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how to cite a book in mla

To cite a book in MLA, use the core pattern: Author name, italicized title, publisher, and year in your Works Cited, plus an in‑text citation with author and page number.

Quick Scoop: MLA Book Basics

For a standard print book, MLA 9th edition uses this basic Works Cited format.

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

Example (imaginary book):

Smith, Jordan. History of Night Trains. Aurora Press, 2021.

In‑text citation for a quote from page 45 of that book:

(Smith 45).

Step‑by‑Step: Works Cited Entry

Think of MLA as filling in “slots” in order.

  1. Author
  2. Title of the book
  3. Publisher
  4. Publication year

1. Author

  • One author: Last name, First name.
* Example: `Smith, Jordan.`
  • Two authors: First author Last, First, and Second author First Last.
* Example: `Smith, Jordan, and Casey Lee.`
  • Three or more authors: First author Last, First, et al.
* Example: `Smith, Jordan, et al.`

2. Title of Book

  • Italicize the full title and include subtitle after a colon.
* Example: `*History of Night Trains: Railways After Dark*.`

3. Publisher

  • Write the publisher’s name in a concise form.
  • “University Press” is usually shortened to “UP” in MLA (e.g., “Oxford UP”).

4. Year

  • Use the year the edition you used was published.

Full example:

Smith, Jordan. History of Night Trains: Railways After Dark. Oxford UP, 2021.

In‑Text Citations (Inside Your Essay)

MLA’s in‑text citation for books is very short.

  • Basic pattern: (Author Last Name page number).
* Example: (Smith 45).
  • If you mention the author in the sentence, only put the page number in parentheses.
* Example: Smith argues that night trains changed tourism (45).

For e‑books without stable page numbers, MLA recommends using things like chapter numbers instead of device location numbers.

  • Example: (Smith, ch. 4).

Special Cases You’ll Probably See

A. Edited collection (you’re citing a chapter)

If you’re citing one chapter or essay from a book with different authors and an editor:

Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Chapter or Essay.” Book Title , edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year, pp. page range.

Example:

Lee, Morgan. “Rewriting the City at Night.” Urban Shadows , edited by Alex Rivera, Aurora Press, 2022, pp. 55–78.

In‑text: (Lee 60).

B. Book by an editor (no named author)

When the book is organized by an editor, and you’re citing the whole book:

Editor Last Name, First Name, editor. Book Title. Publisher, Year.

Example:

Rivera, Alex, editor. Urban Shadows. Aurora Press, 2022.

C. E‑book version

MLA mostly treats print and e‑books the same; you just note the e‑book format when relevant.

Author Last Name, First Name. Book Title. E‑book ed., Publisher, Year.

Example:

Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. E‑book ed., Verso, 2006.

If there is a database or website name and URL/DOI, you can add them at the end.

Brown, Wendy. States of Injury: Power and Freedom in Late Modernity. Princeton UP, 1995. ACLS Humanities E‑Book, hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.32981.

Handy HTML Table: Common Book Citation Patterns

[7][1] [7][1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [9][3][6][1] [6][1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [6][1]
Type Works Cited Format Example In‑Text Pattern
Standard book (1 author) Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.Smith, Jordan. History of Night Trains. Aurora Press, 2021. (Smith 45)
Two authors Author Last Name, First Name, and Second Author First Name Last Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.Smith, Jordan, and Casey Lee. Mapping the Night. Aurora Press, 2020. (Smith and Lee 88)
Three or more authors First Author Last Name, First Name, et al. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.Smith, Jordan, et al. Global Night Travel. Aurora Press, 2019. (Smith et al. 12)
Chapter in edited book Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Chapter.” Book Title, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year, pp. page range.Lee, Morgan. “Rewriting the City at Night.” Urban Shadows, edited by Alex Rivera, Aurora Press, 2022, pp. 55–78. (Lee 60)
Book by an editor (whole book) Editor Last Name, First Name, editor. Book Title. Publisher, Year.Rivera, Alex, editor. Urban Shadows. Aurora Press, 2022. (Rivera 10)
E‑book Author Last Name, First Name. Book Title. E‑book ed., Publisher, Year.Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. E‑book ed., Verso, 2006.(Anderson, ch. 5)

Mini “Forum‑Style” Q&A

Q: Do I always need page numbers?
A: For print books, yes, use the page number in in‑text citations when you’re quoting or closely paraphrasing.

Q: What if my e‑book shows only “location” numbers?
A: MLA suggests using chapter or section numbers instead of device‑specific locations.

Q: Do I need the city of publication?
A: No, MLA 9 does not require the place of publication for standard book citations.

Quick “Template” You Can Copy

If you want a plug‑and‑play structure for how to cite a book in MLA , you can adapt this.

  • Print book, one author:
    • Works Cited:
      • Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*. Publisher, Year.
    • In‑text:
      • (Last Name page number)
  • Chapter in an edited collection:
    • Works Cited:
      • Last Name, First Name. “Title of Chapter.” *Book Title*, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.
    • In‑text:
      • (Last Name page number)

TL;DR: Fill in author, italicized title, publisher, year in that order for your Works Cited, then use a short (Author page) citation inside your text.

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