Methods in Psychology. Academic Press, 2024. Italicize the title. No city of publication needed in MLA 9.
- How do I cite a book chapter?
- APA: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx-xx). Publisher. DOI. MLA: Author. 'Chapter Title.' Title of Book, edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx-xx. The chapter title is NOT italicized; the book title IS.
- How do I cite a book with multiple authors?
- APA: 2 authors — use '&' (Smith, J. & Jones, B.). 3-20 authors — list all in reference, use 'et al.' after first author in-text. 21+ authors — list first 19, ellipsis, last author. MLA: 2 authors — 'and' (Smith, John, and Bob Jones). 3+ authors — first author, et al.
- How do I cite an edited book?
- APA: Editor, A. A. (Ed.). (Year). Title of book. Publisher. Use (Eds.) for multiple editors. MLA: Editor, First Name, editor. Title. Publisher, Year. Chicago: Editor, First Name, ed. Title. Place: Publisher, Year.
- How do I cite an e-book?
- Same as print, but add the DOI or URL at the end. APA: Do NOT include the e-reader platform (Kindle, Nook) unless it's the only way to get the book. Include the DOI if one exists. MLA: Same as print format — MLA does not distinguish between print and e-book unless the content differs.