Citing a book in MLA style
Published January 12, 2021. Updated November 20, 2021.
To cite a book in MLA style, you need to know the author, publication year, chapter title, editors, book title, volume, issue, series title, page range, publisher, and/or DOI or ISBN.
The templates and examples below are based on the MLA Handbook, 9th edition. On this page, you will learn how to cite the following:
Print book
E-book
Translated book
Edited book
Audiobook
Single volume of a multi-volume book
Book with multiple authors
Book with no known author
If you’re trying to cite a book in MLA style, the Chegg Writing MLA citation generator could help.
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Citing a printed book in MLA style
When citing books in MLA style, the surname of the author(s) and page range are used in the narrative and parenthetical. In the absence of page numbers, the surname alone can be used.
Note that the city of publication is not needed for citing most modern books. You only need to provide the city of publication for books that were published prior to 1900, if the published city isn’t known in North America, or if the publisher has offices in multiple countries.
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Author Surname (Page)
Roberts . . . (743)
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname Page)
(Roberts 743)
Read this MLA format guide for more style basics.
Works cited entry template and example:
Surname, First M. Title of the Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Roberts, Douglas A. Handbook of Research on Science Education. Routledge.
Citing an e-book in MLA style
MLA recognizes the e-book format as a “version.” If you know the e-reader the e-book is being used on (e.g., Nook, Kindle, EPUB, etc.), that should be listed instead of “e-book.”
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Author Surname
Lavonen et al.
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname)
(Lavonen et al.)
Works cited entry template and examples:
Surname, First M. Title of the Book. E-book or E-reader ed., Publisher, Publication Date.
Lavonen, Jari, et al. Learning Science: The Value of Crafting Engagement in Science Environments. E-book, Yale University Press, 2020.
Citing a translated book in MLA style
When citing translated books in MLA, the surname of the author(s) and page range are used in the narrative and parenthetical. In the absence of page numbers, the surname alone can be used.
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Author Surname (Page)
Inglot . . . (12)
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname Page)
(Inglot 12)
Works cited entry template and example:
Surname, First M. Title of the Book. Translated by First M. Surname, Publisher, Publication Date.
Inglot, Marek. How the Jesuits Survived Their Suppression: The Society of Jesus in the Russian Empire (1773-1814). Translated by Daniel L. Schlafly, Saint Joseph’s University Press, 2015.
Citing an edited book in MLA style
When citing edited books in MLA, the surname of the author(s) and page range are used in the narrative and parenthetical. In the absence of page numbers, the surname alone can be used.
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Author Surname (Page)
Lucas . . . (57)
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname Page)
(Lucas 57)
Works cited entry template and example:
Surname, First M. Title of the Book, edited by First M. Surname, Publisher, Publication Date, Page range (if needed).
Lucas, George. The Wonders of the Universe, edited by Frederick Jones, Smiths, 2004.
Citing an audiobook in MLA style
When citing audiobooks in MLA, the surname of the author(s) is used in the narrative and parenthetical.
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Author Surname
Wharton
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname)
(Wharton)
Works cited entry template and example:
Surname, First M. Title of the Book. Publication website, Publication Date. Audiobook.
Wharton, Edith. Ethan Frome and Selected Stories. Digireads.com Publishing, 2012. Audiobook.
Citing a single volume of a multi-volume book in MLA style
When citing a single volume of a multi-volume book in MLA, the surname of the author(s) and page range are used in the narrative and parenthetical. In the absence of page numbers, the surname alone can be used.
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Author Surname (Page)
Mackintosh . . . (65).
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname Page)
(Mackintosh 65)
Works cited entry template and example:
Surname, First M. Title of the Book. Vol. #, Publisher, Publication Date.
Mackintosh, Charles H. Genesis to Deuteronomy: Notes on the Pentateuch. Vol. 4, Loizeaux Bros., 2012.
Multiple authors and no author
2 authors
IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:
Liao and Madersbacjer worked for . . .
… has been done (Liao and Madersbacjer)
WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:
Liao, Limin, and Helmut Madersbacjer. Neurourology: Theory and Practice. Springer Netherlands, 2019.
3+ authors
IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:
According to Crider et al., the . . . (345).
. . . was checked (Crider et al. 345).
WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:
Crider, Bill, et al. SharePoint Server 2010 Administration 24 Hour Trainer. Wiley, 2012.
Organization is author/publisher
IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:
The International Law Commission stated that . . . (44).
. . . completed and shared (International Law Commission 44).
WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:
International Law Commission. Yearbook of the International Law Commission 2011. Vol. II, Part 3, United Nations, 2018.
No author
IN-TEXT EXAMPLES:
Optimizing Organization Design explains in detail . . . (78).
. . . shared and discussed (Optimizing Organization Design 78).
WORKS CITED EXAMPLE:
Optimizing Organization Design: A Proven Approach to Enhance Financial Performance, Customer Satisfaction and Employee Engagement. Wiley, 2013.
For more details, visit these guides on citing sources with multiple authors and no authors in MLA.
For more information on citing sources in MLA, also read these guides on MLA in-text citations and MLA works cited examples.
MLA Style: Learn More
Frequently asked questions
To cite a book chapter in MLA style, the following elements are required:
names of author(s)
title of the chapter
names of the editor(s)
title of the book
year of publication
name of the publisher
page details
The table below shows how an in-text citation and a works-cited entry are formatted for a book chapter. There is also more information found in this MLA citation book chapter guide.
In-text citation template and example:
Without page number:
(Author Surname)
With page number:
(Author Surname Page #)
Works-cited entry template and example:
Surname, First Name. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book, edited by Editor(s) Name(s), Publisher, Publication Date, page range.
Butler, Marilyn. “Edgeworth’s Stern Father: Escaping Thomas Day, 1795–1801.” Tradition in Transition: Women Writers, Marginal Texts and the Eighteenth-Century Canon, edited by Alvaro Ribero and James G. Basker, Clarendon P, 1996, pp. 75–93.
In-text citation
Template:
Without page number:
(Author Surname)
With page number:
(Author Surname Page #)
Example:
(Butler)
(Butler 77)
Works-cited entry
Template:
Surname, First Name. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book, edited by Editor(s) Name(s), Publisher, Publication Date, page range.
Example:
Butler, Marilyn. “Edgeworth’s Stern Father: Escaping Thomas Day, 1795–1801.” Tradition in Transition: Women Writers, Marginal Texts and the Eighteenth-Century Canon, edited by Alvaro Ribero and James G. Basker, Clarendon P, 1996, pp. 75–93.
Notes
In-text citations
A citation in prose (a form of in-text citation) uses the full name of the author when it is stated the first time in the text. Otherwise, it takes only the surname of the author. Parenthetical citations (the other form of in-text citation) uses only the surname of the author, as is shown in the table.
Works-cited entry
Enclose the book chapter in double quotation marks. Write the book chapter in title case.
The title of the book is written in italics.
The main words of the title are capitalized.
Add “edited by” after the book title.
The location of the publisher is not included.
To cite an e-book in MLA style, the core elements required are the author or editor of the book, year of publication, and publisher. The below table shows how the in-text citation and the works-cited entry are formatted for an e-book in MLA style.
In-text citation template and example:
(Author Surname)
(Henry)
Works-cited template and example:
Author’s Surname, First Name. Title of the Book. E-Book ed., Publisher, Publication Date.
Henry, Emily. People We Meet on Vacation. E-Book ed., Berkley, 11 May 2021.
Book:
It is a paperback copy
The page range can be included in the works-cited entry
No mention that the book is a print version is included in the works-cited entry
E-book:
It is available in electronic versions (e.g., Kindle, iPad)
The page range should not be mentioned in the works-cited entry
The phrase “E-book ed.” is added for an eBook works-cited entry
Book:
It is a paperback copy
The page range can be included in the works-cited entry
No mention that the book is a print version is included in the works-cited entry
E-book:
It is available in electronic versions (e.g., Kindle, iPad)
The page range should not be mentioned in the works-cited entry
The phrase “E-book ed.” is added for an eBook works-cited entry
To cite an e-book in MLA format for a bibliography, the core elements required are the author or editor of the book, year of publication, and publisher. The below table shows how the in-text citation and the works-cited entry are formatted for an e-book in MLA style.
In-text citation
Template:
(Author Surname)
Example:
(Moriarty)
Work-cited entry
Template:
Author’s Surname, First Name. Title of the Book. E-Book ed., Publisher, Publication Date.
Example:
Moriarty, Liane. Apples Never Fall. E-Book ed., MacMillan, 14 Sept. 2021.
In-text citation template & example:
(Author Surname)
(Moriarty)
Works-cited entry template & example:
Author’s Surname, First Name. Title of the Book. E-book ed., Publisher, Publication Date.
Moriarty, Liane. Apples Never Fall. E-book ed., MacMillan, 14 Sept. 2021.
To cite a textbook chapter in MLA format, the core elements required in the works-cited-list entry are the author(s) of the book, title of the chapter, book title, edition, year of publication, and publisher. Use the author’s name in in-text citations. The table below shows how the in-text citation and the works-cited entry are included for a chapter in a textbook with two authors in MLA style.
In-text parenthetical citation
Template
(Author Surname and Author Surname)
Example
(Herron and Freeman)
Work-cited entry
Template
Author Surname, First Name, and Author First Name and Surname. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book, Edition Number, Publisher, Publication Date.
Example
Herron, Jon C., and Scott Freeman. “Evolution and The Fossil Record.” Evolutionary Analysis, 5th ed., Pearson, 2014.
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