MLA BOOK CITATION GENERATOR

MLA Book Citation Generator

Paste an ISBN or book title. Get a clean MLA 9 Works Cited entry plus a matching in-text citation — italicized title in title case, contributors with role labels, edition, publisher, and year. Free, no signup.

Citation Style
Source Type

Tip: Paste the ISBN for the cleanest match — we'll pull the title, authors, edition, and publisher automatically.

How to cite a book in MLA 9

MLA 9 uses the same core elements template for every source. For a stand-alone book, you fill in Author. Title. Publisher, Year. Other elements (editor, translator, edition, version, location) only appear when relevant. The container is empty for a stand-alone book — the book is the container — but for a chapter in an edited volume, the book is the container around the chapter. That distinction is the one most students miss.

Example MLA 9 book Works Cited entry

Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.

The four core slots for a book

In-text citation for a book

MLA's standard in-text format: author + page number, with no comma. (Kahneman 24) for a quote on page 24. Two authors: (Tversky and Kahneman 1124). Three or more: (Smith et al. 78). Quoting a passage that spans pages: (Kahneman 24–26). If you've named the author in your sentence, just the page number: (24).

(Kahneman 24)

Editions, translators, and editors

Common MLA 9 book mistakes

How the generator works

An ISBN goes straight to library and publisher records — that's the cleanest path because the canonical metadata lives there. A title or "author + title" search hits OpenAlex and Semantic Scholar for the same data, plus DOI lookups for academic books. The CSL engine then renders MLA 9 formatting: title-case italicized title, trimmed publisher name, period-separated fields, four-element template. The matching (Author Page) in-text citation comes alongside.

Frequently Asked Questions about MLA Book Citations

How do I cite a book with multiple authors?

Two authors: First last-name-first, second first-name-first, joined by "and." Example: Tversky, Amos, and Daniel Kahneman. Three or more authors: list only the first author followed by et al.: Smith, Jane, et al. The in-text citation follows the same rule: (Tversky and Kahneman) or (Smith et al.).

How do I cite an e-book in MLA 9?

If the e-book has fixed pagination matching the print edition, cite it like a print book — no need to mention the format. If pagination varies (e.g., Kindle reflowable text), add the version after the title: Title. E-book ed., Publisher, Year. For in-text citations of reflowable e-books, use chapter or section numbers since page numbers won't be stable.

How do I cite a chapter in an edited book?

Format: Chapter Author. "Chapter Title." Book Title, edited by Editor First Last, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx. Switch the source-type pill at the top to "Book Chapter" and the generator handles the editor and page-range fields automatically.

Do I include the edition number for a first edition?

No. MLA 9 only lists the edition when it's the second or later. Title with no edition note implies the first edition. Once revised editions exist, always include the edition: Title. 2nd ed., Publisher, Year.

How do I cite a translated book in MLA 9?

List the original author as the author, then add the translator after the title: Author. Title. Translated by Translator Name, Publisher, Year. If your focus is on the translator's choices rather than the original work, you can put the translator in the author slot with a "translator" label.

What if the book has no author or editor?

Skip the author slot and start with the title in italics: Title. Publisher, Year. In-text, use a shortened title in italics: (Title 24). Reference works (encyclopedias, dictionaries) often fall in this category.

Related Citation Tools

Citing other MLA sources?

The full MLA 9 Citation Generator handles websites, journal articles, films, videos, and more.

Read the full how-to

Our How to cite a book guide covers chapters, editions, translations, and republished classics.

Build a Works Cited list

Save every MLA citation you generate to your Works Cited library, then export the finished list to Word, BibTeX, or RIS.

Verify a book citation

Got a Works Cited entry and want to confirm it? Run it through the AI Citation Checker.