Skip to Main Content

MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Books

Discover the ins and outs of MLA citation

General Guideline

The general MLA 9 formatting for books is:

Work Cited List: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date. 

In-Text: (Author Last Name page number of quote or idea).

Book with One Author

Format

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date. 

(Author Last Name page number).

Example

Kirsh, Steven J. Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence: A Critical Look at the Research. Sage, 2006.

(Kirsh).

Book with More Than One Author

When a book has two authors, order the authors in the same way they are presented in the book.

Format

Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date. 

(First Author Last Name page number).

Example

Wykes, Maggie, and Barrie Gunter. The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill. Sage, 2005. 

(Wykes)

If there are three or more authors, list only the first author followed by the phrase et al. (Latin for "and others") in place of the subsequent authors' names.

Format

Last Name, First Name of First Author, et al. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.

(First Author Last Name, et al. page number).

Example

Nickels, William, et al. Understanding Canadian Business. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2016.

(Nickel, et al)

Book with Editor(s) and No Author

Format

Last Name of Editor, First Name, editor(s). Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.

Example

Matuz, Roger, editor. Contemporary Canadian Artists. Gale Canada, 1997.

A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection

 Format

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Essay." Title of Collection, edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, Page range of entry. 

(Last Name page number)

 Example

Ross, Colin. "The Story of Grey Owl." Fiction/Non-Fiction: A Reader and Rhetoric, edited by Garry Engkent and Lucia Engkent, Thomson Nelson, 2006, pp. 327-333. 

(Ross 328)


  Note: The first author's name listed is the author of the chapter/essay/short story. If there is no editor given you may leave out that part of the citation.

Book by a Group or Corporate Author

Format

Name of Corporate Author. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.

Example

Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation. Employability Skills: Creating My Future, Nelson, 1996.


 Note: When a work is published by an organization that is also its author, begin the entry with the title, skipping the author element. List the organization as publisher.

Self-Published

Format

Last Name, First Name. Title. Date. 

(Author Last Name page number).

Example

Hocking, Amanda. Fate. 2010.

(Hocking 10).