How to Cite a Book in APA 7
Complete guide with examples for citing print books, ebooks, edited volumes, and translations in APA 7th edition.
Basic Format: Print Book
For a print book, include author, year, title (italicized), edition (if applicable), and publisher.
Reference List Entry
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book (Xth ed.). Publisher.
Example: Single Author
Citation
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. Little, Brown and Company.
In‑Text Citation (Parenthetical)
(Gladwell, 2008)
Ebook with DOI or URL
Include the DOI (preferred) or the URL if no DOI is available. Do not include a database name unless it is the only access point.
Example with DOI
Brown, B. (2015). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Avery. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
Edited Book (No Author)
Example
Smith, J. A., & Johnson, P. B. (Eds.). (2021). Handbook of qualitative research methods (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Example
Nguyen, T. (2020). The role of mindfulness in education. In R. K. Patel & L. M. Wong (Eds.), Innovations in educational psychology (pp. 145–162). Routledge.
Translated Book
Example
García Márquez, G. (2003). Living to tell the tale (E. Grossman, Trans.). Knopf. (Original work published 2002)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I include the edition number for first editions?
No, only include edition information if it is the second edition or later (e.g., 2nd ed., Rev. ed.).
How do I cite a book with multiple authors?
List up to 20 authors. For 21 or more, list the first 19, then an ellipsis (…), and the last author.