Quick Answer
APA 7th edition book format:
Author Last, F. M. (Year). Title of book in sentence case. Publisher. Key rules: title in italics and sentence case, no publisher location, include edition if not the first. For chapters in edited books:
Chapter Author, A. (Year). Chapter title. In E. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. X–Y). Publisher. The
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Books remain one of the most commonly cited source types in academic writing, and APA 7th edition introduced several changes from the 6th edition. The most notable: publisher location is no longer required, and the format is slightly cleaner as a result.
This guide covers every book scenario you'll encounter: single author, multiple authors, edited books, book chapters, editions, translations, ebooks, and books with no author.
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Basic Book Format
APA 7th Edition Template
Author Last, F. M. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle in sentence case (edition if applicable). Publisher.
Single Author
Brown, B. (2010). The gifts of imperfection: Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are. Hazelden.
In-Text Citation
(Brown, 2010)
Key rules for basic books:
- Author's last name first, then initials only (not full first name)
- Year in parentheses followed by a period
- Book title in italics, sentence case (capitalize only first word, proper nouns, and first word after colon)
- Publisher name only — no city, state, or country
- No period after publisher name unless followed by a DOI/URL
Multiple Authors
Two Authors
Author Last, F., & Author Last, F. (Year). Title. Publisher.
Two Authors — Reference List
Strunk, W., & White, E. B. (1999). The elements of style (4th ed.). Longman.
Two Authors — In-Text
(Strunk & White, 1999)
Three or More Authors — In-Text (7th Edition)
(Gladwell et al., 2008)
Three Authors — Reference List
Seligman, M. E., Rashid, T., & Parks, A. C. (2006). Positive psychotherapy. American Psychological Association.
APA 7th edition change: Any work with 3 or more authors uses et al. In in-text citations immediately — even on the first reference. In the reference list, list all authors up to 20 names before abbreviating.
Edited Books
For a book where editors are responsible for the whole work (not chapter authors):
Edited Book Template
Editor Last, F. (Ed.). (Year). Title of book. Publisher.
Single Editor
Kahneman, D. (Ed.). (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Two Editors
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. (Eds.). (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford University Press.
Chapter in an Edited Book
When citing a specific chapter written by one person within an edited collection, cite the chapter author — not the editor — as the primary author.
Book Chapter Template
Chapter Author, A. (Year). Title of chapter in sentence case. In F. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. First–last). Publisher.
Book Chapter — Reference List
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow and creativity. In R. Richards (Ed.), Everyday creativity and new views of human nature (pp. 25–43). American Psychological Association.
Book Chapter — In-Text
(Csikszentmihalyi, 2008)
Note: The chapter title is in sentence case without italics. Only the book title is italicized. The editor's name is written in normal order (First Last) after "In."
Edition Information
Include the edition number when the book is not the first edition. This goes in parentheses immediately after the title, not italicized.
Second Edition
Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). SAGE.
Revised Edition
Kübler-Ross, E. (2011). On death and dying (Rev. Ed.). Scribner.
Do not include edition for first editions. Only add "(2nd ed.)" or similar if the book explicitly states it is a revised or later edition on its cover or title page.
Translated Books
Translation Template
Original Author, A. (Year of translation). Title in English. (F. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published Year)
Translated Book
Camus, A. (1988). The stranger (M. Ward, Trans.). Vintage Books. (Original work published 1942)
Translated Book — In-Text
(Camus, 1942/1988)
In-text citations for translations use both the original publication year and the translation year separated by a slash.
Ebooks and Digital Books
The format for ebooks is the same as for print books. Add a DOI or URL only if one is available.
Ebook with DOI
Newport, C. (2016). Deep work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world. Grand Central Publishing. Https://doi.org/10.1093/example
Ebook with URL (No DOI)
Duhigg, C. (2012). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Random House. Https://www.examplebooks.com/power-of-habit
Ebook — No DOI or URL Available
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. Little, Brown.
Kindle or Nook? You do not need to mention the ebook platform or device. APA 7th edition does not require specifying Kindle, Nook, or similar platforms. Just include the DOI or URL if accessible.
Book with No Author
When no author is listed, move the title to the author position. In-text, use a shortened version of the title in italics.
No Author — Reference List
Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (11th ed.). (2003). Merriam-Webster.
No Author — In-Text
(Merriam-Webster's, 2003)
Reprinted or Republished Books
Reprint / Republished Work
James, W. (1983). The principles of psychology. Harvard University Press. (Original work published 1890)
Reprint — In-Text
(James, 1890/1983)
Multivolume Works
Citing One Volume of a Set
Bloom, H. (Ed.). (1999). Modern critical views: Ernest Hemingway (Vol. 2). Chelsea House.
Citing Entire Multivolume Set
Freud, S. (1953–1974). The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vols. 1–24; J. Strachey, Ed. & Trans.). Hogarth Press.
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Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the APA format for citing a book?
APA 7th edition: Author Last, F. M. (Year). Title of book in sentence case. Publisher. Example: Brown, B. (2010). The gifts of imperfection. Hazelden. No publisher location is required in 7th edition.
How do you cite a book with two authors in APA?
List both authors: Author Last, F., & Author Last, F. (Year). Title. Publisher. In in-text citations, use both names every time: (Strunk & White, 1999).
How do you cite a chapter in an edited book in APA?
Chapter Author, A. (Year). Chapter title in sentence case. In F. Editor (Ed.), Book title in italics (pp. X–Y). Publisher. The chapter author comes first, and the book editor appears after "In."
Do you need to include publisher location in APA 7th edition?
No. APA 7th edition removed the publisher location (city, state, country) requirement. Only include the publisher name.
How do you cite an ebook in APA format?
Same as a print book, with a DOI or URL added at the end if available. You do not need to specify the platform (Kindle, Nook, etc.).
How do you cite a book with no author in APA?
Move the title to the author position: Title of book. (Year). Publisher. In-text, use a shortened version of the title in italics: (Short title, Year).
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