How to Cite a Book in APA 7th Edition

Books are foundational sources in academic research, and APA 7th edition provides straightforward formatting rules for citing them. Whether you’re citing a traditional print book, an eBook, or a collection edited by multiple editors, this comprehensive guide covers every scenario.

Basic Book Citation Format

The standard APA 7th edition format for a complete book includes:

Author(s). (Year). Title of book. Publisher. DOI or URL

Example:

Anderson, R. J. (2023). The future of artificial intelligence. Oxford University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1234/book.2023.001

Step-by-Step Book Citation Instructions

Step 1: List the Author(s)

Format author names as Last name, First initial(s). Separate multiple authors with commas, using an ampersand (&) before the final author.

Single Author:

Smith, J. A.

Two Authors:

Smith, J. A., & Johnson, R. B.

Three or More Authors:

Chen, L., Rodriguez, M., & Williams, K.

Step 2: Include the Publication Year

Place the year in parentheses immediately after the author name(s).

Example: (2023)

For books with no publication date, use (n.d.).

Step 3: Write the Book Title

Use sentence case: capitalize only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon. Italicize the entire title.

Examples:

*The future of artificial intelligence*
*Race and representation in contemporary America*
*Understanding human behavior: A comprehensive overview*

Step 4: Add Edition Information (if applicable)

If the book is not the first edition, include the edition number in parentheses after the title.

Format:

*Title of book* (2nd ed.).

Example:

Psychology: Core concepts (6th ed.).

Step 5: Include the Publisher

List the publisher name. Omit terms like “Publisher” or “Inc.” from the publisher name, but keep “Books,” “Press,” and similar identifying terms.

Examples:

Oxford University Press
Harvard University Press
Penguin Books

Step 6: Add DOI or URL (if applicable)

If available, include a DOI. For eBooks or books available online, include the URL if no DOI exists.

Examples:

https://doi.org/10.1234/book.2023.001
https://www.publicdomain.org/books/title

Complete Citation Examples

Single Author, Print Book

Martinez, C. D. (2023). Sustainable agriculture practices. University of California Press.

Single Author, eBook with DOI

Thompson, L. K. (2023). Digital transformation in business. Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.1234/dt-business.2023

Two Authors, Print Book

Wilson, S. R., & Brown, M. J. (2022). Environmental policy and climate change.
Princeton University Press.

Three Authors, eBook

Patel, R. S., Kumar, A., & Singh, N. (2023). Advanced data science techniques.
MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress.2023.001

Edited Book

Anderson, K. L. (Ed.). (2023). Contemporary issues in education. Stanford University Press.

Multiple Editors

Chen, L., & Rodriguez, M. (Eds.). (2023). Global perspectives on economic development.
World Bank Publications.

Book with Edition Information

Johnson, R. B., & Williams, T. P. (2023). Research methodology (5th ed.).
SAGE Publications.

Book from a University Press with Location

Grant, M. P. (2023). History of scientific thought. University of Chicago Press.

In-Text Citation Examples

When citing a book in the text of your paper, use parenthetical citations with the author’s last name and year. Include page numbers for direct quotes.

Paraphrase:

According to recent research, sustainable agriculture practices reduce carbon emissions
significantly (Martinez, 2023).

Direct Quote:

"Digital transformation fundamentally changes how organizations operate" (Thompson, 2023, p. 87).

Multiple Authors (First mention):

A comprehensive analysis of climate policy found significant gaps in implementation
(Wilson & Brown, 2022).

Multiple Authors (Subsequent mentions):

Wilson et al. (2022) further demonstrated...

Special Citation Situations

Book from a Specific Publisher Location

When the publisher location is important for identification (rare cases in APA 7):

Smith, J. A. (2023). Title of book. Publisher Name.

Note: APA 7th edition eliminated the requirement for publisher location in most cases.

Book Available on Multiple Platforms

If a book is available in multiple formats, cite the version you actually used. Include relevant DOI or URL:

Print version:

Davis, E. R. (2023). Title of book. Oxford University Press.

eBook version:

Davis, E. R. (2023). Title of book. Oxford University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1234/book

Book Translated into English

Include the translator’s name:

García, M. J. (1999). *Don Quixote* (J. Rutherford, Trans.). Penguin Books.
(Original work published 1605)

Book Published by an Organization or Government

When no individual author is listed:

American Psychological Association. (2023). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (5th ed., text revision). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Classic Works and Rereleases

For classic works republished, include the original publication year:

Austen, J. (2020). *Pride and prejudice*. Penguin Classics. (Original work published 1813)

Edited Books vs. Authored Books

Authored Book

Anderson, R. J. (2023). The future of artificial intelligence. Oxford University Press.

Edited Book

Anderson, R. J. (Ed.). (2023). The future of artificial intelligence. Oxford University Press.

Edited Collection (Chapter cited - see separate guide)

When citing a specific chapter in an edited book, use a different format. See our How to Cite a Book Chapter in APA guide.

Common Formatting Errors to Avoid

• Not italicizing the book title - Always italicize the complete title
• Using incorrect capitalization - Use sentence case, not title case
• Omitting the DOI when available - Always include DOI if provided
• Including unnecessary publisher location - Omit city/state in APA 7
• Misformatting author names - Use correct order (Last, First initial)
• Incorrect edition formatting - Place edition in parentheses after title
• Missing publication year - Always include in parentheses
• Improper alphabetization - Verify reference list order

Books from Online Sources

Project Gutenberg

Wells, H. G. (2004). *The time machine*. Project Gutenberg.
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/35/pg35-images.html

Google Books (if available in full)

London, J. (2008). *The call of the wild*. Feedbooks.
https://www.feedbooks.com/book/54/the-call-of-the-wild

Scribd, Kindle, or Similar Platforms

Patterson, J., & Ledwidge, M. (2023). *Title of book*. Little, Brown Book Group.
https://doi.org/10.1234/book

(Use DOI if available; otherwise use the platform’s stable URL)

Using GenText for Book Citations

Creating properly formatted book citations for each source in your reference list takes considerable time. GenText’s citation generator automatically generates complete, accurately formatted book citations. Input the author, title, publication year, and publisher information, and GenText instantly produces a citation ready for your reference list.

Visit /tools/citation-generator/apa/ to create book citations in seconds.

Verification Checklist

Before submitting your paper, verify each book citation:

• ✓ Author name(s) are in correct format (Last, First initial)
• ✓ Publication year is in parentheses
• ✓ Book title is italicized and uses sentence case
• ✓ Publisher name is included correctly
• ✓ Edition information is included (if applicable)
• ✓ DOI or URL is present (if available)
• ✓ Entry is alphabetically ordered in the reference list
• ✓ Hanging indent is applied

Related Guides

• Complete APA 7th Edition Citation Guide
• How to Cite a Book Chapter in APA 7th Edition
• How to Cite Multiple Authors in APA
• APA Reference List Format

Books remain essential sources in academic writing. By mastering these APA 7th edition formatting guidelines, you’ll ensure your citations are accurate and properly formatted.