Knowing how to cite a book in APA 7 saves you from lost points on every paper that uses a textbook, a novel or a scholarly monograph. The pattern is short: author, year, title and publisher. Once you learn it, every book entry follows the same logic.
This guide shows how to cite a book in APA 7 for the reference list and the text of your paper. It covers one author, several authors, editors, chapters, editions, e-books and books with no author. All names, titles and publishers below are invented. For the full list rules, see our guide to the APA reference page. For in-text patterns, read APA in text citation.
Quick answer: To cite a book in APA 7, write the reference as: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book in sentence case (Edition). Publisher. Do not add the city of publication. Add a DOI or URL only when the book has one. In the text, cite the author and year, such as (Baker, 2022), and add a page for a quotation, such as (Baker, 2022, p. 45).
Key Takeaways
- A book reference in APA 7 has the author, year, title in italics and publisher.
- Use sentence case for the title, and italicize it.
- Leave out the publisher’s city and the words “Inc.” or “Ltd.”
- Add the edition in parentheses when it is not the first.
- In the text, use the author and year, and add a page number for quotes.
How to Cite a Book in APA 7: The Basic Format
| Element | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Last name, initials. | Baker, D. M. |
| Year | (Year). | (2022). |
| Title | Italic, sentence case. | Sleep and the student mind. |
| Edition | (2nd ed.). | (2nd ed.). |
| Publisher | Name only. | Midwest University Press. |
| DOI or URL | Only if the book has one. | https://doi.org/10.1234/example |
Baker, D. M. (2022). Sleep and the student mind (2nd ed.). Midwest University Press.
Capitalize only the first word of the title, the first word after a colon and proper nouns. The title is in italics, and the period follows it. The publisher is the last element, unless the book has a DOI.
How to Cite a Book in APA 7: Different Authors
| Situation | Reference list pattern |
|---|---|
| One author | Baker, D. M. (2022). Title. Publisher. |
| Two authors | Baker, D. M., & Chen, A. (2022). Title. Publisher. |
| Three to twenty authors | List every author, with an ampersand before the last. |
| Editor in place of an author | Baker, D. M. (Ed.). (2022). Title. Publisher. |
| Group author | Institute for Adolescent Health. (2021). Title. Publisher. |
| No author | Title of the book (2022). Publisher. |
Note that an author’s name is inverted, with the last name first and initials after it. Use “Eds.” when there is more than one editor. When the author and the publisher are the same group, leave out the publisher.
How to Cite a Book in APA 7: Editions, Chapters and E-Books
| Source | Reference list pattern |
|---|---|
| Later edition | Baker, D. M. (2022). Title (3rd ed.). Publisher. |
| Chapter in an edited book | Chen, A. (2020). Chapter title. In D. M. Baker (Ed.), Book title (pp. 12–30). Publisher. |
| E-book | Baker, D. M. (2022). Title. Publisher. https://doi.org/10.1234/example |
| E-book from a library database | Treat it as a print book, and skip the database name |
| Translated book | Author, A. (2019). Title (T. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published 1998) |
| Reprinted classic | Author, A. (2010). Title. Publisher. (Original work published 1902) |
Include the page range in parentheses for a chapter. For a Kindle or other e-book without a DOI, cite it as a print book. APA no longer asks you to name the e-reader.
How to Cite a Book in APA 7: In-Text Examples
| Situation | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Baker, 2022) | Baker (2022) argues… |
| Two authors | (Baker & Chen, 2022) | Baker and Chen (2022) found… |
| Three or more | (Baker et al., 2022) | Baker et al. (2022) noted… |
| Group author | (Institute for Adolescent Health, 2021) | The Institute for Adolescent Health (2021) reports… |
| Direct quote | (Baker, 2022, p. 45) | Baker (2022) wrote that “…” (p. 45). |
| No author | (Sleep and the Student Mind, 2022) | In Sleep and the Student Mind (2022)… |
| Chapter in an edited book | (Chen, 2020) | Chen (2020) explained… |
Cite the author of the chapter, not the editor, in the text. For more on multiple authors, see APA in text citation for multiple authors.
How to Cite a Book in APA 7: A Sample Reference List
References
Baker, D. M. (2022). Sleep and the student mind (2nd ed.). Midwest University Press.
Chen, A. (2020). Bell times and attendance. In D. M. Baker (Ed.), Schools and sleep (pp. 12–30). Lakeside Books.
Institute for Adolescent Health. (2021). Teen sleep report.
Alphabetize the list by the first author’s last name. Use a hanging indent of half an inch and double spacing. Our APA format example shows a complete paper.
How to Cite a Book in APA 7: Versus MLA and Chicago
| Feature | APA 7 | MLA 9 | Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Baker, D. M. | Baker, Dana M. | Baker, Dana M. |
| Date position | After the author | Near the end | After the publisher |
| Title case | Sentence case | Title case | Title case |
| Publisher city | Left out | Left out | Included |
| In-text form | (Baker, 2022) | (Baker 45) | Footnote |
If your class uses another style, see MLA format book citation or Chicago style bibliography.
How to Cite a Book in APA 7 in 5 Steps
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Find the author, year, title, edition and publisher on the title page and copyright page. |
| 2 | Invert the author’s name, and add initials. |
| 3 | Write the year in parentheses, followed by a period. |
| 4 | Write the title in italics in sentence case, and add the edition if needed. |
| 5 | Add the publisher, then a DOI or URL if the book has one. |
The title page and the copyright page hold nearly everything you need. Use the year on the copyright page, not the year of a reprint. You can also build the entry with our free citation generator, and then check it against the pattern above.
Common Mistakes When You Cite a Book in APA 7
- Using title case for the book title. Use sentence case.
- Forgetting the italics. Italicize the book title, not the chapter title.
- Adding the publisher’s city. APA 7 left it out.
- Writing out first names. Use initials.
- Skipping the edition. Add it for any edition after the first.
- Listing the editor in the text. Cite the chapter author.
- Adding “Retrieved from” for a book. It is not needed.
- Leaving out the page for a quote. Add “p.” or “pp.”
Checklist: How to Cite a Book in APA 7
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| Author | Is the last name first, with initials? |
| Year | Is it in parentheses, followed by a period? |
| Title | Is it in italics and sentence case? |
| Edition | Did I add it when it is not the first? |
| Publisher | Is the name short, with no city? |
| Link | Did I add a DOI only when one exists? |
| Order | Is the list alphabetical, with a hanging indent? |
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Cite a Book in APA
How do I cite a book in APA 7?
Write Author, A. A. (Year). *Title in sentence case* (Edition). Publisher.
Do I include the city of publication?
No. APA 7 does not use the city.
How do I cite a book with no author?
Move the title to the author position, and cite a short title in the text.
How do I cite a chapter in an edited book?
Write the chapter author, year, chapter title, then “In” the editor’s name (Ed.), the book title in italics, the pages and the publisher.
How do I cite an e-book in APA?
Cite it like a print book. Add a DOI if the book has one.
Do I italicize the book title?
Yes. The title of a book goes in italics, in sentence case.
How do I cite a book in the text?
Use the author and year, such as (Baker, 2022). Add a page for a quote.
How do I cite a later edition?
Add the edition in parentheses after the title, such as (2nd ed.).
Author, Year, Title, Publisher
To cite a book in APA 7, build the entry in the same order each time: author, year, title in italics and publisher. Add the edition, the editor or a DOI when the source needs it. Check each reference against the list above before you submit.
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