How to Cite Books in APA Format
Learn how to properly cite different types of books in APA format. Choose a specific book type below for detailed guidelines.
Single Author Books
Learn how to cite books written by a single author, including basic format and examples.
Multiple Authors
Guidelines for citing books with two or more authors, including author order and formatting.
Edited Books
How to cite books that are edited collections, including editor attribution.
E-Books
Format for citing electronic books, including DOI and URL requirements.
Book Chapters
Guidelines for citing individual chapters from edited books.
General Book Citation Guidelines
- Always italicize book titles
- Include the publisher name but not the location
- Use sentence case for book titles (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns)
- Include edition information when available (e.g., 2nd ed.)
- For online books, include DOI when available, URL if no DOI exists
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't include the publisher location
- Don't abbreviate publisher names
- Don't forget to italicize the book title
- Don't capitalize all words in the title (unless they're proper nouns)
- Don't include "Inc.", "Publishers", "Co.", etc. in publisher names