How to Cite a Book in APA 7th Edition (With Examples)
Getting your citations right is one of the most important skills for academic success. Whether you are an undergraduate at the University of Nairobi or a PhD candidate at Moi University, proper referencing shows your supervisor that you understand academic integrity. If you find citation formatting overwhelming or simply don’t have the time to get it perfect, Proposal Writers Kenya offers expert editing and formatting services to ensure your reference list meets the highest standards.
This guide covers everything you need to know about citing books in APA 7th edition, with clear examples you can copy and adapt for your own work.
The Basic Format for a Book Citation
APA 7th edition uses the same format for both print and electronic books, unless the eBook has a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or stable URL. The basic structure has four components: author, date, title, and source.
Reference list template:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book: Subtitle in sentence case. Publisher. DOI or URL if available
Key formatting rules:
Italicize the book title and subtitle
Use sentence case for titles—capitalize only the first word of the title, first word of the subtitle, and proper nouns
Include the edition number (if not the first edition) in parentheses after the title, e.g., (2nd ed.)
New for 7th edition: Do not include the city or state of publication
How to Cite a Book With One Author
This is the most common citation format you will use.
Reference list:
Allert, C. D. (2007). A high view of scripture: The authority of the bible and the formation of the New Testament canon. Baker Academic.
In-text citations:
Parenthetical: (Allert, 2007)
Narrative: Allert (2007) has stated that…
Direct quote with page number: (Allert, 2007, p. 45)
How to Cite a Book With Multiple Authors
Two Authors
Reference list:
Wald, K. D., & Calhoun-Brown, A. (2018). Religion and politics in the United States (8th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
In-text citations:
Parenthetical: (Wald & Calhoun-Brown, 2018)
Narrative: Wald and Calhoun-Brown (2018) argue…
Note: Use an ampersand (&) in parenthetical citations but “and” in narrative citations
Three or More Authors
Reference list: List all authors (up to 20).
Larson, G. W., Ellis, D. C., & Rivers, P. C. (1984). Essentials of chemical dependency counseling. Columbia University Press.
In-text citations: Use the first author followed by “et al.”
Parenthetical: (Larson et al., 1984)
Narrative: Larson et al. (1984) describe…
How to Cite an Edited Book
Entire Edited Book
Reference list:
Leitch, M. G., & Rushton, C. J. (Eds.). (2019). A new companion to Malory. D. S. Brewer.
In-text citation:
(Leitch & Rushton, 2019)
Chapter in an Edited Book
When you cite a specific chapter written by a different author, use this format:
Clarke, K. (1995). Canonical criticism: An integrated reading of biblical texts for the community of faith. In S. E. Porter & D. Tombs (Eds.), Approaches to New Testament Study (pp. 170-221). Sheffield Academic Press.
In-text citation:
(Clarke, 1995)
How to Cite an eBook
eBook With a DOI
Include the DOI as a URL at the end of the reference:
Jackson, L. M. (2019). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000[citation:3].
eBook Without a DOI (From Library Database)
Do not include the database name or URL:
Alker, S., & Nelson, H. F. (2021). Besieged: Early modern British siege literature, 1642-1722. McGill-Queen’s University Press.
eBook Without Page Numbers
When quoting directly from an eBook without page numbers, use chapter and paragraph numbers:
(Gladwell, 2008, Chapter 1, Section 2, para. 5)
How to Cite a Book With a Corporate Author
When the author and publisher are the same, omit the publisher:
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
In-text citation:
(American Psychological Association, 2020)
How to Cite a Translated Book
Reference list:
Plato. (1989). Symposium (A. Nehamas & P. Woodruff, Trans.). Hackett Publishing Company. (Original work published ca. 385–378 B.C.E.).
In-text citation:
(Plato, 1989/ca. 385–378 B.C.E.)
How to Cite a Book With No Author
Move the title to the author position:
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (5th ed.). (2003). Cambridge University Press.
In-text citation:
(Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2003)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Including place of publication – APA 7th no longer requires the city or state
Using title case for book titles – Use sentence case instead
Forgetting to italicize – Always italicize book titles
Including database names – Do not include library database names unless the source is only available from that database
Summary Quick Reference
| Source Type | Reference Format | In-Text Citation |
|---|---|---|
| One author | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Publisher. | (Author, Year) |
| Two authors | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title. Publisher. | (Author & Author, Year) |
| 3+ authors | Author, A. A., et al. (Year). Title. Publisher. | (Author et al., Year) |
| Edited book | Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year). Title. Publisher. | (Editor, Year) |
| Chapter in edited book | Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In E. Editor (Ed.), Title (pp. xx-xx). Publisher. | (Author, Year) |
| eBook with DOI | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx | (Author, Year) |
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