Titles of full works like books or newspapers should be italicized.


The in-text citation for books is not a difficult task for many people. For all the citation styles, you will need to write the name of the author(s) and the date of publication in parenthesis. The only difference will come with some citation styles such as APA requiring that you have a comma between the name of the author and the year of publication.


In-text citations need extra keenness when writing. This need for this is because it is easy to miss out on a particular citation, especially if you are writing a long-form essay with many books to cite. It is always a good idea to go through all your in-text citations once your essay is complete.

In all citation styles, the title of the book will come after the name of the author. However, how you write this title will narrow down to the specific citation style that you are using and how you are writing it. Some styles will require that you underline the title, write it within quotation marks or underline the title.

The titles of books, periodicals, and newspapers are italicized.

The name of the author is crucial when citing the title of a book in any citation style. You need to identify the name of the author of the book that you want to cite. Once you know the full name of the author, you will list his or her surname first. A comma will then follow the surname, after which you will then write the author’s first name.

The first step to citing a book title correctly is knowing the specific guidelines that the citation style you are using has. As mentioned, however, each of the major citation styles does not vary so much when it comes to how you cite a book title.

Citing a book title correctly is essential if you are to avoid plagiarism in your essay. It is important to understand that different citation styles have different guidelines on how you should cite a book title. While all of these will vary, they are more similar than they are different. The key is in knowing which citation style your institution uses and mastering it well. This post will guide you on

While it is possible to improve your skill over time, it is never a rare thing for a person to commit a mistake occasionally. However, the following are a few suggestions on how you can ensure that you cite books appropriately.


In MLA style, book titles are italicized, as so:

When writing a book title grammatically in an essay, you should italicize the title and capitalize the major words. This includes the first word of the title, the first word after a colon or dash, and proper nouns.

Here’s how to write the title of a book in an essay APA:

When utilizing CSE (Council of Science Editors) style in your essays, novel titles are formatted with specific guidelines to ensure clarity and uniformity in scientific writing. In CSE style, do not use italics, underlines, or quotation marks for book titles. Instead, titles should be written in sentence case, meaning only the first word, proper nouns, acronyms, and initials are capitalized. For example, a correctly formatted novel title in a CSE-styled essay would appear as "Plant cell culture: essential methods" or "The man who loved children." This approach helps maintain the formal tone required in scientific papers and aligns with the concise and factual style preferred in scientific communities.

How to Cite a Book Title in APA, MLA or Chicago | EasyBib

To format a novel in an essay, italicize the novel title to denote its status as a standalone book. Capitalize the major words in the title, and ensure to maintain this formatting consistently throughout your document to aid clarity and professional appearance.

How to Write a Book Title in Essay [Examples]

In AMA style, the formatting of novel titles in academic essays is straightforward and tailored to the scientific community. Book titles should be italicized, and only the first word of the title and any proper nouns should be capitalized. This minimalist approach aligns with the AMA's emphasis on clarity and conciseness in medical and scientific writing. It's important to consistently apply these rules throughout your document to maintain a professional and clear presentation.

How do you cite the title of a book in an essay

Following Chicago style, formatting book titles in essays involves a few key rules. Chicago style dictates that all major works, such as books and periodicals, should have their titles italicized. This formatting signals to the reader that the work is a significant, independent entity. Additionally, ensure that all principal words in the title are capitalized to maintain proper noun recognition and stylistic consistency. This style guide helps in clearly delineating texts and their scopes within academic writing.