How to Cite a Book in MLA

• Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)
• Published on 12/26/2023

This guide provides the specifics of citing books in the MLA format, covering a range of scenarios, from single author books to corporate authored works and books published before 1900.

• Diverse Authorship Handling: MLA citation efficiently adapts to varying authorship scenarios, encompassing single authors, co-authors, multiple contributors, and corporate entities.
• Streamlined Inclusion: For books with three or more authors, MLA simplifies the citation process by using et al. to represent additional contributors.
• Historical Attribution: When citing books published before 1900 in MLA format, include the original publication date and the city of publication.

For accuracy in your citations, use our MLA citation generator, our MLA webpage citation tool, and ensure proper citation for MLA journals.

BOOK WITH ONE AUTHOR

The format for citing a book in MLA with one author is as follows:

Citation	Ramirez, Evelyn. Beyond the Horizon. 2nd ed., Vista Books, 2021.
Structure	Author Surname, Author First Name(s) &/or Initial(s). Title of Book. Version, Publisher, Publication Date.

BOOK WITH TWO AUTHORS

Citation	Martinez, Isabel, and Samuel Turner. Harmony in Motion. Melody Press, 2023.
Structure	Author 1 Surname, Author 1 First Name(s) &/or Initial(s), and Author 2 First Name(s) &/or Initial(s) Author 2 Surname. Title of Book. Version, Publisher, Publication Date.

BOOK WITH THREE OR MORE AUTHORS

For books with three or more authors, list the first author’s name in the standard way, followed by et al. (Latin for and others) to indicate additional authors.

Citation	Harris, Amanda J., et al. Dynamics of Innovation: Shaping the Future. Innovate Publications, 2022.
Structure	Author 1 Surname, Author 1 First Name(s) &/or Initial(s), et al. Title of Book. Version, Publisher, Publication Date.

Consistent Format for Dates: Ensure consistency in presenting publication dates. Stick to the same format throughout your citations, whether it’s the full date or just the year. Mind the Italicization: Italicize the book titles consistently. Whether you’re citing a book with one author or several, maintaining uniformity in formatting enhances the clarity and professionalism of your citations. Edition Awareness: Pay attention to the edition of the book when citing. MLA guidelines recommend including this information, especially for works with multiple editions, to provide a more precise reference.

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BOOK BY A CORPORATE AUTHOR OR ORGANIZATION

Citation	Sustainable Solutions Consortium. Global Sustainability Initiatives: A Comprehensive Overview. rev. ed., Earth Publishers, 2023.
Structure	Corporate Author(s). Title of Book. Version, Publisher, Publication Date.

BOOK WITH NO AUTHORS

Citation	The Art of Discovery. Insight Publications, 2020.
Structure	Title of Book. Version, Publisher, Publication Date.

BOOK PUBLISHED BEFORE 1900

When citing books published before 1900, it is advisable to include the city of publication for contextual precision within the citation. Original copies of books published before 1900 are usually defined by their place of publication rather than the publisher. 

Citation	Kingsley, Arthur H. Chronicles of the Ages. Philadelphia, 1875.
Structure	Author Surname, Author First Name(s) &/or Initial(s). Title of Book. Version, City of Publication, Publication Date.