How to Cite a Book in MLA Style

Citing sources is an important part of academic writing. It allows you to give credit to the authors whose work you have used and helps readers find the sources you used to support your claims. When citing a book in MLA style, there are several pieces of information you need to include, including the author's name, the title of the book, the publisher, the year of publication, and the page numbers of the material you are citing.

MLA style is a widely used citation style that is commonly used in humanities and social science disciplines. It is based on the MLA Handbook, which is published by the Modern Language Association (MLA). The MLA Handbook provides detailed guidelines on how to cite sources in MLA style, including books, articles, websites, and other types of sources.

To help you cite books in MLA style, here are some examples of how to format different types of book citations:

How to Cite a Book MLA

To cite a book in MLA style, you need to include the following information:

• Author's name
• Title of the book
• Publisher
• Year of publication
• Page numbers
• City of publication
• Edition

The format for a book citation in MLA style is as follows:

Author's Name

The author's name is the first piece of information you need to include when citing a book in MLA style. The author's name should be listed in the following order: last name, first name.

If the book has two or three authors, list all of the authors' names in the same order. If the book has more than three authors, list the first author's name followed by "et al." (which means "and others").

Here are some examples of how to format author names in MLA style:

• One author: Smith, John
• Two authors: Smith, John and Jane Doe
• Three authors: Smith, John, Jane Doe, and Bill Jones
• More than three authors: Smith, John, et al.

If the author's name is not known, use the title of the book in place of the author's name.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when citing the author's name in MLA style:

• Use the author's full name, not just their first name or initials.
• If the author has a common name, include their middle name or initial to avoid confusion.
• If the author's name is in a different language, transliterate it into English.
• If the author is an organization, use the full name of the organization.

Title of the Book

The title of the book is the second piece of information you need to include when citing a book in MLA style. The title of the book should be italicized.

If the book is part of a series, include the title of the series after the title of the book, separated by a comma. The title of the series should also be italicized.

Here are some examples of how to format the title of a book in MLA style:

• The Great Gatsby
• The Catcher in the Rye
• The Lord of the Rings
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter series)
• The Iliad (The Iliad and The Odyssey series)

If the title of the book is very long, you can shorten it in your citation. However, you must make sure that the shortened title is still clear and recognizable.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when citing the title of a book in MLA style:

• Capitalize the first word of the title and all other major words.
• Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), prepositions (of, to, for, etc.), or conjunctions (and, but, or, etc.).
• If the title contains a colon or a question mark, keep the punctuation.
• If the title is in a different language, italicize it and translate it into English.

Publisher

The publisher is the company or organization that produces and distributes the book. The publisher's name should be listed after the title of the book, separated by a comma.

If the book is published by a university press, include the name of the university in the publisher's name.

Here are some examples of how to format the publisher's name in MLA style:

• Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Penguin Random House
• Oxford University Press
• Cambridge University Press
• Yale University Press

If the publisher is not well-known, you can abbreviate the name. For example, you could abbreviate "Farrar, Straus and Giroux" to "FSG." However, you should only abbreviate the publisher's name if it is very long or if it is commonly abbreviated.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when citing the publisher in MLA style:

• If the publisher is a division of a larger company, include the name of the larger company in parentheses after the name of the division.
• If the book is published by a government agency, include the name of the agency.
• If the book is self-published, write "self-published" in place of the publisher's name.

Year of Publication

The year of publication is the year that the book was first published. The year of publication should be listed after the publisher's name, separated by a comma.

• Use the year that the book was first published, not the year that you accessed it.
  

  For example, if you are citing a book that was published in 2010 but you accessed it online in 2023, you would still use 2010 as the year of publication.

• If the book has been published in multiple editions, use the year of the edition that you are citing.
  

  For example, if you are citing the fifth edition of a book that was first published in 2010, you would use the year of publication 2010.

• If the book is still in press, use the abbreviation "n.d." (no date) in place of the year of publication.
  

  For example, if you are citing a book that is scheduled to be published in 2023 but has not yet been published, you would use the year of publication "n.d.".

• If the book is self-published, use the year that the book was completed in place of the year of publication.
  

  For example, if you are citing a self-published book that was completed in 2020, you would use the year of publication "2020".

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when citing the year of publication in MLA style:

• If the book was published in two or more years, list all of the years, separated by a hyphen.
• If the book is part of a series, include the year of publication of the series after the year of publication of the book, separated by a comma.

Page Numbers

The page numbers of the material you are citing should be listed after the year of publication, separated by a comma.

• Use the page numbers of the specific pages that you are citing.
  

  For example, if you are citing a passage that appears on pages 123-125, you would use the page numbers "123-125".

• If you are citing an entire book, you can use the abbreviation "passim" in place of the page numbers.
  

  "Passim" means "throughout the book".

• If the book is paginated by chapter, include the chapter number followed by the page numbers.
  

  For example, if you are citing a passage that appears on page 123 of chapter 5, you would use the page numbers "5.123".

• If the book is paginated by section, include the section number followed by the page numbers.
  

  For example, if you are citing a passage that appears on page 123 of section 3, you would use the page numbers "3.123".

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when citing page numbers in MLA style:

• If you are citing multiple page ranges, separate the ranges with a comma.
• If you are citing a range of pages that includes the last page of the book, use the abbreviation "ff." (following pages) after the last page number.
• If you are citing a range of pages that includes the first page of the book, use the abbreviation "ff." (following pages) after the first page number.

City of Publication

The city of publication is the city where the publisher's headquarters is located. The city of publication should be listed after the publisher's name, separated by a colon.

If the publisher has multiple headquarters, list the city where the book was printed.

Here are some examples of how to format the city of publication in MLA style:

• New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• London: Penguin Random House
• Oxford: Oxford University Press
• Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• New Haven: Yale University Press

If the city of publication is not well-known, you can abbreviate the name. For example, you could abbreviate "New York" to "NY" or "London" to "LON."

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when citing the city of publication in MLA style:

• If the book is published in two or more cities, list all of the cities, separated by a comma.
• If the book is published in a country other than the United States, include the country name after the city of publication.
• If the book is self-published, write "self-published" in place of the city of publication.

Edition

The edition of a book is the specific version of the book that you are citing. The edition should be listed after the title of the book, separated by a comma.

If the book is in its first edition, you do not need to include the edition statement.

Here are some examples of how to format the edition statement in MLA style:

• The Great Gatsby, 2nd ed.
• The Catcher in the Rye, 10th Anniversary Edition
• The Lord of the Rings, 50th Anniversary Edition
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Illustrated Edition
• The Iliad, Revised Edition

If the edition statement is long, you can abbreviate it. For example, you could abbreviate "2nd ed." to "2nd" or "10th Anniversary Edition" to "10th Anniv. Ed."

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when citing the edition statement in MLA style:

• If the book has multiple editions, list the edition that you are citing.
• If the book is part of a series, include the edition number of the series after the edition statement of the book, separated by a comma.
• If the book is a translation, include the edition statement of the translation after the edition statement of the original book, separated by a comma.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about citing books in MLA style:

Question 1: What information do I need to include when citing a book in MLA style?
Answer 1: When citing a book in MLA style, you need to include the author's name, the title of the book, the publisher, the year of publication, the city of publication, and the page numbers (if applicable).

Question 2: How do I format the author's name in MLA style?
Answer 2: In MLA style, the author's name should be listed in the following order: last name, first name. If the book has two or three authors, list all of the authors' names in the same order. If the book has more than three authors, list the first author's name followed by "et al." (which means "and others").

Question 3: How do I format the title of a book in MLA style?
Answer 3: In MLA style, the title of a book should be italicized. If the book is part of a series, include the title of the series after the title of the book, separated by a comma. The title of the series should also be italicized.

Question 4: How do I format the publisher's name in MLA style?
Answer 4: In MLA style, the publisher's name should be listed after the title of the book, separated by a comma. If the book is published by a university press, include the name of the university in the publisher's name.

Question 5: How do I format the year of publication in MLA style?
Answer 5: In MLA style, the year of publication should be listed after the publisher's name, separated by a comma. Use the year that the book was first published, not the year that you accessed it.

Question 6: How do I format the page numbers in MLA style?
Answer 6: In MLA style, the page numbers should be listed after the year of publication, separated by a comma. Use the page numbers of the specific pages that you are citing. If you are citing an entire book, you can use the abbreviation "passim" in place of the page numbers.

Question 7: What is the difference between a book and an article?
Answer 7: In general, a book is a long, written work that is published in book form. An article is a shorter, written work that is typically published in a journal, magazine, or newspaper.

Closing Paragraph for FAQ:

These are just a few of the most frequently asked questions about citing books in MLA style. If you have any other questions, please consult the MLA Handbook or your instructor.

In addition to the information provided in the FAQ, here are a few tips for citing books in MLA style:

Tips

Here are a few tips for citing books in MLA style:

Tip 1: Use a citation generator.
There are many citation generators available online that can help you to format your citations correctly. Simply enter the information about the book that you are citing, and the citation generator will create a citation for you in MLA style.

Tip 2: Be consistent.
Once you have chosen a citation style, be consistent in your use of it. This means using the same format for all of your citations, including the font, the spacing, and the punctuation.

Tip 3: Proofread your citations.
Before you submit your paper, proofread your citations carefully to make sure that they are accurate and complete. This means checking for any errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation.

Tip 4: Consult the MLA Handbook.
If you have any questions about how to cite a book in MLA style, consult the MLA Handbook. The MLA Handbook is the official style guide for MLA style, and it contains detailed instructions on how to format citations for all types of sources.

Closing Paragraph for Tips:

By following these tips, you can ensure that your citations are accurate, complete, and consistent. This will help you to avoid plagiarism and to give credit to the authors whose work you have used.

Now that you know how to cite a book in MLA style, you can use this information to create accurate and complete citations for your research papers and other academic projects.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed how to cite a book in MLA style. We have covered the following main points:

• The information you need to include when citing a book in MLA style
• How to format the author's name, the title of the book, the publisher, the year of publication, the city of publication, and the page numbers
• Some tips for citing books in MLA style

By following the guidelines in this article, you can ensure that your citations are accurate, complete, and consistent. This will help you to avoid plagiarism and to give credit to the authors whose work you have used.

Closing Message:

Citing sources correctly is an important part of academic writing. It allows you to give credit to the authors whose work you have used and helps readers find the sources you used to support your claims. By taking the time to learn how to cite sources correctly, you can improve the quality of your writing and avoid any potential problems with plagiarism.

We hope that this article has been helpful. If you have any further questions about citing books in MLA style, please consult the MLA Handbook or your instructor.