MLA 9th Edition - Books

Free MLA Book Citation Generator

Generate accurate MLA citations for books, ebooks, anthologies, and book chapters. Search by title, author, or ISBN for instant Works Cited entries.

The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is the standard citation format in the humanities, including literature, languages, cultural studies, and philosophy. The 9th edition, released in 2021, uses a flexible "core elements" system that adapts to any source type. For books, the core elements are author, title, publisher, and publication date. Accurate Works Cited entries demonstrate your engagement with scholarly sources and allow readers to locate the exact editions you referenced.

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MLA Book Citation Format

MLA book citations follow a predictable structure: author, title of source, and publication details. Unlike APA, MLA uses full author names rather than initials and applies title-case capitalization to book titles. The punctuation between elements uses periods to separate the author, title, and the publisher-date group. Below you will find the basic template and the key rules for formatting each element.

Basic Format:

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

Author Names:

Last Name, First Name (full names preferred)

Title Formatting:

Italicized, title case capitalization

MLA Book Citation Examples

These examples illustrate how to format MLA Works Cited entries for different types of book sources. Each example includes the full reference and a sample in-text citation with a page number. In MLA, the in-text citation includes the author's last name and the page number without a comma between them.

Book with One Author

Williams, Anna. Introduction to Data Science. Academic Press, 2023.

In-text: (Williams 45)

Book with Two Authors

Smith, John, and Mary Johnson. Machine Learning Fundamentals. MIT Press, 2024.

In-text: (Smith and Johnson 112)

Book with Three or More Authors

Garcia, Robert, et al. Advanced Data Analysis. Oxford University Press, 2024.

In-text: (Garcia et al. 78)

Edited Book

Thompson, Laura, editor. Advances in Cognitive Psychology. Oxford University Press, 2023.

In-text: (Thompson 23)

Chapter in Edited Book

Garcia, Robert. "The Psychology of Learning." Advances in Cognitive Psychology, edited by Laura Thompson, Oxford University Press, 2024, pp. 112-145.

In-text: (Garcia 120)

Citing Books with Multiple Authors in MLA

2 Authors

Works Cited:

Smith, John, and Mary Jones. Title...

In-text:

(Smith and Jones 45)

3+ Authors

Works Cited: First author + et al.

Smith, John, et al. Title...

In-text:

(Smith et al. 45)

Common MLA Book Citation Mistakes to Avoid

Small formatting errors can cost you marks. These are the most common mistakes students make when citing books in MLA style and how to correct them.

Adding a comma in the in-text citation. MLA in-text citations do not use a comma between the author name and the page number. Write (Smith 45), not (Smith, 45). This is one of the most common mix-ups for students switching between APA and MLA.
Using sentence case for the book title. MLA requires title-case capitalization, where all major words are capitalized. Write "The Art of Academic Writing," not "The art of academic writing." This is the opposite of APA style and is a frequent source of errors.
Including the city of publication. MLA 9th edition no longer requires the publisher's city. Only include it if the book was published before 1900 or if the publisher is unknown and the city helps identify the source.
Listing all authors for 3+ author works. When a book has three or more authors, MLA requires listing only the first author followed by "et al." in both the Works Cited entry and the in-text citation. Listing all authors is an APA convention that does not apply in MLA.
Forgetting the hanging indent. Every entry in the Works Cited list should use a hanging indent: the first line is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches. This is a formatting requirement, not a stylistic choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a book with one author in MLA?

Use the format: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. For example: Smith, John. The Art of Writing. Academic Press, 2024. The author's full name is used rather than initials, and the book title is italicized with title-case capitalization. MLA uses a period after each major element (author, title, and the publisher-year combination).

How do I cite a book with multiple authors in MLA?

For two authors, list both names connected by "and," with only the first author's name inverted (Last, First): Smith, John, and Mary Johnson. Title. Publisher, Year. For three or more authors, list only the first author followed by "et al." in both the Works Cited entry and the in-text citation. This rule was simplified in MLA 9th edition to reduce lengthy author strings.

How do I cite an edited book in MLA?

If you are citing the book as a whole, place the editor's name in the author position followed by "editor" or "editors." For example: Smith, John, editor. Collected Essays. Publisher, 2024. If the book also has an author and you are citing a specific work within it, place the editor information after the book title using "edited by" in lowercase.

How do I cite a book chapter or essay in MLA?

Place the chapter or essay title in quotation marks, followed by the book title in italics. Include the editor with "edited by," the publisher, year, and the page range. For example: Jones, Mary. "Chapter Title." Book Title, edited by John Smith, Publisher, 2024, pp. 50-75. The page range is essential because it tells readers exactly where the chapter appears within the larger work.

How do I cite an ebook in MLA?

Cite ebooks like print books, but add the version or platform as a supplemental element at the end when it differs meaningfully from a standard print edition. For example: Smith, John. Title. Publisher, 2024. Kindle ed. If you accessed the ebook through a URL or database, include the URL or stable permalink as the location element at the end of the entry.

What is the difference between a Works Cited entry and a bibliography in MLA?

In MLA style, the "Works Cited" list includes only the sources you directly cited in your paper, while a "bibliography" can include sources you consulted but did not cite. Most MLA assignments require a Works Cited page rather than a full bibliography. Each entry on the Works Cited page must correspond to at least one in-text citation in the body of your paper.