Published January 28, 2021. Updated December 16, 2021.

To create a book reference or citation, you will need to know the book’s author, title, publisher, place of publication, and publication year.

The templates and examples below will show you how to cite a book in MLA, APA, Chicago style, and Harvard referencing.

Easily cite a book in the style of your choice using the Chegg Writing citation generator.

This page will cover the following points:

• Overview of citing a book

• Citing a book in MLA style

• Citing a book in APA style

• Citing a book in Chicago style, notes-bibliography

• Citing a book in Chicago style, author-date

• How to cite a book in Harvard referencing style

• Troubleshooting

Citing a book in MLA style

The book title should be in title case and italicized.

In-text citation template and example:

(Author Last Name Page Number)

(Jović 3)

Works cited entry template and example:

For more information and other examples, see this guide on citing a book in MLA style.

Citing a book in APA style

For in-text citations of quoted passages, use “p. #” for a single page, and “pp. #–#” for a page range.

In your reference, the book title should be in sentence case and italicized.

In-text citation template and example:

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Jović, 2009)

Reference list entry template and example:

For more information and other examples, see this guide on citing a book in APA style.

Citing a book in Chicago style, notes-bibliography

The book title should be in title case and italicized.

Footnotes template and example:

Note

1. Author’s Full Name, Book Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year Published), page numbers.

2. Dejan Jović, Yugoslavia: A State that Withered Away (West Lafayette: Purdue University Press, 2009), 5-7.

Shortened note

1. Author Surname, Book Title.

2. Jović, Yugoslavia: A State that Withered Away.

Bibliography entry template and example:

See more examples and templates in this guide on citing a book in Chicago style.

Citing a book in Chicago style, author-date

The book title should be in title case and italicized.

In-text citation template and example:

(Author Surname Publication Year)

(Jović 2009)

Reference list entry template and example:

See more examples and templates in this guide on citing a book in Chicago style.

How to cite a book in Harvard referencing style

For in-text citations, use “p. #” for a single page and “pp. #–#” for a page range. A page number in the in-text citation is only required for direct quotations.

In your reference, the book title should be in sentence case and italics. The place of publication is usually the city that the publisher is located in. If it is a US city, include the state abbreviation.

In-text citation template and example:

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Jović, 2009)

Reference list entry template and example:

See more examples and templates in this guide on citing a book in Harvard referencing style. Writing a paper? Don’t forget to include a bibliography.

Troubleshooting

Solution #1: What to do if you need to cite a reprinted/republished edition

If you need to cite a reprinted edition of a book, use the templates and examples below for each citation style.

1. MLA

In-text citation template & example:

(Author Surname Page#)

(Smith 23)

Works cited list entry template & example:

2. APA

In-text citation template & example:

(Author Surname, Original/Current Publication Year)

(Smith, 2010/2021)

Reference list entry template & example:

3. Chicago (notes-bibliography)

Notes template & example:

1. Author Surname, First Name, Book Title (Original Publisher Location: Original Publisher Name, Original Publication Year; Publisher Location: Publisher Name, Publication Year). Citations refer to the Publisher Name edition.

1. Smith, John, A Study of Theme (Boston: University Press, 2010; New York: Academic Press, 2021). Citations refer to the Academic Press edition.

Bibliography entry template & example:

4. Chicago (author-date)

In-text citation template & example:

(Author Surname [Original Publication Year] Publication Year)

(Smith [2010] 2021)

Reference list entry template & example:

5. Harvard referencing

In-text citation template & example:

(Author Surname, Original Publication Year)

(Smith, 2010)

Reference list entry template & example:

Solution #2: When to include page numbers in an in-text citation for a book

If you quote directly from a book, you always need to include page numbers in the in-text citation. If you paraphrase a specific portion of the book, it is also a good idea to include page numbers. If you are referring to a source more generally, you do not need to include page numbers. The examples below demonstrate how to format an in-text citation with page numbers for each citation style.

1. MLA

MLA style requires page numbers in their in-text citations for books. Sources with different types of location indicators (e.g., verse lines, act/scene/line in plays, etc.) should include these location types in their in-text citation. When there are no page numbers, like on websites/webpages, no page number is required. Examples:

(Smith 63)

(Shakespeare line 2)

(Macbeth 1.3.10-11)

2. APA

In APA style, page numbers are only required for quotations. That said, it’s is usually helpful and ethical to always include page numbers, when possible.

(Smith, 2021, p. 63)

3. Chicago (author-date) example

(Smith 2021, 63)

4. Harvard referencing example

(Smith, 2021, p. 63)

Solution #3: How to include page numbers that are not consecutive/non-sequential/not continuous

1. MLA

In the in-text citation, include all the page numbers/ranges for the cited information and divide the page number/ranges with a comma. In the works cited entry, include the first page the article appears on and add a plus sign after it.

In-text citation & works cited entry examples:

(Smith 2, 5-6)

2. APA

In the in-text citation, include all the page numbers/ranges for the quoted information and divide the page number/ranges with a comma. In the reference list entry, list all page numbers/ranges and separate each with a comma.

In-text citation & reference list entry examples:

(Smith, 2020, p. 2, 5-6)